Catherine the Great issued a decree in 1775 to change the previous administrative division from governorates to viceroyalties (namestnichestvo), and in 1783 the Vyborg Governorate was renamed into Vyborg Viceroyalty (Russian: Выборгское наместничество, romanized: Vyborgskoye namestnichestvo, however in Finnish the name did not change) within its previous borders.

The subdivision was also changed, from provinces into uyezds (Russian: уе́зд, Finnish: kihlakunta), of which there were 6 in the viceroyalty: Wilmanstrand, Vyborg, Friedrichshaven, Nijschlott, Kexholm and Serdobol.

[b] Paul I changed the name back to Vyborg Governorate in 1796, renaming the previous uyezds into districts (German: Lands Kommissariat, Russian: округ, romanized: okrug, Finnish: kihlakunta)[1] and Alexander I changed the name to Finland Governorate in 1802.

In the Treaty of Fredrikshamn on September 17, 1809, Sweden was obliged to cede all its territory in Finland, east of the Torne River, to Russia.

In 1812, the area of Vyborg Governorate was transferred from Russia proper to the grand duchy and established as Viipuri Province.