Governors and Governors in Russian State Administration in the Caucasus: the Problem of “Undergovernance” and Patrimonial Rationality

The article examines the history of governors and viceroyalties as a tool of governance in the Caucasus in the 18th – early 20th centuries. It is noted that in different eras, governors performed various functions in the system of public administration of the Russian state. The main attention in the article is paid to the period of the 19th – early 20th centuries, which is marked by an intense search for an optimal model of governance of the vast territory of the Russian Empire. In the context of the discussion with historiography, the article clarifies some important aspects of the history of Caucasian governors. The text of the article is written in a comparative vein; the author widely uses analogies and examples from the history of various outskirts of the Russian Empire and other countries. It is emphasized that in the 19th century, governors were a tool for overcoming the “autocracy of ministers” and provided the opportunity for the personal participation of the emperor in the affairs of governance of remote outskirts of the state. The article is based on material from both published sources and archival historical evidence.