PHJ № 4 (48) 2025 — A. T. Urushadze. THE CAUCASUS GOVERNANCE REFORM OF 1844–1845 IN GOVERNMENT DISCUSSIONS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE
The article is devoted to the reform of the administration of the Caucasus in 1844–1845. This transformation was connected with the appointment of M. S. Vorontsov to the post of the Caucasian governor with broad administrative rights and privileges. The article offers a new approach to the analysis of this historical event. Firstly, it is emphasized that the expansion of the rights of the head of the regional administration occurred as early as 1842. Secondly, it is argued that after deciding to appoint Mikhail Vorontsov to the Caucasus, Emperor Nicholas I was forced to formulate special conditions for this appointment. This came as a surprise to State Secretary M. P. Posen, who supervised the transformation of the regional administration. The administrative rights and prerogatives of the Caucasian governor were determined as a result of a discussion about the contents of the supreme rescript to the Caucasian governor. The article is based on both published and archived historical evidence.