Ukrainian Genealogical Society
Volhynia
Volhynia was ruled by Poland until the late 18th century, when Poland was partitioned
by the Prussian, Austrian, and Russian empires. After the partition of Poland, Volhynia
was a gubernia, or province, of the Russian Empire until 1919, when the western part of
Volhynia once again became part of Poland. In 1945 the entire area of the Volhynia
Gubernia was absorbed into the Soviet Union, but the gubernia system was no longer used
and the Volhynia name was used to identify a smaller region, called an oblast, in the
western part of the old gubernia. Most of what was the Volhynia Gubernia is now in
Ukraine, with a small part of northern Volhynia in Belarus. Major cities and towns in and
around Volhynia include Zhitomir (the former capital), Rovno, Lutsk, Kovel, Berdichev, and
Novograd-Volinsk.
Volhynia was located in what is now northwest Ukraine, on the border with Poland and
Belarus. The shaded area of this map shows the
approximate borders of Volhynia compared to today's international borders. View a current
map of Volhynia at this site. You can also read additional history of Volhynia here.
