Editing Regions of Belarus (section)

== History ==
At the start of the 20th century, the boundaries of the Belarusian lands within the [[Russian Empire]] were still being defined. In 1900 it was contained within all of the [[Minsk Governorate|Minsk]] and [[Mogilev Governorate|Mogilev]] governorates, most of [[Grodno Governorate]], parts of [[Vitebsk Governorate]], and parts of [[Vilna Governorate]].<ref name="kge"/> World War I, the independence of Poland, as well as the 1920–1921 [[Polish–Soviet War]] affected the boundaries. In 1921, Belarus had what is now all of Minsk Governorate except for the western fringe, the western part of Gomel Region, a western slice of Mogilev, and a small part of Vitebsk Region. In 1926, the eastern part of Gomel region was added.  
<ref name="kge"/>

In the [[Byelorussian SSR]], new administrative units, called ''oblasts'' or ''voblastsi''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Belarus: Government and society |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Belarus/Government-and-society#ref409404 |access-date=6 August 2023 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> (cognate of [[Russian language|Russian]] word ''[[oblast]]'' with [[Prothesis (linguistics)|prothetic]] v-) were introduced in 1938. During World War II, Belarus gained territory to the west, with the Baranavichy, Belastok (Białystok), Brest, Pinsk, and Vileyka oblasts. In 1944, Belastok was eliminated and the new oblasts of Babruysk, Grodno, and Polotsk were created. At that same time, Vileika oblast was renamed Molodechno Oblast.<ref name="kge"/>

At different times between 1938 and 1960, the following ''oblasts'' existed:

* [[Babruysk Voblast|Babruysk Oblast]], created 1944, eliminated 1954
* [[Baranavichy Voblast|Baranavichy Oblast]], created 1939, eliminated 1954
* [[Belastok Region|Belastok Oblast]], created 1939, eliminated 1944 (now Białystok in Poland)
* [[Brest Region]], created 1939
* [[Gomel Region|Gomel Oblast]], created 1938
* [[Grodno Region|Grodno Oblast]], created 1944
* [[Maladzyechna Voblast|Maladzyechna Oblast]] renamed from Vileyka Oblast 1944, eliminated 1960
* [[Mogilev Region|Mogilev Oblast]], created 1938
* [[Minsk Region|Minsk Oblast]], created 1938
* [[Navahrudak Voblast|Navahrudak Oblast]], created 1939, renamed Baranavichy Oblast December 1939
* [[Pinsk Region|Pinsk Oblast]], created 1939, eliminated 1954
* [[Polatsk Voblast|Polatsk Oblast]], created 1944, eliminated 1954
* [[Polesia Region|Polesia Oblast]], created 1938, eliminated 1954
* [[Vitebsk Region|Vitebsk Oblast]], created 1938
* [[Vileyka Voblast|Vileyka Oblast]], created 1939, renamed to Maladzyechna Oblast 1944