volost

American  

[voh-luhst] / ˈvoʊ ləst /

noun

1. (formerly) a small administrative peasant division in Russia.

2. a rural soviet.

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volost British  

/ ˈvəʊlɒst /

noun

1. (in the former Soviet Union) a rural soviet

2. (in tsarist Russia) a peasant community consisting of several villages or hamlets

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Etymology

Origin of volost

From Russian vólostʾ; Old Russian volostĭ “region, state, authority,” cognate with Old Church Slavonic vlastĭ “sovereignty, power, authority,” derivative of unattested Slavic vald- “rule,” cognate with Lithuanian valdýti, Gothic waldan, Old English wealdan “to rule”; cf. wield

Example Sentences

With great difficulty there were established organs of a local, autonomous administration, volost and district zemstvos, which were to furnish a basis of organization to the government zemstvos.

From Bolshevism The Enemy of Political and Industrial Democracy by Spargo, John

They rely immediately upon organic groupings, such as shop, mill, factory, volost, regiment, etc.

From From October to Brest-Litovsk by Trotzky, Leon Davidovich

What more?" says Matróna, "My fame as the 'lucky one'   Spread through the volost, Since then they have called me   'The Governor's Lady.'

From Who Can Be Happy and Free in Russia? by Soskice, Juliet M.

It's nearly three miles to the volost, and the storm, the snowdrifts, are something terrible—maybe one won't get there before midnight.

From The Schoolmistress, and other stories by Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich

It happened sometimes that one of these elders, who was considered unusually wise or powerful, became chief of the volost, a dignity which might become hereditary.

From The Story of Russia by Bergen, R. Van