POGOST

'''Pogost''' (, from Old East Slavic: погостъ^[1]) is a historical term with several meanings in the Russian language.
The original usage applies to the coaching inn for princes and ecclesiastics^[2] with the word being similar to modern Russian ''gost' (гость), "guest". It is assumed that originally ''pogosts'' were rural communities on the periphery of the ancient Russian state, as well as trading centers (Old Russian: ''gost'ba'', гостьба).^[3]
In the end of the 10th century ''pogosts'' transformed into administrative and territorial districts. ''Pogosts'' varied in size, ranging from tens to hundreds of villages in 11th—14th centuries. As Christianity spread in Russia, churches were built in ''pogosts''. In 1775 the last ''pogosts'' that served as administrative districts were destroyed. Since then they became known as city ''pogosts'' (погосто - место), functioning as parish centers.
In the central ''uyezds'' of 15th-16th centuries ''pogosts'' were small settlements with a church and a graveyard, like Kizhi Pogost or Kadnikov Pogost. In modern Russian, ''pogosts'' usually designate a combination of a rural church and a graveyard, situated at some distant place.

Contents

Pogost in Finland and Latvia

References

Pogost in Finland and Latvia

The central village of the Finnish ''kunta'' (rural district) of Ilomantsi is usually called the ''pogosta'' of Ilomantsi (''Ilomantsin pogosta''), the word being obviously a borrowing from Russian. The local dialect of Finnish shows strong Russian influence, and there is a strong presence of Orthodox Christians in the municipality. Even the name of the local newspaper is ''Pogostan Sanomat'' ("The Pogosta News"). Outside Ilomantsi, ''pogosta'' is not a valid Finnish word.
''Pagasts'' is the name for a basic unit of local self-government in the Republic of Latvia. The word "pagasts" is a commonly used Latvian word equivalent to civil parish, rural municipality or small rural district, originating in the Russian ''pogost''. There are 432 rural municipalities or ''pagasti'' in Latvia.^[4]

References

1. Hypatian Chronicle, 947 AD
2. Max Vasmer. ''Этимологический словарь русского языка''
3. ''Большая энциклопедия русского языка''
4. Latvian Association of Local and Regional Governments