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{{Infobox official post
|post            = Namiestnik 
|body            = Poland
|insignia        = Герб Царства Польского 1882.svg
|insigniasize    = 100px
|insigniacaption = [[Coat of arms of Poland]]
|image           = Pavel_N._Yengalychev.jpeg
|imagesize       = 150px
|imagecaption    = '''Last holder'''<br />'''[[Pavel Yengalychev]]'''
|style           = 
|residence       = [[Presidential Palace, Warsaw|Namiestnik's Palace]]
|appointer       = [[Emperor of Russia]]
|appointer_qualified = 
|precursor      = 
|formation      = 1815
|first          = [[Józef Zajączek]]
|last           = [[Pavel Yengalychev]]
|abolished      = 1915
|succession     = 
|salary         = 
}}The '''Namiestnik''' (or '''Namestnik''', '''Viceroy''') '''of the Kingdom of Poland''' ({{langx|pl|namiestnik Królestwa Polskiego}}, {{langx|ru|наместник Царства Польского}}) was the deputy of the [[Emperor of Russia]] who, under the [[Congress Kingdom of Poland]] (1815–1915), was styled "King of Poland". Between 1874 and 1914, the title ''[[Namestnik|Namiestnik]]'' was replaced by that of '''Governor-General of Warsaw''' ({{langx|pl|generał-gubernator warszawski}}).{{Ref_label|a|a|none}}

==History==
The office of ''[[Namestnik|Namiestnik]]'' was introduced in Poland by the [[Constitution of Congress Poland]] (1815), in its Article 3 (On the Namiestnik and Council of State). The namiestnik was chosen by the Tsar from among the noble citizens of the Russian Empire or the Kingdom of Poland, excluding [[Naturalization|naturalized]] citizens. The namiestnik supervised the entire [[public administration]] and, in the monarch's absence, chaired the [[Council of State of Congress Poland]], as well as the [[Administrative Council of Congress Poland]]. He could [[veto]] the councils' decisions; other than that, his decisions had to be [[Countersign (legal)|countersign]]ed by the appropriate [[Minister (government)|government minister]]. The namiestnik exercised broad powers and could nominate candidates for most senior government posts (ministers, [[senator]]s, judges of the High Tribunal, councilors of state, [[referendary|referendaries]], as well as [[bishop]]s and [[archbishop]]s).

The namiestnik had no competence in the realms of finances and foreign policy; his military competence varied.{{Ref_label|b|b|none}} In the event that the namiestnik were unable to exercise his office due to resignation or death, this function would be temporarily carried out by the president of the Council of State.

The office of namiestnik was never officially abolished; however, the last namiestnik was [[Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg]], who served from 1863 to his death in 1874. No namiestnik was named to replace him;<ref name="Berg-last">Hugo Stumm, ''Russia's Advance Eastward'', 1874, p. 140, note 1. Google Print [https://books.google.com/books?id=Rq0BAAAAQAAJ&dq=namestnik+Poland&pg=RA2-PA140]</ref> however, the role of namiestnik—[[viceroy]] of the former Congress Kingdom —passed to the [[Governor-General]] of [[Warsaw]]<ref name="passed">Thomas Mitchell, ''Handbook for Travellers in Russia, Poland, and Finland'', 1888, p. 460. Google Print [https://books.google.com/books?id=AenSXGLDulUC&dq=namiestnik+Poland&pg=RA9-PA460]</ref>—or, to be more specific, of the [[Warsaw Military District (Russian Empire)|Warsaw Military District]] ({{langx|pl|Warszawski Okręg Wojskowy}}, {{langx|ru|Варшавский Военный Округ}}). However, in the internal correspondence of Russian Imperial offices this functionary was still called ''namiestnik''.

The governor-general answered directly to the Tsar and exercised much broader powers than had the namiestnik. In particular, he controlled all the military forces in the region and oversaw the judicial systems (he could impose [[death sentence]]s without trial). He could also issue "[[Declaration (law)|declarations]] with the force of law," which could alter existing laws.

==Viceroys of the Kingdom of Poland ==
* [[Józef Zajączek]] (1815–26)
* Vacant, 1826–31 (power and responsibilities were exercised by the [[Administrative Council]])
* [[Ivan Paskevich]] (1831–55)
* [[Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov]] (1855 – 3 May 1861)
* [[Nikolai Sukhozanet]] (16 May 1861 – 1 August 1861)
* [[Karl Lambert]] (1861)
* [[Nikolai Sukhozanet]] (11–22 October 1861)
* [[Alexander von Lüders]] (November 1861 – June 1862)
* [[Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich of Russia]] (June 1862 – 31 October 1863)
* [[Friedrich Wilhelm Rembert von Berg]] (1863–74)

==Governors-General of Warsaw==
* Count [[Paul Demetrius von Kotzebue]] (1874–80)
* [[Pyotr Pavlovich Albedinsky]] (1880–83)
* [[Joseph Vladimirovich Gourko]] (1883–94)
* [[Pavel Andreyevich Shuvalov]] (1894–1896)
* Prince [[Alexander Imeretinsky]] (1896–1900)
* [[Mikhail Chertkov]] (1900–05)
* {{ill|Konstantin Maximovich|ru|Максимович, Константин Клавдиевич|pl|Konstantin Maksimowicz}} (1905)
* [[Georgi Skalon]] (1905–14)
* [[Yakov Zhilinskiy]] (1914)
* [[Pavel Yengalychev]] (1914–1915)

==See also==
*[[Guberniya]]
*[[Ambassadors and envoys from Russia to Poland (1763–1794)]]
*[[Governor-General of Finland]]
*[[Governor-General of Lithuania]]/[[Governor-General of Vilnius]]/[[Governor-General of Wilno]]
*[[Presidential Palace, Warsaw|Namiestnik's Palace]] (today, [[Presidential Palace, Warsaw]])

==Notes==
'''a''' {{Note_label|a|a|none}} The office is referred to in sources by various names. ''[[Namestnik|Namiestnik]]'' is sometimes translated as "[[viceroy]]," "[[regent]]" or "[[lord lieutenant]]," and even "[[Prince]]" of Poland or Prince of Warsaw.  The Governor-General of Warsaw is sometimes referred to as "Governor-General of the Kingdom of Poland" or "Governor-General of Poland."  Some sources erroneously apply the term ''namiestnik'' to the period after 1874, or "governor-general" to the earlier period.

'''b''' {{Note_label|b|b|none}} Sources are contradictory as to whether the namiestnik had competence in the military realm. Certainly from 1815 to 1831 the Congress Kingdom's military was controlled by [[Grand Duke Constantine Pavlovich of Russia]], who ''de facto'' had more power than the namiestnik, [[Józef Zajączek]]. Zajączek died in 1826 and was not replaced until 1831, when the [[November Uprising|November 1831 Uprising]] saw [[Ivan Paskevich]] assume the post of namiestnik—as well as command of  Russian military forces in the region, as he was tasked with defeating the Uprising. The question of who controlled the military after Paskevich's death is unclear, but again the last namiestnik, [[Fyodor Berg]], was tasked with crushing another Polish uprising—the [[January Uprising|January 1863 Uprising]]—and commanded the military.

==References==
;Inline
<references/>

;General
{{Namestniks of the Kingdom of Poland}}

[[Category:Government of Congress Poland]]
[[Category:Heads of state of Poland]]
[[Category:Political history of Poland]]
[[Category:Namestniks of the Kingdom of Poland|!]]
[[Category:Government of the Russian Empire]]