At all times, the issue of effective central and local governance has been one of the key factors determining the effectiveness of the entire state mechanism. The North Caucasus has always been particularly sensitive to changes due to its diverse ethnic, cultural, and religious composition. Currently, the concept of state governance from the federal center is being shaped under the pressure of factors such as the politicization of society and the presence of multiple national and religious parties and movements that compete with the government for the selection of national and state development priorities. The ethnopolitical situation in the North Caucasus is particularly acute due to the conflict hotbeds that have turned the entire Caucasus region into a broad zone of instability. This has a negative impact not only on neighboring regions, but also on Russia's internal areas. At the same time, there is still no effective alternative to the centrifugal tendencies that fuel separatist forces at the national, regional, and inter-subject levels. In this regard, it may be interesting to analyze the historical system of governance that existed in the North Caucasus during the pre-revolutionary period, which was characterized by a certain level of effectiveness and stability. It is possible that some elements of the past experience, if appropriately transformed, could be useful in the present. Until 1917, the Caucasus region had a flexible system of governance that combined elements of both Russian imperial unity and federalism. Initially, the supreme state authority in the Caucasus was vested in the Viceroy of His Imperial Majesty, who was granted broad powers in matters of local civil and military administration. In 1883, his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Caucasian Army was transformed into that of Chief of the Civil Department and the Caucasian Military District. In 1905, the Viceroyalty of the Caucasus was reinstated by the Tsar's decree, which was intende ... Read more