Saratov Governorate (Russian: Саратовская губе́рния, romanized: Saratovskaya guberniya) was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) of the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR.

On December 25, 1769, the Saratov province was established as part of the Astrakhan Governorate.

On January 11, 1780, Empress Catherine the Great issued a decree of the establishment of the Saratov governorship of the northern districts of the Astrakhan Governorate to begin on November 7 of that year, followed by a decree on who will lead the new governorship.

For the grand opening of the Saratov governorship, on February 3, 1781, the Astrakhan governor, along with lieutenant-general Jacobi and Bishop Anthony arrived from Astrakhan.

On August 23, 1781 the Empress issued a decree approving the emblems of the city of Saratov and several Saratov governorship county-level cities (Atkarsk, Balashov, Kamyshin, Khvalynsk, Kuznetsk, Petrovsk, Serdobsk, Tsaritsyn, and Volsk).

In 1796, 41 of the governorships which were created by Catherine II had been abolished by her son Emperor Paul I of Russia including a decree on December 12, 1796 to abolish the Saratov governorship, and have its uyezds distributed between Penza and Astrakhan province. Because of the decree of March 5, 1797 Penza province was renamed Saratov province and Saratov was appointed a provincial city. On October 11, 1797 from the Saratov governorate the governorates of Tambov, Nizhny Novgorod and Simbirsk were established, from the rest of the Saratov province decree dated September 9, 1801 the Penza Governorate was established.

In 1802 Novokhopyorsky Uyezd was ceded to the Voronezh Governorate, and Chernoyarsky Uyezd was ceded to the Astrakhan governorate.

In 1835 three new uyezds were created - Nikolayevsk, Novouzensk and Tsarevsky. In 1851 Tsarevsky Uyezd was transferred to the Astrakhan governorate, and Nicholas and Novouzensk Uyezd - to the newly created Samara Governorate.

Because of the decree of July 5, 1878, the coat of arms of Saratov province was approved with the depiction of an azure shield, in which three silver starlet are placed in a forked cross. The shield is crowned by the imperial crown and surrounded by golden oak leaves emblazoned with St. Andrew's cross.

In 1918, part of the governorate was incorporated into the newly formed autonomous region of the Volga Germans.

In 1919, part of Kamyshinsky (returned in 1920) and Tsaritsynsky uyezds were transferred to the newly formed Tsaritsyn governorate. The structure of the governorate came from the province of Samara, Nicholas Uyezd and Novouzensk Uyezd.

In 1920, due to downsizing Novouzensk Uyezd formed Dergachyovsky and Pokrovsk Uyezds.

In 1921, due to downsizing Atkarsky Uyezd formed Yelansky Uyezd.

In 1922 Pokrovsk Uyezd was transferred to the Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1923, the Khvalynsky Uyezd was abolished, its territory is divided between Volsky Uyezd and Kuznetsky Uyezd. Dergachyovsky District was formed through consolidation of Novouzensk Uyezd and Elansky Uyezd with Atkarskaya Uyezd.

In a Resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee on May 21, 1928 Saratov Governorate was abolished and its territory was included in the Lower Volga Oblast, which was later turned into Saratov Krai and Saratov Oblast.

The Saratov Governorate was divided into 10 uyezds:

• Atkarsky Uyezd
• Balashovsky Uyezd
• Kamyshinsky Uyezd
• Khvalynsky Uyezd
• Kuznetsky Uyezd
• Petrovsky Uyezd
• Saratovsky Uyezd
• Serdobsky Uyezd
• Tsaritsynsky Uyezd
• Volsky Uyezd

• Population by mother tongue according to the Imperial census of 1897.

Language	Number	percentage (%)	males	females
Russian	1,846,436	76.7	895,661	950,775
German	166,528	6.9	83,512	83,016
Ukrainian	149,291	6.2	74,712	74,579
Mordvin	123,893	5.1	59,419	64,474
Tatar	94,693	3.9	47,507	47,186
Chuvash	14,403	0.6	7,063	7,340
Polish	2,596	0.1	1,781	815
Jewish	2,527	0.1	1,528	999
Belarusian	1,371	0.0	756	615
Bashkir	1,262	0.0	624	638
Kalmyk	733	0.0	421	312
Gypsy	589	0.0	310	279
Latvian	324	0.0	189	135
Armenian	168	0.0	122	46
Other	1,015	0.0	699	316
Total	2,405,829	100.0	1,174,304	1,231,525

• According to the Imperial census of 1897.

Religion	Number	percentage (%)	males	females
Pravoslavs	2,022,517	84.1	985,924	1,036,593
Old Believers and others split from Pravoslavs	113,710	4.7	52,315	61,395
Lutherans	96,958	4.0	48,528	48,430
Islam	96,001	4.0	48,177	47,824
Reformed	37,688	1.6	18.730	18.958
Roman Catholic	34,702	1.4	18,162	16,540
Judaism	2,953	0.1	1,716	1,237
Buddhists, Lamaists	731	0.0	420	311
Baptists	307	0.0	151	156
Armenian Gregorians	168	0.0	120	48
Karaites	12	0.0	6	6
Anglicans	11	0.0	11	0
Armenian Catholic Church	9	0.0	5	4
Mennonites	6	0.0	3	3
Other: Christian denominations	33	0.0	20	13
Other: non-Christians	23	0.0	16	7
Total	2,405,829	100.0	1,174,304	1,231,525

• Sergei Bobokhov, Russian revolutionary, who committed suicide as a protest against the flogging of woman comrade in Siberia.

• William Henry Beable (1919), "Governments or Provinces of the Former Russian Empire: Saratov", Russian Gazetteer and Guide, London: Russian Outlook – via Open Library

51°32′00″N 46°00′00″E / 51.5333°N 46.0000°E / 51.5333; 46.0000