Administrative divisions of Lithuania 1561, became a condominium (joint domain) of both Lithuania and Poland. This left Lithuania with eight voivodeships and one eldership: After the Livonian War (1558–1582), Lithuania acquired the vassal state of Duchy of Courland with its capital Jelgava. This administrative division remained without any major changes until the partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century. Under the Russian Empire, the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania was divided into governorates (Russian: "guberniya", Lithuanian: "gubernija") and districts (Russian: "uyezd", Lithuanian: "apskritis"). Such system was introducing in Russia during the reforms of 1775. The first governorates, Vilna
Capital punishment in Lithuania and fragmentary. Due to the martial law, the executions were carried out by the military by shooting though legal acts provided hanging. In 1937–1940, Lithuania operated a gas chamber in Aleksotas within the First Fort of the Kaunas Fortress. In January 1937, the criminal code was amended to provide execution by gas which at the time was viewed as more civilized and humane. Lithuania considered and rejected execution by poison. The first execution was carried on July 27, 1937: Bronius Pogužinskas, age 37, convicted of murder of five members of a Jewish family. Černevičiūtė counted at least nine executions in