oblast

[ ob-last, -lahst; Russian aw-bluh st ]
/ ˈɒb læst, -lɑst; Russian ˈɔ bləst /

noun, plural o·blasts, Russian o·bla·sti [aw-bluh-styee] /ˈɔ blə styi/.

(in Russia and the Soviet Union) an administrative division corresponding to an autonomous province.
region; province.

Origin of oblast

1885–90; < Russian óblast', Old Russian oblastĭ, equivalent to ob- against, on + vlastĭ authority, power; see volost

British Dictionary definitions for oblasti

oblast
/ (ˈɒblɑːst) /

noun

an administrative division of the constituent republics of Russia
an administrative and territorial division in some republics of the former Soviet Union

Word Origin for oblast

from Russian, from Old Slavonic, vlast government