"Taurida Oblast (Russian: Таврическая область, Tavricheskaya oblast′) was an oblast (province) of the Russian Empire. It roughly corresponded to most of the Crimean Peninsula and parts of the Southern Ukraine regions. It was created out of territories of the Crimean Khanate, which Russia annexed in 1783. In 1796 it was merged into the Novorossiya Governorate. The name Taurida comes from the old Greek name for the area, Tauris, as in ancient times several Greek city-states had developed colonial outposts in the area.
"The oblast was created under the Imperial ukase of February 1784 signed by Catherine the Great."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurida_Oblast