City Municipality (Russian: Градоначальство) was an administrative unit of the Russian Empire consisting of a city and its adjacent territory under an administration of a city's chief. A city's chief was subordinated to the General Governor. City Municipality was predecessor of the cities of regional significance. The establishment of such municipalities started out in the 19th century. The city of Dalniy was leased from China by the Russian-Chinese Convention of 1898 for 25 years. It was lost to Japan during the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.