Features of statehood of North-Eastern Rus'. Features of the natural and geographical conditions of north-eastern Rus', the land was reliably protected from invasion by dense, impenetrable forests Test questions and assignments

Nature, population and economy. Of the many states that arose on the territory of Rus' by the middle of the 12th century, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was to play a special role in history. It covered a vast territory from the White Sea coast in the north to the Polovtsian steppes in the south, from the headwaters of the Volga in the east to the Novgorod lands in the west. The northeast of Rus' was called the Zalesskaya land in Kyiv, since it was separated from Southern Rus' by dense forests. This region began to be developed later than other Russian lands. Before the arrival of the Eastern Slavs in the area between the Volga and Oka rivers, Finno-Ugric tribes lived here: the All, Merya, and Murom. Later these lands were inhabited by the Vyatichi and partly by the Krivichi. One of the oldest trade routes from Novgorod to the Volga passed here. Impenetrable forests protected the northeast from invasions of nomadic tribes. A colder and rainier climate than in the south of Rus' hampered the development of agriculture and cattle breeding in this region. The most suitable lands for the plowman were the lands of the so-called “opolya” - an island of black soil among the dense forests between the Oka and Volga. Rye, wheat, and oats have been grown here since ancient times. The neighboring ancient forests, rich in animals, provided people with mushrooms, berries, honey from wild bees, as well as material for housing construction and firewood for stoves. They fished in numerous rivers and lakes. Hunting and various crafts were developed. Here, in the “opolye”, most of the cities of North-Eastern Rus' were built. The oldest of them was Rostov the Great, first mentioned in the chronicle back in 862. Since 1024, Suzdal was known, which later became the capital of the principality. Yaroslavl on the Volga, Murom and Ryazan on the Oka were also major centers. After the death of Yaroslav the Wise, these lands were allocated to his son Vsevolod, and then passed to his grandson, Vladimir Monomakh. Under him, a new city was founded, named after the Grand Duke Vladimir-on-Klyazma. The capital of the principality was later moved here, closer to the Volga trade route. Due to its natural and geographical conditions, North-Eastern Rus' was a separate center for the development of civilization within the Old Russian state.

Foundation of Eastern Rus' ii. Separation of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. The separation of the Zaleska land from Kyiv occurred under the son of Vladimir Monomakh Yuri Dolgoruky (1125 -1157). This is how he was nicknamed for his numerous attempts to subjugate neighboring principalities and lands, including Kyiv and Novgorod. This prince, according to his contemporaries, was tall, very fat, and loved feasts and fun. Under him, many new cities appeared in the northeast of Rus'. He founded Dmitrov and Yuryev, Zvenigorod and Gorodets, Mikulin. In 1147, for the first time in the chronicle, the border town of Moscow was mentioned, where Yuri soon ordered the construction of a powerful fortress. However, while developing the northeastern region, Yuri was not satisfied with his lot and all his life he strove to the south, to his cherished dream - the Kyiv throne. Having spent a lot of effort and money, he managed to capture the former capital of Rus' in 1155 and received the title of Grand Duke of Kyiv. But Dolgoruky did not have to enjoy fame for long. In 1157, at a feast, he was poisoned by the Kyiv boyars. After the death of Yuri, North-Eastern Rus' came under the rule of his son Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157 -1174). This prince - the son of Yuri and the Polovtsian princess - was born and raised in the Zalessk land. He considered this region his homeland and, unlike his father, did not seek to exchange the northeast of the country for Kyiv. A fearless warrior, a gifted commander and a cunning ruler, even during his father’s lifetime he helped him in all state affairs. Under Andrei, princely power in the Zalessk land increased significantly. Fearing the claims of his closest relatives to the princely throne, Andrei did not provide his younger brothers with inheritance, but sent them away from the court. Then, trying to weaken the strong positions of the Rostov and Suzdal boyars, who owned vast lands and wealth, he moved the capital to Vladimir, and he himself began to live in a castle built nearby in the village of Bogolyubovo. From that time on, the principality itself began to be called Vladimir-Suzdal. The importance of Rostov and Suzdal began to decrease. Their boyars grumbled that the prince did not listen to the advice of “the oldest clans of the earth.” Many old governors of Yuri Dolgoruky were executed or sent into exile. Like his father, Andrei made a lot of efforts to conquer the “father’s table” in Kyiv, where his ancestors ruled. In 1169, Bogolyubsky’s regiments managed to take Kyiv by storm, after which the flourishing city was subjected to terrible plunder. But, having received the title of Grand Duke of Kyiv, Andrei did not move to Southern Rus' and ruled a single state from Vladimir. The Vladimir principality began to be officially called “great,” and Kyiv ceased to be the all-Russian capital. Meanwhile, the Suzdal boyars, dissatisfied with the “autocracy” of Andrei Bogolyubsky, formed a conspiracy against him. In the summer of 1174, the prince was killed at his residence in Bogolyubovo. Court servants entered his bedchamber at night and stabbed the unarmed master to death. The strife between contenders for the throne lasted for two years in the Vladimir-Suzdal principality. During the isolation of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, clashes often occurred between the growing princely power and the boyars.

In 1176, Andrei’s brother, Vsevolod the Big Nest, managed to seize princely power (he received this nickname due to the fact that he had eight sons, four daughters and eight grandchildren). Under Vsevolod (1176 -1212), the Vladimir-Suzdal principality reached the highest point of its state, economic and cultural prosperity. The prince began his reign with the brutal suppression of rebellious boyars. Some of them were executed, others were imprisoned, and others were deprived of their property. In this struggle, Vsevolod relied both on the younger squad that faithfully served him, and on the city residents. Strengthening the position of Vsevolod the Big Nest in the principality itself led to an increase in his influence on the state of affairs in other Russian lands. He actively intervened in the affairs of Novgorod, subjugated the Kyiv lands, conquered the Ryazan principality, and successfully fought with Volga Bulgaria. For neighboring lands, the powerful ruler of the Zalessk region was a real thunderstorm. Contemporaries said about the large number of his military boats and horse squads: “You can crumble the Volga with oars and scoop up the Don with helmets.” Vsevolod ruled for 36 years and died in 1212. His many children fought for the grand ducal inheritance. Another bloody strife ended with Yuri Vsevolodovich coming to power in 1218. During the heyday of the Vladimir-Suzdal land, the princely power defeated the boyar freemen. In the northeast of Rus', monarchical orders intensified.

iv. Culture of North-Eastern Rus'. North-Eastern Rus' has left a rich cultural heritage. Already in the 12th century, chronicles were being written at the episcopal court in Rostov the Great. Under Andrei Bogolyubsky, it originated in Vladimir, but at the same time it was secular (“princely”). A little later, chroniclers began to work in Pereyaslavl-Zalessky. The main distinguishing feature of the Vladimir-Suzdal chronicles was the all-Russian scale in the assessment of historical events. Already in these works the germs of the future idea about the “all-Russian” nature of the power of the Vladimir princes appeared. The northeast of Rus' was especially famous for its wonderful stone architecture. At the turn of the 11th-12th centuries, Vladimir Monomakh built the first stone cathedral in Suzdal. Unlike other Russian lands, in the northeast white stone (limestone) was widely used in construction, the slabs of which were covered with carved decorations. Stone construction reached its peak under Andrei Bogolyubsky. The prince invited “German masters” who enriched Russian architecture with some techniques of Romanesque architecture in Western Europe. Russian and foreign builders erected fortress walls in Vladimir (the Golden Gate that remains of them still stands to this day). In the village of Bogolyubovo, a country princely residence-castle was built with fortress walls and towers, the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary and a two-story stone palace connected to all buildings by galleries and passages. Travelers who sailed from the capital of the principality (Vladimir) to this castle, at the turn from Klyazma to the Nerl River, were met by the miracle Church of the Intercession on the Nerl (1165). Its white stone carved walls were amazingly combined with the greenery of the surrounding meadows and forests and reflected so beautifully in the river surface that many compared the church to a bride stopping on the river bank to admire her outfit.

The main cathedral of the Vladimir-Suzdal land at the end of the 12th century was the Assumption Cathedral in Vladimir (in honor of the feast of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God). Its five gilded domes still rise on the steep bank of the Klyazma and, like many centuries ago, are visible many kilometers from the ancient capital. The bishop of Suzdal himself conducted the service here, and the main shrine of this region, the “miraculous” icon “Our Lady of Vladimir,” was kept here. Next to the Assumption Cathedral, the Dmitrievsky Cathedral was built, distinguished by the wealth of white stone carvings and beautiful frescoes. The carved decorations of this cathedral, which depict mighty lions, biblical kings, and magical birds, are still called “poem in stone.” From the end of the 12th to the middle of the 13th century, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality experienced a flourishing economy and culture. In the state of the Grand Duke of Vladimir, monarchical orders were established.

“Novgorod in the 13th century” - Democratic positions: veche, mayor, thousand, archbishop. Mentality. Features of social life. Presentation for the lesson “Russian lands and principalities in the 12th century.” Political traditions. Spiritual values. Crafts. Features of culture. Table of contents. Natural-geographical conditions. Mister Veliky Novgorod.

“Russian lands and principalities” - Archbishop - head of the Novgorod church organization. Characteristics of the Novgorod land: Terms: Novgorod land is a republic. The posadnik was the head of the government, in charge of all Novgorod lands, headed the court, and monitored the activities of the prince. Evening - people's meeting. Galicia-Volyn principality.

“Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky” - Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God. Vladimir in old postcards. White stone cube. Prince Andrey. Holy Blessed Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Golden Gate. Cathedral. Rus. Vladimir. Works of the Blessed Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. Church of the Intercession on the Nerl. Assumption Cathedral. Rus' Zalesskaya. The martyrdom of the prince.

“Yuri Dolgoruky Vladimirovich” - Since 1117 he began to reign individually. Yuri was married at least twice. Yuri Vladimirovich Dolgoruky (1090 - 1157). Son of Vladimir Monomakh. He was not loved by either the people or the princes; rather, on the contrary, he gained a reputation as a skilled warrior and an equally skilled ruler. Born in 1090. While still a child, he was sent with his brother Mstislav to reign in Rostov.

“Principalities of the period of fragmentation” - Warehouses of goods. Mister Veliky Novgorod. Principality of Kiev. State. The emergence of independent Russian principalities. Novgorod. Power. City. Feudal fragmentation. Velikiy Novgorod. Prince. Causes of feudal fragmentation.

“Novgorod and Novgorod land” - Sweden and Hansa. Officials of Novgorod. Novgorod trade. Archbishop (lord) is the highest clergy of Novgorod. What are the natural conditions of the Novgorod land. Authorities in Novgorod. Novgorod land. What occupations of the population should be developed in the Novgorod land. Composition of the population of Novgorod.

There are 19 presentations in total

compared to Western Europe

North-Eastern Rus' during the collapse of the Kievan state was in many ways reminiscent of Western Europe. But there were also significant differences. Classic Western European feudalism can be reduced to three main elements: the political fragmentation that replaced the empire of Charlemagne; vassalage; conditional land tenure.

The first sign is present in Rus', but it is still relative, since the Kievan state did not go through a period of centralization of power. Instead of one ruler, there was a dynasty of major and minor princes with equal rights. Since there was no single whole, then its disintegration can be considered conditional.

The second sign - vassal relations in the true sense of the word as contractual, written bilateral relations - was absent in Rus'. Historians have not heard more than one such agreement between the prince and the boyar. The boyars' obligations were one-sided (kissing the cross to serve the prince). Since there were no written mutual obligations, there was no need for arbitration. This explains the later separation of the court from the administration. The contractual traditions in the West, which entangled the top of feudal society in a network of mutual obligations, ultimately contributed to the education of civic consciousness. Chronic Russian lawlessness stems from the absence of such traditions.

The third feature is conditional land ownership. In medieval Europe, a fief was a land plot temporarily given to a vassal as a reward for service. The first Russian feuds (estates) appeared only at the end of the 15th century and played the role not of a feudal, but of an anti-feudal institution, since the monarchy used it to defeat the boyars (oprichnina).

The absence of feudal institutions of the Western European type in Rus' determined the features of the future Russian statehood.

Until recently, feudalism was interpreted as a period of cultural decline, governance, and economic regression. Only now have historians appreciated the enormous contribution of Western feudalism to the formation of modern statehood. It was from feudal institutions that the most important institutions of the modern state grew: the assembly of royal vassals was transformed into a government; estate-representative institutions of England and France became the prototype of the modern parliament; the judicial system grew out of the vassal's right to arbitration. It was feudalism that provided Western monarchs with a set of tools to create a centralized state.

Things were different in Rus'. The expansion of the state took the form of land accumulation. The Moscow prince bought land, seized it, bartered it. The idea of ​​the state was perceived through the prism of the concept of “patrimony”. This is where the features of early Russian statehood stemmed:

1. merger of power and property (until the beginning of the 19th century, royal lands were not separated from state lands);

2. deep gap between state and society (lack of contractual traditions);

3. possessive manner of exercising power;

4. direct borrowing of management methods and administrative apparatus not from Byzantium or Western Europe, but from the Golden Horde (tax departments, communications, means of suppression).

4. Mongol Empire and Golden Horde. Horde Influence

on the national state tradition

1206 – formation of the Mongol state. One of the khans, Temujin, was elected as the sole leader of the Mongol tribes and received the name Genghis Khan (divine khan). Public administration was closely linked to military needs and was based on the traditional hierarchy of nomadic society. The army was divided into tens, hundreds, thousands, tumens (10 thousand warriors). Mutual responsibility was a common practice: in case of desertion of one, ten were executed. Thus, iron discipline was established in the Mongol army. Military-territorial commanders - khans, beks, noyons, bogaturs - were not elected, but were proclaimed at kurultai in accordance with their origin and with the sanction of the supreme power.

The basis of the legal system of the Mongol Empire was the Great Yasa of Genghis Khan, which contributed to the consolidation of the Mongol-Tatar tribes, and also proclaimed religious tolerance.

The Mongol Empire occupied a gigantic territory from the Pacific Ocean to Eastern Europe; it united many peoples belonging to different cultures and traditions, and could not exist for a long time as a centralized state. Already under Genghis Khan, a division took place into three uluses, which in the 13th century allocated part of the income to the capital of the Karakorum empire; The ulus khans did not mint their own coins and could not conduct an independent foreign policy.

In 1242, after Batu’s campaign against Rus' and Central Europe, the Jochi ulus was divided into two. The western wing - the possession of Batu - was called the Golden Horde (the capital is Sarai). The core of its territory is the Black Sea, Caspian and North Caucasian steppes. The population is nomads. The border between the Golden Horde and Russia is the Don.

The administrative-territorial division of the Horde is 12 uluses, headed by ulusbeks (emirs). The uluses were divided into 70 “regions” led by emirs (temniks), the regions into “districts” led by thousands.

The highest dignitaries - appointed from the ulusbeks - beklyaribek and vizier. Beklyaribek is the supreme commander-in-chief, under his control are foreign policy, the judicial system, and religious issues. The vizier had the highest executive power. He headed the divan (legislative body), controlled the collection of taxes from subject peoples, was in charge of the treasury and personnel appointments.

The Mongols were unable to actually include Rus', an agricultural country, significantly superior to the state of the conquerors in terms of economic and political development, into the Western Horde. After stubborn resistance to attempts to impose their administration (the Baskaks), the conquerors were forced to transfer the Russian lands to a special position. For the Russian princes, the khan was the supreme ruler and judge, while the Tatars did not interfere in the affairs of the internal administration of the principalities. The princes were confirmed on the thrones by the khan's label, the label for the great reign was received by the Grand Duke of Vladimir, and from the 14th century - by the Grand Duke of Moscow.

The main form of dependence is the “Horde exit” - tribute. There were also emergency payments - “requests”. In addition to tribute, the population performed a number of natural duties, including “yams”. The Yamskaya system is a general system of communication routes. Stables and inns were built at certain distances; served by the surrounding population. Such a point was called “yam”, and its servants were called “yamchi” (“drivers”). Their task was to ensure the unimpeded movement of messengers, ambassadors, and officials. The Mongol-Tatars had a special relationship with the church. The Church was freed from tribute and other duties. Not without reason, the church was considered an ally by the Mongols: firstly, as an opponent of papal influence; secondly, as an ideological organization that supported sentiments of submission and loyalty to the Horde (in the initial period of the yoke).

Results of the Mongol-Tatar yoke

1. Western Europe was covered by the Russian shield.

2. The population of Rus', especially the urban population, decreased sharply: out of 74 cities, more than 30 were completely destroyed. The result is a decline in crafts, trade, agriculture, and a slowdown in economic development.

3. A special generation of princes submissive to the Horde was raised - the “officers” of the khan. Having adopted the traditions of eastern despotism - the traditions of limitless domination and unquestioning submission, the Russian princes transmitted these relations to all levels of medieval Russian society. Relations of vassalage were replaced by relations of citizenship.

4. The subordinate role of cities as a result of their weakening by the Horde yoke. From being a counterweight to the princely power, the cities became its junior ally, since in conditions of external danger, consolidation, not confrontation, was urgent. This situation gradually led to the loss of urban liberties.

5. The need to fight for national survival has led to the process of forced centralization of the state, in which there is no place for independence and freedom. Despotism has long become the norm of state life in Russia.

Test questions and assignments

1. Determine the reasons for the collapse of the Kyiv state.

2. Name the new political centers of appanage Rus' and compare their government structure.

3. How do Western European medieval institutions of government and principles of public administration differ from domestic ones?

4. What was the influence of the Horde invasion on the statehood of Ancient Rus'?

Topic 4. FORMATION OF A CENTRALIZED RUSSIAN STATE.

STATE APPARATUS IN THE XVI – XVII CENTURIES.

1. The unification of Russian lands around Moscow.

2. The Russian state apparatus in the 16th century:

a) royal power;

b) Boyar Duma;

c) Zemsky Sobors

d) development of the order system;

e) local government;

f) the influence of the oprichnina on the political system.

3. The crisis of Russian statehood during the Time of Troubles.

4. Public administration of Russia in the 17th century:

a) royal power;

b) Boyar Duma;

c) Zemsky Sobors;

d) order system;

e) local management.

1. Unification of Russian lands around Moscow

The creation of a centralized state is based primarily on socio-economic factors: growth of agricultural production, inclusion of feudal economy in trade relations, emergence of new and strengthening of old cities - centers of crafts and trade.

Political prerequisites for unification : the need to fight for national independence and overthrow the yoke; the transformation of Moscow into the religious center of Russian lands; successful state activities of the Moscow princes.

Social preconditions: the interest of the main groups of the population (nobility, serving nobility, townspeople) in strong power as a guarantor of ensuring class interests.

Unlike the countries of Western Europe, where the unification process was determined mainly by socio-economic factors, in Rus' a foreign policy factor became a powerful catalyst for unification - the need for consolidation to overthrow the Mongol-Tatar yoke.

The dominance of political preconditions determined the peculiarities of the formation of a unified Russian state: it took shape long before the emergence of bourgeois relations, the strengthening of the grand-ducal power occurred due to the subordination of the estates to it; the emerging state was multinational in nature from the very beginning.

Moscow became the center of the unification of the Russian lands, which was facilitated by the city’s advantageous location at the crossroads of the most important trade routes. The merger process usually involves 4 stages:

1) the rise of Moscow (first half of the 14th century);

2) the transformation of Moscow into a national center of the fight against the Mongol-Tatars (second half of the 14th - early 15th centuries);

3) feudal war in the Grand Duchy of Moscow (second quarter of the 15th century);

4) completion of the unification of Russian lands around Moscow and the overthrow of the Horde yoke (second half of the 15th - early 16th centuries).

At the final stage of unification under Ivan III, the Yaroslavl, Rostov, Tver principalities, Novgorod and Vyatka lands were annexed to Moscow. Under Vasily III - Pskov, the Ryazan principality and Smolensk. The Grand Duchy of Moscow turned into the Russian state.

This meant serious changes in the management system, primarily in the status of the Grand Duke. From the supreme overlord of North-Eastern Rus' during the appanage period, the Grand Duke turns into the head of state. Appanage princes and boyars, gradually losing their immunity, become his subjects. The marriage of Ivan III to a relative of the last Byzantine emperor contributed to the further strengthening of the grand ducal power. The court ceremonial, the title of “king” (Caesar), and symbols of state power are borrowed from Byzantium. The high position of the monarch receives ideological justification in the political-religious doctrine “Moscow is the third Rome” of the Pskov monk Philotheus.

However, the power of the Grand Duke is not yet strong enough to become autocratic. An important place in the system of government was occupied by the Boyar Duma, which grew out of the Council under the prince. Members of the Duma were appointed by the Grand Duke in accordance with the principle of localism, that is, depending on the nobility of origin. The highest places in the local hierarchy were occupied by the Rurikovichs and Gediminovichs - descendants of Russian and Lithuanian great and appanage princes. The old Moscow boyars, who occupied the most important government posts, also retained their positions.

At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. National governing bodies are being formed. Initially, these were the Palace and the Treasury, which grew out of the palace-patrimonial management system. The palace was in charge of the lands of the Grand Duke, the Treasury was in charge of finances, the state seal and the archive. In their depths, special institutions gradually appeared - “paths”, which were responsible for certain groups of cases and were headed by good boyars. Later they are transformed into orders. At the beginning of the 16th century, at least 10 orders functioned. To manage the lands annexed to Moscow, from the end of the 15th century, “regional” palaces were created - Tver, Novgorod, Ryazan. The process of forming national governing bodies took the entire first half of the 16th century.

The adoption in 1497 of the Code of Laws - a set of national laws - testified to the strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke and further centralization. It established uniform criminal and judicial procedural norms; a significant place was given to central and local government, as well as to the grand ducal court.

2. The Russian state apparatus in the 16th century

Royal power. Having ascended the throne at the age of three, the young Tsar Ivan IV, although formally endowed with the highest powers of power, actually became a hostage to boyar groups. Successive clans plundered the treasury, seized state lands, and abused power. The consequences of boyar rule were the weakening of the state, the aggravation of border problems, and the growth of social tension. In order to increase the authority of the royal power, Metropolitan Macarius introduced the rite of crowning. The adoption of the royal title was supposed to not only strengthen the position of the state within the country, but also contribute to the growth of the international prestige of the Russian state.

This symbolic act had to be supported by real reforms aimed at further centralizing power. Around 1549, a council of people close to him formed around Ivan IV, the so-called Chosen Rada - an informal government consisting of representatives of various groups of the ruling class: the titled nobility (princes Kurbsky, Kurlyatev, Vorotynsky), the service class (nobleman Adashev), the highest and ordinary clergy (Metropolitan Macarius, priest Sylvester), bureaucracy (deacon Viskovaty). In the 50s, on the initiative of the Elected Rada, important government reforms were carried out.

Since 1549, Zemsky Sobors began to be convened - meetings of representatives of various classes. In 1550, a new set of laws was adopted - the Sudebnik, replacing the outdated Code of Laws of 1497. In 1551, the Church Council adopted a new set of church rules - Stoglav and introduced restrictions on the growth of monastic estates.

In the 50s The formation of the order management system was completed in the 16th century. A zemstvo reform was carried out, eliminating the institution of feeding. A number of important measures were carried out in the military field: a permanent streltsy army was organized, localism in the army was limited, a Service Code was adopted, which established a uniform procedure for military service, both from estates and estates. Finally, a tax reform was carried out (a single salary land unit was established - a large plow - 500-800 quarters).

Reforms of the 50s The 16th century led to the formation of an estate-representative monarchy in Russia, a characteristic feature of which was the limitation of the power of the monarch by an estate-representative body - the Zemsky Sobor.

The term “city” has different meanings in sources. When studying cities, Soviet science refers to the city as a special socio-economic phenomenon of feudal society, as a center of crafts, trade, commodity production and commodity circulation, differing in its socio-economic characteristics from other types of settlements or fortifications.

Unfortunately, one can still find an uncritical attitude towards the concept of “city” in sources, which results in errors in important evaluative positions. Thus, in “Essays on the History of the USSR XIV-XV centuries.”

it is unconditionally reported that “in the 15th century there were up to 78 cities in North-Eastern Rus'.” The authors of the “Essays” refer to the calculation of cities made by P. P. Smirnov. But G1. P. Smirnov understood by “early feudal city” of that time only a fortified settlement and made his calculations in accordance with this. At the same time, he himself noted that his list “cannot currently have absolute significance,” based, however, on considerations about the incompleteness of these sources regarding cities in his understanding.

Meanwhile, when studying medieval cities, it is imperative to make sure that in each individual case we are dealing with a city in the socio-economic meaning of this term. Only in this case can one avoid one-sidedness and tensions in determining the general nature and level of socio-economic development of the entire country as a whole.

At the same time, we would like to draw attention to the other side of the issue. Observations of the sources show not only that the term "city" had several meanings, but also that these meanings are actually associated with different social functions of the feudal city.

The term “city” spread from the fortifications of the cities themselves not only to all other defensive structures, but also to the settlement itself, surrounded by fortifications. So, the chronicle says that Dimitri Donskoy “fenced his glorious city of Moscow with wonderful walls and stones.” In 1304, “there was a lot of jamming of the Suzdal land in all cities.” The city, as a special type of settlement, is distinguished by sources from other settlements and territories. Talking about the Moscow-Tver conflict in 1367, the chronicle notes that the Moscow army invaded the Tver borders, but “with God’s intercession they did not conquer the cities, returning back, conquering the point of power and villages.” In the same sense, the city is mentioned in the story about the epidemic of 1364: “Not only was it in the city, but there was a pestilence in all the Pereyaslavl volosts, and in the villages and in the churchyard, and in the monastery... and in the city.” dead, and in the villages and in the houses of the dead,” In 1319, Prince Yuri Danilovich with Kavgady “began to burn the cities and destroy many villages.” The life of Metropolitan Peter says that after the Pereyaslav Council of 1311, “he began to teach.” not only by cities, but also by villages."

The difference between a city and other populated areas can also be seen in the terminology of act material

la, for example, spiritual and contractual documents, where the listing of possessions is always carried out in a certain order: first cities, then volosts, then villages. If any point, such as Ruza, moves from the category of “volosts” to “cities,” this apparently indicates real changes in its position. It is characteristic that, for example, Sherna town or Vyshgorod are never listed among the cities, and this is quite understandable - they were only feudal castles, fortifications, but not cities at all in the sense of a special type of settlement.

Thus, the term "city" in this meaning is clearly distinguished as a special type of fortified settlement, distinct from a village.

It is characteristic that in the sources of the period under study, the term “city” in the sense of a settlement extends in many cases only to settlements inside fortifications. Hence the expressions very often found in the chronicles: “... the Lithuanian army came to Mozhaisk, and burned the settlement, but did not take the city”, “we came to Kashin to drive out the city, did not take the city, but burned the city”, “burned the whole city of Tver and Posad". This use of the term “city”, when it is contrasted with posad, is historically easy to explain, since the emergence of posads occurs later than the appearance of fortified places-cities.

Along with this meaning of the word “city,” we come across many cases where it includes both the city itself and the suburb. Under 1365, the Simeonovskaya Chronicle says: “... the entire city of Moscow burned down - the suburb, the Kremlin, the suburbs, and the district.” Here the concept of “city” embraces all parts of the city.

Chronicle sources also use the term “city” in the sense of the urban population, for example, when talking about the farewell of a prince. Alexander Mikhailovich to the Horde from Tver in 1339, it is reported that “and the boyars, and the guests, and the worldly men, and the whole city cried about him.” It is clear that we are talking here about the entire urban population, including the townspeople. In the same way, one can think that the term “citizens” also refers not only to the residents of the city itself, but also of the suburb.

There is no doubt that in this sense, i.e., meaning not only the city itself, but also the settlement, the chronicle speaks in other cases. These are, for example, reports of the Tatar invasions in 1237 and 1293. Under 1237, after the story about the death of Vladimir, the capture of other cities, the chronicler sums up: “And on the Rostov and Suzdal lands, they captured 14 cities, including liberties and graveyards, in one month, February.”

In the same way, we clearly see the extension of the term “city” to the entire urban population, including the settlement, in the terminology of numerous charters of the XIV-XV centuries. These charters often speak of the so-called “mixed court” between the urban and rural population, subject to the princely authority, and the monastic people, who are subject to the court of their monastery. In the letter of complaint to Prince. Andrei Vasilyevich to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery in the courtyard it is said that the monastery has a “yard on Uglech in the settlement”, that “they have janitors living in that yard”, who are not subject to the jurisdiction of the Uglich governors and their tiuns, that a procedure for considering the conflict is provided if “an accident court by Gorodtsky people or by the monastery janitors." It is obvious that we are talking here about the residents of the Uglich settlement, who may find themselves in conflict with the janitors stationed right there in the settlement, and that the term “city people” also applies to the residents of the settlement. This is confirmed by the context of similar letters to courtyards in Kashin and Vladimir, as well as many other letters, which often mention a mixed court with city people.

Therefore, in the chronicles the term “citizens”, “city people”, as noted above, comes from the understanding of the word “city” as the entire urban settlement, including the settlement.

The feudal city was not only a center of crafts and trade. In the system of social relations of feudalism, it also performed the important function of an administrative and political center, being the support of feudal rule. This function of the feudal city was reflected by the use of the term “city” in sources in another meaning. For example, in the spiritual letter of Grand Duke Semyon Ivanovich we see the following expressions: “and in Pereyaslavl I bought the village of Samarovskoye”, “the village on Kostroma Oleksandrovskoye”, the village “in Dmitrov, which I bought from Ivan from Drutssky” 2<3. Во второй духовной грамоте великого князя Дмитрия Ивановича - «село Василевское в Ростове», «село Богородицкое в Ростове» . В 1504 г. вел. кн. Иван Васильевич посылал своих людей «городу Кашину с городом с Ростовом разъезд учинити» . В духовной грамоте вел. кн. Василия Васильевича 1462 г. читаем о владениях великой княгини: «А что ее купли, Романов городок, и Шокстна, и иные волости и села, в которых городах ни буди, в том волно моя княгини» . Здесь названия городов и сам термин «город» выступают как обозначение целого уезда, центром которого является данный город. В соответствии с этим и само слово «город» и производные от него получают такое значение. Например, в духовной Ивана Калиты говорится о городских волостях и городском оброке, в духовной Ивана Ивановича - о городских пошлинах и т. п. Мы будем еще касаться конкретного содержания этих пошлин и оброков, сейчас важно отметить, что они названы городскими не потому, что ими обложены горожане, а потому, что они собираются в городе, к которому «тянет» уезд. Поэтому и термин «город» употребляется иногда в значении «уезд».

Consequently, the term “city” and its derivatives have in our sources the meaning of: a) any fortification in general; b) the settlement covered by these fortifications, the city itself, as opposed to other types of settlements, including the settlement; c) cities, together with the settlement, separated from the rest of the settlements and fortifications; accordingly, the term “city people” acquires the same meaning; d) a city district, which “pulls” towards the city - the center of the feudal district.

Therefore, sources sometimes use the term “city” nearby with different meanings. For example, in the story of the 2nd Sofia Chronicle about the raid of Prince. Daniil Borisovich on Vladimir in 1410 mentions that “there was no city then” (in the sense of the absence of fortifications at that time due to some circumstances), but further, describing the destruction of the Vladimir settlement, and then the central part of the city with the cathedral church of the Assumption the Virgin Mary at the head, the chronicle again uses the term “city” in a different sense - “the city was burned with fire”32.

The use of the term “city” and its derivatives is varied; in its totality of meanings it covers all the characteristic features of feudal cities. Cities were fortified settlements, centers of craft and trade activity, the center of which were settlements; cities were also centers of feudal domination and feudal state and economic organization.

Thus, the variety of functions of the feudal city is noted even when familiar with the terminology of the sources; it clearly appears when specifically considering the development of cities and their role in the XIV-XV centuries.

Rostovo – Suzdal

(Vladimir - Suzdal) principality

Features of the natural and geographical conditions of North-Eastern Rus'

• The land was reliably protected from invasion by dense, impenetrable forests;

• Among the forests there were tracts of fertile land ( opole– black earth lands);

• Magnificent water meadows;

• The presence of a system of rivers and lakes (Oka, Volga, Klyazma, etc.)

• The indigenous inhabitants of the Zalessk region were Finno-Ugric tribes: Muroma, Merya, Ves.

• VII - VIII centuries - Eastern Slavs (Vyatichi, etc.) began to settle here.

• Slavic colonization VIII - early XI centuries. passed peacefully.

• Cities arose. The oldest city is Rostov; followed him Suzdal (1024)

• Vladimir Monomakh founded the city Vladimir(1108).

Features of socio-economic development

• The basis of the economy of the principality was agriculture.

• The population was also engaged cattle breeding, fishing, beekeeping.

• Highly developed craft.

• Assumption and Dmitrievsky (Dmitrovsky) cathedrals in Vladimir were considered the best in Rus' at that time.

Yuri Dolgoruky (1125–1157)

• Yuri Dolgoruky - founder of the Rostov-Suzdal dynasty, son Vladimir Monomakh.

• He received his nickname for interfering in the affairs of other principalities (especially Kyiv)

• Associated with his name the first mention of Moscow (1147).

• Capital – Suzdal.

• IN 1155 g. took the Kyiv throne, in 1157 g. was poisoned at a feast by the Kyiv boyars.

Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157–1174)

Andrei Bogolyubsky (1157–1174)

Vsevolod the Big Nest (1176–1212)

• Ruled the Vladimir-Suzdal principality.

• He received his nickname as the father of 12 children: 8 sons and 4 daughters.

• His regiments went to Volga Bulgaria, to the Polovtsians, to Ryazan

• The first to appropriate title of Grand Duke Vladimirsky.

The main feature of the political structure of North-Eastern Rus'

•