Feeding in Russia is ... Feeding system in Ancient Russia

The state structure of Ancient Rus had in its subordination a special institution that was built on the system of local self-government. This structure was created similarly to the West European fief-office - an administrative, appointed post in the province. Appointments "in place" occurred "from above", under a special order of the king or prince. Feeding in Russia is an analogue of fief-office, in which instead of money the state provided other forms of remuneration for the service.

Local authorities

At specific times, the Russian state organized local government under the leadership of the volostels and various governors sent from the capital by a special decree. Payment of their labor was carried out on the ground, although the indication of the amount of remuneration was issued usually in the tsar's wards. The feeding system in Ancient Rus meant that such temporary representatives of the tsarist power would be kept at the expense of local authorities. Along with money allowance, they were given food, horses, servants, and means for their maintenance. Feeding in Ancient Russia is, first and foremost, a real opportunity for a person in the civil service to support himself and his family, using only his official powers and rights granted to the prince, and later to the tsarist authorities .

Becoming a vicegerent

The constant presence of governors in county cities was not initially required, but sometimes the content was so impressive that gradually the governors indicated their stay at the duty station as permanent. Accordingly, their term in the service of the prince also increased, and, consequently, the feeding also increased. In Ancient Russia, this occupation was attractive not only to representatives of the local population, but also to foreigners. Representatives of the junior clans of well-known European surnames did not shy away from being governors in Russia - this occupation enabled them to return to their homeland as a well-off person.

Moscow

In the time of Muscovy, the system of local self-government still held on to the viceroyalty. As before, the governors and volosts were in charge of the localities, they executed the court and collected taxes. Feeding in Moscow Rus was called the maintenance of such visiting servicemen. The seat of the governor's office was usually located in the center of the county. Here, he repaired the court and the court for all administrative matters within the city and the outskirts, and also administered the criminal court within the small counties with which the Russian state was so rich. In the county boundaries, the military commander's powers, arsenal and strategically important objects-bridges, dams, etc., were in the competence of the viceroy.

Deputies

In the governors usually elected representatives of well-known names, often this post passed from father to son. For example, the well-known Protasiev family has been relying in the Meshchersky region for almost two centuries - from the beginning of the 15th to the end of the 16th centuries. This distinguished surname, along with the names of other governors, is known in Russia in a series of prominent statesmen and associates of the tsar. All these honorary titles would have been impossible without a strong material rear, most of which were rich offerings of local authorities. Thus, feeding in Russia was called quite a decent position with inexhaustible sources of income, which could guarantee a comfortable life for several generations.

Worms

The Volosters held the court and the government irrespective of the governor, in their subordination there were separate counties, but the list of cases subordinate to them differed. Usually they sorted out minor offenses, economic disputes, and considered administrative offenses. Unlike the governors, the volosts were representatives of the unnamed boyars or impoverished nobles. At the beginning of his career, the biographies of the volosters are full of posts of the tyuns, clerks, clerks, policemen. That is, their social level was an order of magnitude lower than that of the governors. Nevertheless, feeding in Ancient Rus not only helped them cope with the problem of residence, but also allowed to enrich themselves well at the expense of local authorities.

Usually work in local self-government was viewed as a position that allows to have a good income. Feeding in Russia is the source of the unjust enrichment of many noblemen, who were not eager to fulfill their immediate duties. Instead, they sent to their places of servants - tiuns and closers. They were also fed. In Russia, this occupation was so attractive, that for the post of tiuna were given serious bribes. The Tiuns had the right to administer justice and deal with cases on behalf of the viceroy, in fact they directly performed his duties and had a good jackpot from this.

Income from feeding

The list of income from feeding consisted of several parts. Some part of the feeding was collected on the spot by money, but mainly feeding in Russia is a collection of natural products. It was going to be fed two or three times a year, for great church holidays - Easter, Peter's Day, Christmas. It was also known to enter the feeding - they were usually greeted by a new governor in the district. The collection was carried out by specially appointed people, who were usually chosen from the local people. They were assigned posts of Sotskys and elders. Usually these officials, in addition to collecting food, collected taxes on the ground, and also forced the local population to perform various duties.

Abolition of feeding

At the beginning of its development, the Russian state consisted of small principalities, the size of which was not large, and the judicial and administrative activities of the local authorities were all visible. Old laws and customs were still strong, and ordinary people could always complain to the prince about the arbitrariness of his servants or change their place of residence, having moved from a careless ruler to another principality. But when the collection of land around Moscow was almost completed and the centralization of power became strong, ordinary people had a hard time. It was then that a proverb appeared: "To God is high, but to the king far away." The system of vicegerency practically ceased to fulfill its duties, which its representatives had to perform for feeding. In Russia this concept quickly became synonymous with bribes and extortion. The scale of corruption has assumed such dimensions that the central government has seriously reflected on the reform of local self-government.

The organization of local government became possible due to the reform of Ivan the Terrible. One of its main stages was the transfer of more powers to the organs of the voivodeship administration. Gradually, the volosts and governors disappeared, and with them the feeding system also ceased to function.