The Novgorod Veche. History of the Novgorod Republic

Novgorod land in the Middle Ages was considered the largest center of trade. From here it was possible to get to the Western European countries and to the Baltic Sea. Relatively near were Volga Bulgaria, Vladimir Principality. On the Volga there was a waterway to the eastern Muslim countries. In addition, there was a road "from the Varangians to the Greeks." To the piers on the river. The ships arrived from different cities and countries. Merchants from Sweden, Germany and other countries came here. In the very city of Novgorod there were Gothic and German trading yards. Abroad, local residents brought leather, honey, flax, furs, wax, walrus tusks. From other countries, they brought tin, copper, wine, ornaments, cloth, weapons, sweets and dried fruit.

Organization of the territory

Novgorod land before the XII century was part of Kievan Rus. In the administrative education used their own money, the laws that governed the population, without taking into account the rules established in other parts of the country, there was an army. Great princes of Kiev put in Novgorod the most beloved sons. Together with this, their power was severely limited. Veche in the Novgorod feudal republic was considered the supreme governing body. It was a meeting of the entire male population. It was called by the bell.

Novgorod Republic: Veche

The meeting resolved the most important issues of public life. They affected completely different spheres. The fairly broad political scope that the Novgorod veche possessed could contribute to the folding of its more organized forms. However, as the chronicles testify, the meeting was more arbitrary and noisy than anywhere else. In his organization there were many gaps. Sometimes the meeting was convened by Rurik, Prince of Novgorod. However, most often it was done by one of the dignitaries of the city. During the party struggle, the meeting was convened by private individuals. The Novgorod Veche was not considered permanent. It was convened and held only in case of need.

Composition

The Novgorod Veche was usually convened at the Yaroslav court. Elections of the lord of the city took place on the square near the St. Sophia Cathedral. The composition of the Novgorod Veche can not be called a representative body, since no deputies participated in it. Everyone could come to the square, who considered himself a citizen, and convene a meeting. As a rule, people who represented one elder city participated in it. However, sometimes there were residents of younger settlements - Pskov and Ladoga. As a rule, suburban deputies were sent to resolve issues on this or that territory. Participated and random visitors from among the suburbs. So, for example, in 1384 the people of Korela and Orekhov arrived in Novgorod. They complained about the feeding Patrikia (the prince of Lithuania). Two meetings were convened on this issue. One was for the prince, the other for the suburbs. In this case, it was the treatment of offended people to the state capital.

The activities of the Novgorod Veche

The assembly was in charge of all legislation, domestic and foreign policy issues. At the Novgorod Veche, a court was held on various crimes. At the same time serious punishments were given to intruders. For example, the perpetrators were sentenced to deprivation of life or they seized property, and they were themselves expelled from the settlement. The citywide assembly decreed laws, invited and expelled the ruler. At the meeting dignitaries were elected and tried. People solved issues of war and peace.

Features of participation

As for the right to be a member of the Veche and the order of its convening, there is no specific data in the sources. Active participants could be all men: the poor, the rich, the boyars, and the black people. At that time, the qualifications were not established. However, it is not entirely clear whether the citizens of Novgorod had the right to participate in the resolution of vital governance issues, or whether it was related to the surrounding people. From the folk classes, which are mentioned in the letters, it becomes clear that the members of the meeting were merchants, boyars, peasants, artisans and others. In the Veche, the posadniks necessarily participated. This is because they were dignitaries and their presence was self-evident. The members of the meeting were boyar landowners. They were not considered representatives of the city. Boyarin could live on his estate somewhere on the Dvina and from there come to Novgorod. Similarly, merchants formed their class not by place of residence, but by occupation. At the same time, they could be located territorially in the surrounding settlements, but they were also called Novgorodians. The living people took part in the meetings as representatives of the ends. As for the black people, they were also necessarily members of the veche. However, there is no indication of how they took part in it.

Credentials

In the old days they were written with the name of the prince who was acting at a particular moment. However, the situation changed after the recognition of the supreme superiority of the great ruler. Since that time the name of the prince has not been put into writing. They were written on behalf of black and rich people, dignitaries, thousand, boyars and all residents. The seals were leaden and were attached to the certificates by strings.

Private meetings

They were held regardless of the big Novgorod veche. Moreover, each end had to convene its meetings. They had their own letters, seals. In the event of a misunderstanding, the ends negotiated with each other. Veche was also held in Pskov. The bell, convened at the meeting, hung on the tower near St. The Trinity.

Separation of power

In legislative activity, except for the people, the prince also participated. However, in this case, it is difficult for the authorities to draw a clear line between actual and legitimate relations. According to the current treaties, the prince could not fight the war without the consent of the assembly. Although the protection of external borders was related to its jurisdiction. Without a posadnik he was not allowed to give out profitable posts, feeding and volosts. In practice, this was done by the assembly without the consent of the ruler. Also, it was not allowed to take away "without fault" posts. The prince's guilt was to be announced at the meeting. It, in turn, was conducted by a disciplinary court. In some cases, the chamber and the ruler changed roles. For example, the meeting could bring to the court an unsuitable regional kormlenshchika. The prince had no right to give letters without the consent of the dignitaries.

Disagreements between people

The Novgorod veche itself could not presuppose a proper discussion of any problem, or a proper vote. The solution of this or that question was carried out "by ear", by the power of cries. Veche was often divided into parties. In this case, the solution of the issue was carried out with the use of violence, through a fight. The party that won, and was considered the majority. The assemblies acted as a kind of God's court, as well as dropping the sentence from the bridge of the convicts was a test form of water testing. In some cases, the whole city was divided between the opposing parties. Then two meetings were held simultaneously. One was called on the Trading side (usual place), and the other - on the Sofia Square. But such meetings were rather internecine insurgent gatherings, and not normal veche. It often happened that two meetings moved towards each other. Coming on the Volkhov bridge, people started a real battle. Sometimes the clergy managed to separate the people, and sometimes they did not. The significance of the great bridge as a witness of urban confrontations was subsequently expressed in poetic form. In some ancient chronicles and in a note of the foreigner Baron Gerberstein, who visited the beginning of the XVI century. In Russia, there is a legend about such clashes. In particular, according to the story of a foreign guest, when Novgorod the Novgorodians threw Perun's idol into Volkhov, an angry god got to the shore and threw a stick at him, saying: "Here's a memory for you from me, Novgorodians." From that moment, people at the end of the day converge on the bridge and begin to fight.

Martha Posadnitsa

This woman has a scandalous fame in history. She was the wife of Isaac Boretsky, a Novgorod posadnik. Information about the initial stage of her life is quite small. Sources show that Martha was descended from the boyars' family of Loshinsky and was twice married. Isaak Boretsky was the second husband, and the first died. Martha could not be formally a posadnik. This nickname she received from Muscovites. So they mocked the original structure of the Novgorod Republic.

Boretsky Activity

Marfa-posadnitsa was the widow of a large landowner, whose allotments were transferred to her. In addition, she herself had extensive territories along the banks of the Studen Sea and the river. The Dvina. For the first time in political life, she began to participate in the 1470th year. Then in the Novgorod Veche there were elections of the new archbishop. A year later, she and her son advocated independence from Moscow. Marfa acted as an informal leader of the boyar opposition. She was supported by two other noble widows: Evfimiya and Anastasia. Martha had considerable monetary savings. She was secretly negotiating with Casimir IV, King of Poland. Its goal was the entry of Novgorod into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania on autonomous rights with the preservation of political independence.

The power of Ivan III

The Grand Duke of Moscow recognized the negotiations with Kazimierz. In 1471, the Battle of Shelons took place. In it, the army of Ivan III breaks the army of Novgorod. Dmitri's son Boretsky was executed. Despite the victory in the battle, Ivan retained the right to self-government in Novgorod. Boretsky, in turn, after the death of her son, continued negotiations with Kazimierz. As a result, the conflict between Lithuania and Moscow flared up. In 1478, Ivan III undertook a new campaign against Novgorod. The latter is deprived of the right to arbitrariness. The destruction of the Novgorod veche was accompanied by the removal of the bell, the confiscation of the Boretskaya land, and the sentencing of representatives of influential classes.

Conclusion

The Novgorod Veche had a special political significance in the life of the population. It was a key management body, which was responsible for all pressing issues of life. The assembly was run by the court and issued laws, invited the rulers, drove them out. It is noteworthy that all men participated in the Veche, regardless of belonging to a particular class. It is believed that the meetings were one of the first forms of manifestation of democracy, despite all the specifics of decision-making. Veche was an expression of the will of the people not only of Novgorod, but also of the surrounding area. His power was above the ruler. Moreover, the latter in certain issues depended on the decision of the assembly. This form of self-government distinguished the Novgorod land from other regions of Russia. However, with the expansion of the autocratic power of Ivan III, it was abolished. The Novgorod land itself became subordinate to Moscow.