Republic of Pskov

The feudal République of Pskov was a medieval State Russian between second half of. It was a commercial republic which belonged to the Ligue of the Baltic.

Origins

After the disintegration of the Rus' of Kiev at the 12th century, the city of Pskov and its territories neighborhood, along the Velikaya, of the Lake Peipus, the lake Pskovskoye, and the Narva, become part of the République of Novgorod. The area keeps its special autonomous duties, including the right to build independently of the suburbs (Izborsk being oldest of them). From the big role of Pskov in lutes against the order of the Chevaliers Carry-Sword, his influence extends to a significant degree. The long reign of Dovmont (1266-1299) and especially its victory with the Bataille of Rakovor (1268) mark the beginning of the real independence of Pskov. The Boyard S of Novgorod formally recognize the independence of Pskov to the Traité of Bolotovo (1348) by giving up their right to name the Posadnik S of Pskov. The city of Pskov is more dependant on Novgorod only for the ecclesiastical subjects.

Internal organization

The Republic of Pskov was well developed in the fields of agriculture, fishing, the forging mill, the jewelry, and the construction industry. Trade in goods inside the republic itself and its trade with Novgorod and the other cities Russian, the Baltic area, and the towns of Western Europe, did of Pskov one of the greatest centers of trade and craft industry of the Rus'. Contrary to those of the Republic of Novgorod, the feudal owners of Pskov were never exaggeratedly powerful, their smaller fields and being dispersed even than those of Novgorod. The fields of the monasteries and the churches of Pskov also were much smaller. The social relations which had started to take form in the Republic of Pskov were considered in the legal Code of Pskov. The strangenesses of the economy, the bonds centenaries with Novgorod, the statute of border, and the military threats led to the development of the system of Veche in the republic of Pskov. The veche were popular assemblies which elected psadniks and Sotskiy S ( сотский : at the beginning, official which represents a hundred households) and controlled the relations between the feudal ones, people of the Posad S, izborniks ( изборник : official elected officials) and smerds (peasants). The council of the boyards had a special influence on the decisions of the veche, which gathered with the Cathedral of the Trinity. The latter also lodged the files of the veche and the documents of state. The stations of voters were the privilege of certain noble families. However, for the most difficult periods of the history of Pskov, people of the posads called “molodshiye” (молодшиепосадскиелюди, or official of low row of the posads) played an even capital big role in the veche. The fight between the boyards and the peasants, and between people of the posads top and low row, was reflected in the Hérésie Strigolnik I at the 14th century and intense debates with véché in the years 1470-1490, of the debates which often finished in armed conflicts.

End of the Republic

Several elements allowed the end of the independence of the Republic of Pskov. Among those, reinforcement of the bonds with the Moscovie, caused by economic development and of the goals of foreign politics, the participation of Pskov in the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380, and the bathed military alliance of success against the Knights Teutoniques and the lords Lithuania NS. Some boyards and merchants of Pskov tried to be opposed to the unification with Moscovie, but without the support of the citizens.

In 1510, the Large-prince of Moscow Vassili III came in Pskov and made of it its Votchina, its hereditary field, putting thus fine at the Republic of Pskov. The veche was dissolves and approximately 300 rich families were exiled city. Their fields were distributed among Muscovites. As from this moment, the city of Pskov and the grounds surrounding continued to develop as parts of the centralized Russian state, by preserving some of its economic and cultural traditions.

The fall of Pskov is told in the Muscovite History of the catch of Pskov (1510), which was acclaimed by the Russian author of the beginning of the 20th century Dmitry Petrovich Mirsky like “one of the more short beautiful stories of the Russia old woman. The history of the negligent perseverance of the Muscovites is told with an admirable simplicity and an art. An atmosphere of fate”.

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