The Zemski Sobor (Congress of the Russian Earth) is a kind of assembly called by the tsar, the orthodoxe patriarch or the Duma of the boyards to discuss or ratify certain decisions. He recalls by many sides the general states French.

Like they, it is composed of:

• the nobility and the bureaucracy, of which the Duma of the boyards;
• high orthodoxe clergy;
• representatives of the traders and the townsmen.

Before Romanov

The first Zemski Sobor was convened by Ivan the Terrible in 1549. He then proposes peace with all the social categories of the Moscovie and asks to settle their disagreements peacefully. Consequently occasion, it announces the one new era to them beginning because all the capacities from now on will be concentrated between its hands.

During its reign, Ivan will convene others Sobors because they became a tool to issue principal legal texts or to decide discussed projects. Sometimes, their members benefit from it to ask the tsar to reconsider certain decisions, but it does not hold always account of it. That of 1566 surprises it unpleasantly when one asks him to remove the Opritchnina , that it has just established.

In 1598, Fédor Ier, wire of Ivan, dies without heir. A Zemski Sobor is convened by the Job patriarch, and it is him which elects like tsar Boris Godounov, brother-in-law of the sovereign deceased.

During the Time of the disorders, the Zemski Sobor takes a very new importance owe the failing capacity tsarist. In 1605 and 1611, it elects respectively Vassili IV Chouiski and Ladislas IV Vasa of Poland like tsars, and often makes decisions like making the war or of raising an army.

Under Romanov

In February 1613, the council of the cities convenes new a Zemski Sobor in order to put an end to the civil war and to elect a tsar who will not be foreign in Russia. Michel III Romanov is unanimously selected. The new tsar, soft and influenceable, engages under oath, in a written act, to restrict his capacities. He will hold word. First Romanov annually convenes the Sobors which know their largest blooming then. The capacity of the new dynasty is still quite fragile and Michel wants to be supported by a solid institution which proved reliable. This one, to some extent, legitimates the new tsar and his family. The Sobors always ratify its decisions except only once, but Michel did not hold account of it.

The capacity of Alexis Ier, his son, is much firmer and the convocations of the Sobor are done then less frequent. Two of them ratify very important decisions: that of 1648 adopts a new Code of Laws, the Oulojénié, to replace the Soudiebnik of Ivan the Terrible; and that of 1653 request with the Cossacks to subject itself to the authority of the tsar and inserts the Ukraine in the Russian bosom.

The last three Zemski Sobors were convened by Vassili Golitsyne, lover of the regent Sophie, who controls Russia in the name of his brother Fédor III. That of January 1682 removes the mestnitchestvo (right of precedence of the boyards of the highest loads and the high positions). That of May ratifies the decision to make reign jointly the two brothers Pierre Ier and Ivan V. Lastly, that of 1686 accepts the treaty of “perpetual peace” that Russia has just signed with Poland.

Under Pierre Large the, the Zemski Sobor is not convened any more and fall in disuse.

Sobor of 1922

In August 1922, the general Michel Dieterichs, ordering white army of the Far East in the civil war the opponent with the Bolsheviks, gathers a Zemski Sobor of the area of the Amour to Vladivostok. This one invites the Russian people repentance to have reversed Nicolas II and requires of the return to monarchy with, like tsar, the large duke Nicolas Nicolaievitch Romanov. The patriarch Tikhon, who was not present, was named honorary president by it. However, two months later, the area of the Love fall to the hands from the Bolsheviks.

Random links:

Old communes of the Haute-Saône | B1 | Franck Verzy | Jean-Martin Wendel | Adolphe-Frederic Ier de Mecklembourg-Schwerin