All Topics  
Pskov Republic

 

 

Email Print
Bookmark Link

 

 

 

Pskov Republic
 
 
  Topics Pskov Republic Topic Home


Pskov Republic (????????? ?????????? in RussianRussian language

Russian is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia and the most widespread of the Slavic languages....
) was a RussiaRussia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia....
n medieval state between the second half of the 13th century13th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300....
 and early 16th century16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600....
.
Origin
After the disintegration of Kievan Rus in the 12th century12th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200....
, the city of PskovPskov

Pskov is an ancient city, located in the north-west of Russia about 20 km east from the Estonian border, on the river V...
 with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya RiverVelikaya River

Velikaya River is located in western Russia....
, Chudskoye Lake, Pskovskoye Lake, and Narva RiverNarva River Summary

The Narva or Narova is a river which drains the Lake Peipus, flowing on the border of Estonia and Russia....
 became a part of the Novgorod RepublicNovgorod Republic Overview

The Novgorod Feudal Republic was a powerful medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains...
. It kept its special autonomous rights, including the right for independent construction of suburbs. Due to Pskov's leading role in the struggle against the Livonian OrderLivonian Order

The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation fr...
, its influence spread significantly. The long reign of DaumantasDaumantas of Pskov

Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c....
 (1266-99) and especially his victory in the Battle of RakovorBattle of Rakovor

The Battle of Rakovor or Battle of Wesenberg was a battle fought on February 18, 1268, between the Livonian branch of ...
 (1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual independence.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Pskov Republic'
Start a new discussion about 'Pskov Republic'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum






Timeline

1348   Pskov gains independence from the Novgorod Republic with the treaty of Bolotovo; Pskov Republic formed.






Encyclopedia



Pskov Republic (????????? ?????????? in RussianRussian language

Russian is the most widely spoken language of Eurasia and the most widespread of the Slavic languages....
) was a RussiaRussia

Russia , also the Russian Federation , is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of Eurasia....
n medieval state between the second half of the 13th century13th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300....
 and early 16th century16th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600....
.

Origin


After the disintegration of Kievan Rus in the 12th century12th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200....
, the city of PskovPskov

Pskov is an ancient city, located in the north-west of Russia about 20 km east from the Estonian border, on the river V...
 with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya RiverVelikaya River

Velikaya River is located in western Russia....
, Chudskoye Lake, Pskovskoye Lake, and Narva RiverNarva River Summary

The Narva or Narova is a river which drains the Lake Peipus, flowing on the border of Estonia and Russia....
 became a part of the Novgorod RepublicNovgorod Republic Overview

The Novgorod Feudal Republic was a powerful medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains...
. It kept its special autonomous rights, including the right for independent construction of suburbs. Due to Pskov's leading role in the struggle against the Livonian OrderLivonian Order

The Livonian Order was autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation fr...
, its influence spread significantly. The long reign of DaumantasDaumantas of Pskov

Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c....
 (1266-99) and especially his victory in the Battle of RakovorBattle of Rakovor

The Battle of Rakovor or Battle of Wesenberg was a battle fought on February 18, 1268, between the Livonian branch of ...
 (1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual independence. The Novgorod boyarBoyar

A boyar or bolyarin was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Russian, Romanian and Bulgarian aristocracy, sec...
s formally recognized Pskov's independence in the Treaty of BolotovoTreaty of Bolotovo

The Treaty of Bolotovo was concluded in 1348 between the nortwestern Russian cities of Novgorod the Great and Pskov and reco...
, relinquising their right to appoint the posadnikPosadnik

Posadnik was a deputy of Knyaz in some East Slavic places assigned to rule a city or a land....
s of Pskov. The city of Pskov remained dependent on Novgorod only in ecclesiastical matters until 1589, when a separate bishopric of Pskov was created and the archbishops of Novgorod dropped Pskov from their title and were created "Archbishops of Novgorod the Great and Velikie Luki".

Internal organization



The Pskov Republic had well-developed farming, fishingFishing

Fishing is the activity of hunting for fish....
, blacksmithBlacksmith

A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by "forging" the metal; i.e., by using hand tools to hammer,...
ing, jeweler’s art, and construction industry. Exchange of commodities within the republic itself and its tradeTrade

Trade is the voluntary exchange of goods, services, or both....
 with Novgorod and other Russian cities, the BalticBaltic region

The Baltic region is an ambiguous term used to denominate an arbitrary region connected to the Baltic Sea....
 region, and Western EuropeWestern Europe

Western Europe is mainly a socio-political concept coined, forged and used during the Cold War....
an cities made Pskov one of the biggest handicraftHandicraft

Handicraft, also known as craftwork or simply craft, is a type of work where useful and decorative devices are made co...
 and trade centers of Rus. As opposed to Novgorod Republic, Pskov never had big feudal landownerFacts About Landowner

Landowner or Landholder is a holder of the estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or, simply put, an own...
s, whose estatesEstate (land)

The term estate applies to land under ownership and as such is a generic term for a parcel of land held by an individual or ...
 were smaller and even more scattered than of those in Novgorod. The estates of Pskovian monasteries and churches were much smaller, as well. The social relations that had taken shape in the Pskov Republic were reflected in the Legal Code of PskovLegal Code of Pskov

The Legal Code of Pskov was a legal code of the Pskov Republic, based on certain resolutions of the Pskovian veche, boyar co...
. Peculiarities of the economy, centuries-old ties with Novgorod, frontierFrontier

United StatesIn the United States, the frontier was the term applied to the zone of unsettled land outside the region of ex...
 status, and military threats led to the development of the vecheVeche

Veche was a popular assembly in medieval Slavic countries, and in late medieval period, a parliament....
 system in the Pskov Republic. The knyazKnyaz

Kniaz or knyaz is a word found in some Slavic languages....
s played a subordinate role. The veche elected posadniks and sotskiys (??????? - initially, an official who represented a hundred households) and regulated the relations between feudals, posadFacts About Posad

A posad was a settlement, often surrounded by bulwarks and a moat, by a town or a kremlin, but outside the town/kremlin, or ...
 people, izborniks (???????? - elected officials), and smerdSmerd

Smerds were feudal-dependent peasants in Russia and some other Slavic countries....
s (peasants). The boyar council had a special influence on the decisions of the veche, which gathered at the Trinity Cathedral.
The latter also held the archiveArchive

Archives refers to a collection of records, and also refers to the location in which these records are kept....
s of the veche and important private papers and state documents. The elective offices became a privilege of several noble families. During the most dramatic moments in the history of Pskov, however, the so called "molodshiye" posad people (???????? ????????? ????, or low-ranking posad officials) played an important and, at times, decisive role in the veche. The struggle between the boyars and smerds, "molodshiye" and "bolshiye" posad people (high-ranking posad officials) was reflected in the heresyHeresy Summary

Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a "theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposit...
 of the StrigolnikiStrigolniki

The Strigolniki were followers of the first Russian heretical sect of the middle of the 14th and first half of the 15th cent...
 in the 14th century14th century

As a means of recording the passage of time, the 14th century was that century which lasted from 1301 to 1400....
 and veche debates of the 1470s1470s

----Events and Trends* battle of Avenches 1476...
-1490s1490s

----...
, which often ended with bloody clashes.

The end of the republic



The strengthening of ties with MoscowMoscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the country's principal political, economic, financial, educational, and transportation...
, caused by economic development and foreign policyForeign policy

A foreign policy is a set of political goals that seeks to outline how a particular country will interact with other countri...
 objectives, Pskov’s participation in the Battle of KulikovoBattle of Kulikovo

The Battle of Kulikovo, also called Battle on the Snipes' Field, was fought by the Tartaro-Mongols against the Russians....
 in 1380, and successful joint struggle against the Teutonic KnightsTeutonic Knights

The Teutonic Knights or Teutonic Order is a German Roman Catholic religious order formed at the end of the 12th centur...
 and LithuaniaFacts About Lithuania

Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania , is a country in northern Europe....
n feudals offered conditions for elimination of the independence of the Pskov Republic. Some of the Pskovian boyars and merchants tried to oppose the unification with Moscow, but the citizens didn’t support them.

In 1510, Grand PrinceGrand Prince

The title Grand Prince ranks in honour below Emperor and Tsar but higher than a sovereign Prince or Royal Prince....
 of Moscow Vasili III arrived in Pskov and pronounced it his votchinaVotchina

Votchina or otchina was an East Slavic land estate that could be inherited....
, thus, putting an end to the Pskov Republic. The veche was dissolved and some 300 families of rich Pskovians were sent away from the city. Their estates were distributed among the MuscoviteMoscow

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the country's principal political, economic, financial, educational, and transportation...
 service class peopleService class people

Service class people - persons bound by obligations of service, especially military service, to the Muscovite Russian state....
. From that time on, the city of Pskov and the lands around it continued to develop as a part the centralized Russian state, preserving some of its economic and cultural traditions.

The downfall of Pskov is recounted in the Muscovite Story of the Taking of Pskov (1510), which was lauded by D.S. Mirsky as "one of the most beautiful short stories of Old Russia. The history of the Muscovites' leisurely perseverance is told with admirable simplicity and art. An atmosphere of descending gloom pervades the whole narrative: all is useless, and whatever the Pskovites can do, the Muscovite cat will take its time and eat the mouse when and how it pleases"..

Literature

  • The Chronicles of Pskov, vol. 1-2. Moscow-Leningrad, 1941-55.
  • ???????????? ?. ?. "????????????? ?????? ? ???????? ????????????????? ???????????". Leningrad, 1955.
  • ??????? ?.?. "???????? ? ?????: ?????? ???????????? ??????? ??????-???????? ???? XI-XIV ??. Moscow: Aleteia, 2004. ISBN 5-89329-668-0.