Contents
Preface XV
List of Abbreviations XVII
List of Maps XIX
Part 1
The Middle Ages (until 1497)
1
General Introduction 3
The Purpose of This Work 3
Periodization 4
The Definition of Law 10
The Organization of This Work 14
General History and History of Law 16
Medieval Law 19
An Outline of the ‘Constitutional’ History of Russia During the Era of the Independent Principalities 23
State and Law During the Era of the Independent Principalities 38
Section 1
Sources
2
Sources 49
The Concept of Sources 49
Chronicles 52
Kormchie 56
The Merilo Pravednoe 61
The Knigi Zakonnye 63
Archives 64
Foreign Sources for the Prehistory of Russian Law 66
Publication of Texts, Literature, Bibliography 72
3
The Treaties with Byzantium. The Zakon Russkii 85
The Treaties with Byzantium 85
The Treaty of 907 88
The Treaty of 911 90
The Treaty of 944 93
The Treaty of 971 96
The Zakon Russkii 96
4
The Russkaia Pravda or Russian Law 101
History of the Study of the Russkaia Pravda 101
The Different Versions of the Russkaia Pravda 104
The Division of the Russkaia Pravda into Articles 106
The Short Pravda: Introduction 107
The Short Pravda: The Pravda of Iaroslav 108
The Sources of Iaroslav’s Pravda 113
The Pravda of Iaroslav’s Sons 118
The Final Compilation of the Short Pravda 122
5
The Russkaia Pravda: The Expanded Pravda 124
The Expanded Pravda: Introduction 124
The Codicology of the Expanded Pravda 126
The Composition of the Expanded Pravda 131
The Relationship Between the Short Pravda and the Expanded Pravda 133
The Statute of Vladimir Vsevolodovich Monomakh 135
The Final Compilation of the Expanded Pravda 137
Foreign Sources for the Russkaia Pravda? 139
The Abridged Version of the Russkaia Pravda 142
6
Princely Statutes 144
Introduction 144
The Church Statute of St. Vladimir 145
The Church Statute of Iaroslav the Wise 150
The Statute of Vsevolod on Church Courts and People and on Trade Measures 154
The Testament of Vsevolod Mstislavich (Rukopisanie) 157
The Statute of Sviatoslav Ol’govich of 1137 158
The Smolensk Charters of Rostislav Mstislavich and Bishop Manuil 160
The Church Statute of Lev Danilovich of Galicia of 1301 161
Church-State Relations in 14th and 15th Centuries Texts 161
7
Treaties 163
General 163
Treaties: Internal Russian Treaties 165
Treaties with Foreign Powers 168
Selected Examples and Special Categories 170
The Treaty of 1229 between Mstislav Davydovich of Smolensk and Riga and the Gothic Coast 170
The Treaty between the ‘Unknown Prince’ of Smolensk and Riga and the Gothic Coast 171
The 1269 Treaty between Novgorod and the Hanseatic League 172
The Novgorod-Tver’ Treaties 173
The Peace Treaty of 1318 between Moscow and Novgorod and Tver’ 175
8
Town and Provincial Charters 177
The Charter of Dvina Land 177
The Court Charter of Pskov 178
The Charter of Novgorod 184
Iaroslav’s Law on Bridges 187
The Charters of Belo Ozero 188
The Metropolitan’s Justice 190
9
The Code (Sudebnik) of Ivan iii of 1497 193
The Homicide Law of Vasilii ii the Blind 193
The Code of Ivan iii: Introduction and Historiography 195
The Numbering of the Articles of the Code 198
The Contents of the Code 199
General Historical Background and Character of the Code 200
The Sources for the Code of 1497 203
Legal Significance of the Code of 1497 205
10
Foreign Laws 209
The Impact of Byzantine Law 209
The Court Law for the People (Zakon Sudnyi liudem) 210
The Skra of Novgorod 217
The Iasa of Chingis-Khan and the Impact of Mongol-Tatar Rule on Russian Law 219
The Legal Environment of Medieval Russian Law 227
Rurikid Marriages as an Indication of Political and Cultural Contacts 233
11
Non-Legislative (Non-Normative) Legal Sources: Gramoty 234
Introduction 234
Sources and Historiography before 1917 235
Sources and Historiography after 1917 237
Classification of Documents 240
Alphabetical Dictionary of Gramoty 245
Documents and Collections Other Than Gramoty 285
Pistsóvye and razriadnye knigi 287
Novgorod Birch-Bark Documents 288
The Iarlyki of the Tatar Khans 290
Section 2
The Law
12
Setting the Stage: Territory and Tribes in Early Kievan Russia 299
The Physical Stage of Early Russian History 299
The Eastern Slav Tribes in the 10th Century 299
Russia’s Multi-Ethnic Past in Ancient Times 301
The Emergence and First Expansion of the Early Russian State 306
The Dynasty of Rurik 308
The Socio-Economic Nature of Kievan Russia: The Feudalism Debate 311
The Viking Question 317
Tribute and Inter-Tribal Relationships in Early Kievan Russia 323
Territory: A Postscript 327
13
The Prince in Medieval Russia 331
Introduction 331
Relations between Princes: Succession and Treaties – Introductory Observations 336
The Viking Origins of the House of Rurik 338
The Succession History According to the Primary Chronicle – A Brief Survey 339
The General Principles of Princely Succession 343
The Grand Princely Dignity 350
Relations between Princes: Wills and Treaties 356
Princely Rule: Succession, Popular Assent, Mongol-Tatar Validation 363
The Office and Function of the Prince 366
The Prince’s Court and Officials in Kievan Times 367
14
The Prince’s Government 377
The Prince’s Government 377
The Expansion of Princely Administration in Later Centuries 379
General Taxation 390
The Prince as Judge 395
The Prince as Legislator 397
External Relations: Diplomacy and War 402
15
The Towns 408
Introduction 408
The Origin of Russian Towns 409
Town Government and the Veche in Particular 413
External Relations: Treaties with Princes and Foreign Powers 432
The Urban Population 432
The Legal Framework of the Urban Economy 439
16
Novgorod and Pskov 465
I
Velikii Novgorod 465
II
Pskov 521
III
A Note on Viatka-Khlynov 525
17
Western Russia 527
Historical Introduction 527
The Law of the Lithuanian Principality and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth 531
18
Rural Russia 543
Land Tenure and Land Ownership 544
Large-Scale Land Ownership – Feudalism? 545
Princes as Landowners 547
Boyars and Other Landowners 552
Landowning by the Church and Monasteries 560
Peasants 565
Peasant Landowning 577
The Peasant Population in Later Centuries 578
Transactions Concerning Land 583
Local Government 586
19
The Individual and the Family 589
The Legal Status of the Individual 589
Legal Classes 592
The Individual as a Family Member 619
20
The Individual as a Legal Actor 644
Contracts 646
Delicts 648
Ownership 651
21
The Church and Monasteries 654
Church and State 655
The Organization of the Church 659
Church Jurisdiction 663
Other Sources of Church Income 674
Monasteries 676
Landowning by the Church 679
22
Courts and Justice 680
Introduction 680
Secular and Church Courts 684
Procedure in the Russkaia Pravda 687
Procedure in Novgorod and Pskov 689
Evidence 692
Criminal Law 699
Court Fees and Related Payments 710
Part 2
Muscovy (until 1649)
23
Introduction 717
The Law of the Principality of Muscovy 718
The Reforms of Ivan iv 723
Section 1
Sources
24
The Code (Sudebnik) of Ivan iv of 1550 729
Introduction and Historiography 729
General Historical Background and Character of the Code 731
The Contents of the Code of 1550 734
In Conclusion 738
25
The Stoglav 740
Legal Relevance of the Stoglav 740
The Enactment of the Stoglav 742
The Contents of the Stoglav 743
26
The Codes of 1589 and 1606–1607 745
The Code of 1589: Introduction 745
The Contents of the Short and the Expanded Redactions 746
The Relationship between the Two Redactions and the Character and Sources of the Code of 1589 747
The Composite Code of 1606–1607 750
27
The Statute Books of the Prikazy 752
The Statute Books of the Brigandage Department 753
The Statute Book of the Slavery Department 754
The Statute Book of the Department for the City of Moscow 754
The Statute Book of the Department of Roads 755
The Statute Books of the Land Department 755
28
Decisions of the Land Assembly (Zemskii Sobor) 757
The Resolutions of 15 January 1580 and 20 July 1584 758
The Resolution of 9 March 1607 758
The Resolution of 30 June 1611 758
29
The Council Code (Sobornoe Ulozhenie) of Aleksei Mikhailovich of 1649 760
Historical Background 760
Historiography 762
Preparation and Enactment 763
Overview of the Contents 765
Sources 768
The Follow-up: Novellae or Novoukaznye stat’i 770
Section 2
The Law
30
The Tsar 775
The Title of Tsar 776
Autocracy and Public Law 777
Succession 779
The Tsar’s Court 787
31
The Tsar’s Government 789
A Boyar Duma? 789
The Land Assembly (Zemskii Sobor) 797
The Administration 807
Lower Officials 813
Taxation 814
The Army 818
32
Territory and Population 822
The Growth of the Principality of Moscow 822
Muscovy and Western Russia 826
33
Local Government 831
Kormlenie as the Basis of the Traditional System 831
The Reforms of Ivan iv 835
The Abolition of Kormlenie 841
Voevody 842
34
Criminal Law and Procedure 844
Introduction 844
Criminal Law in the Codes of Ivan iii (1497) and Ivan iv (1550) 846
The Guba and Land Charters 849
Criminal Law in the Council Code (Sobornoe Ulozhenie) of 1649 850
Criminal Law and the Church; Offences against Morals 853
Criminal Procedure 854
35
Civil Law: Persons 860
The Legal Status of the Individual: Men and Women 860
Legal Classes 861
The Sovereign and His Family 862
Princes 863
Boyars and Other High Nobles 866
Lesser Nobles: Boyars’ Sons and Dvoriane 868
Clergy and Church People 871
Townspeople in Moscow and Elsewhere 871
Merchants 875
Peasants 878
Slavery 887
Foreigners 891
Legal Persons 893
36
Civil Law: Ownership and Obligations 894
Ownership of Land 895
Obligations 916
37
Civil Law: Family Law and Succession 927
Sources 927
The Family 930
Marriage 930
Relations between Spouses 933
Dissolution of Marriage 936
Parents and Children 939
Inheritance and Succession 941
38
Courts and Justice; Civil Procedure 948
Courts in the Period after the Sudebnik of Ivan iii of 1497 948
Courts in the Council Code (Sobornoe Ulozhenie) of Tsar Aleksei of 1649 950
Court Officials 955
Civil Procedure 956
39
The Church, Monasteries, and Church Law 960
Church-State Relations in Muscovy 960
The Organization of the Church 966
Church Legislation 972
Church Jurisdiction 975
Appendix 1
Money and Measurements 983
The Monetary System of Medieval Russia 983
Measurements 986
Appendix 2
Genealogies 987
Rurikids 987
Gediminids 1010
Glossary of Russian Terms 1014
Index of Personal Names 1072
Subject Index 1083