Pskov Republic

Pskov Republic
Псковская Республика
(Pskovskaya Respublika)
Pskov Republic Псковская Республика; (Pskovskaya Respublika)
1348–1510
	Coat of arms
	Eastern Europe, 1466 Pskov Republic Livonian Brothers of the Sword Grand Duchy of Lithuania Kingdom of Poland
Capital	Pskov
Common languages	Old East Slavic, Seto, Russian
Religion	Eastern Orthodox Church, Estonian paganism
Government	Mixed
History
• Established	1348
• Treaty of Bolotovo	1348
• Viceroys appointed; by G/D Moscow	; 1399
• Vasili III declared; votchina	1510
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Principality of Pskov
	Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
Tsardom of Russia
Today part of	Estonia; Russia

Pskov (Template:Lang-la^[1]), known at various times as the Principality of Pskov (Template:Lang-ru) or the Pskov Republic (Template:Lang-ru), was a medieval state on the south shore of Lake Pskov. The capital city, also named Pskov, was located at the southern end of the Peipus–Pskov Lake system at the southeast corner of Ugandi, about 150 miles (240 km) southwest of Nevanlinna, and 100 miles (160 km) west-southwest of Great Novgorod. It was originally known as Pleskov, and is now roughly equivalent geographically to the Pskov Oblast of Russia. It was a principality ca. 862–1230, after which it was joined to the Novgorod Republic. From 1348, Pleskov became again independent from Novgorod and established an aristocratic oligarchy.

Origin

As a principality, Pleskov was ruled by separate princes, but often it was ruled directly from Novgorod until the mid-13th century when the city began accepting as rulers princes exiled from their possessions. Each exiled prince that went to Pleskov could be proclaimed prince there (if the principal throne wasn't already occupied by another prince). In any case, he could at least get an honorary reception and live there without fear for his life.

After the disintegration of Kievan Rus' in the 12th century, the city of Pskov with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya River, Lake Peipus, Pskovskoye Lake and Narva River became part of the Novgorod Republic. It kept its special autonomous rights, including the right for independent construction of suburbs (Izborsk is the most ancient among them). Due to Pskov's leading role in the struggle against the Livonian Order, its influence spread significantly. The long reign of Daumantas (1266–99) and especially his victory in the Battle of Rakvere (1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual independence. The Novgorod boyars formally recognized Pskov's independence in the Treaty of Bolotovo (1348), relinquising their right to appoint the posadniks 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".

Relationship with Lithuania and Moscow

For the most part of 14th century, and especially after separating from Novgorod, Pskov was in the sphere of influence of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This changed after Grand Duke Vytautas signed the Treaty of Salynas with the Livonian Order promising to help the Order with conquering Pskov in exchange for the Order's support elsewhere. After that, Pskov sent emissaries to Grand Duke Vasily I of Moscow asking for one of his vassal rulers to be the prince of Pskov. It remained dependent on Moscow until the end of Pskov Republic in 1510, helping Moscow in its conflicts with Lithuania and Novgorod.^[2]

Internal organization

The Pskov Republic had well-developed farming, fishing, blacksmithing, jewellery-making and construction industries. Exchange of commodities within the republic itself and its trade with Novgorod and other Russian cities, the Baltic region, and Western European cities made Pskov one of the biggest handicraft and trade centers of Rus'. As opposed to the Novgorod Republic, Pskov never had big feudal landowners: estates were smaller and even more scattered than of those in Novgorod.^[3] 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 Pskov. Peculiarities of the economy, centuries-old ties with Novgorod, frontier status, and military threats led to the development of the veche (popular assembly with judicial and legislative powers) system in the Pskov Republic. The princes played a subordinate role. The veche elected posadniks and sotskiys (Template:Lang-ru, initially, an official who represented a hundred households) and regulated the relations between feudals, posad people, izborniks (Template:Lang-ru, elected officials), and smerds (peasants). The boyar (aristocrat) council had a special influence on the decisions of the veche, which gathered at the Trinity Cathedral. The latter also held the archives 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 (Template:Lang-ru, 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 heresy of the Strigolniki in the 14th century and in veche debates of the 1470s to the 1490s, which often resulted in bloody clashes.

Trade and economy

Pskov, along with Novgorod, was an important centre of trade between Russia and Western Europe. Already in the 13th century German merchants were present in Zapskovye area of Pskov and the Hanseatic League had a trading post in the same area in the first half of 16th century which moved to Zavelichye after a fire in 1562.^[4]^[5] The wars with Livonian Order, Poland-Lithuania and Sweden interrupted the trade but it was maintained until the 17th century, with Swedish merchants gaining the upper hand eventually.^[5]

Final years

The Teutonic knights in Pskov, screenshot from *Alexander Nevsky*

In 1501, armies of Pskov and Moscow were defeated in the Battle of the Siritsa River by the Livonian Order, but the city withstood the subsequent siege.

In 1510, Grand Prince of Moscow Vasili III arrived in Pskov and pronounced it his votchina, thus putting an end to the Pskov Republic and its autonomous rights. The city's ruling body, the veche, was dissolved and some 300 families of rich Pskovians were deported from the city. Their estates were distributed among the Muscovite service class people. From that time on, the city of Pskov and the lands around it continued to develop as a part of 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".^[6]

Princes of Pskov

1342 - 1349 Andrei of Polotsk (Gedeminids)
1349 - 1360 Eustaphy Feodorovich (Prince of Izborsk)
1360 - 1369 Alexander of Polotsk
1375 - 1377 Matvei
1377 - 1399 Andrei of Polotsk
1386 - 1394 Ivan Andreyevich
since 1399 conquest by Grand Duchy of Muscovy

References

^ Introduction into the Latin epigraphy (Введение в латинскую эпиграфику).
^ Arakcheev, Vladimir (2004). Средневековый Псков. Власть, общество, повседневная жизнь в XV-XVII веках. Псков. pp. 10, 40. ISBN 5945421073.
^ Масленникова, Н. Н. (1978). Псковская земля // Аграрная история Северо-Запада России XVI века. Leningrad: Nauka.
^ Dollinger, Philippe (1999). The German Hansa. Psychology Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780415190732.
^ ^a ^b Аракчеев владимир Анатольевич, Псков и Ганза в эпоху средневековья, ООО «Дизайн экспресс», 2012 (in Russian)
^ D. S. Mirsky. A History of Russian Literature. Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8101-1679-0. Page 23.

Sources

The Chronicles of Pskov, vol. 1–2. Moscow–Leningrad, 1941–55.
Масленникова Н. Н. Присоединения Пскова к Русскому централизованному государству. Leningrad, 1955.
Валеров А.В. Новгород и Псков: Очерки политической истории Северо-Западной Руси XI-XIV вв. Moscow: Aleteia, 2004. ISBN 5-89329-668-0.
The Pskov 3rd Chronicle

[1] Introduction into the Latin epigraphy (Введение в латинскую эпиграфику).

[2] Arakcheev, Vladimir (2004). Средневековый Псков. Власть, общество, повседневная жизнь в XV-XVII веках. Псков. pp. 10, 40. ISBN 5945421073.

[3] Масленникова, Н. Н. (1978). Псковская земля // Аграрная история Северо-Запада России XVI века. Leningrad: Nauka.

[4] Dollinger, Philippe (1999). The German Hansa. Psychology Press. p. 105. ISBN 9780415190732.

[PskovHansa-5] Аракчеев владимир Анатольевич, Псков и Ганза в эпоху средневековья, ООО «Дизайн экспресс», 2012 (in Russian)

[6] D. S. Mirsky. A History of Russian Literature. Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 0-8101-1679-0. Page 23.

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