the republic of pskov was a medieval polity that existed in what is now the pskov region of russia, roughly between the 13th and 16th centuries, before it was absorbed into the growing centralized russian state under ivan iii. during its existence, the republic of pskov operated with a unique political structure, which offers a fascinating case study for the historical development of governance, rule of law, private property, and economic practices. 1. democracy: the republic of pskov had elements of participatory governance that can loosely be described as democratic, particularly compared to the more centralized, autocratic rule of many of its contemporaries. the most important political body in pskov was the veche, a popular assembly where free male citizens could gather to make collective decisions on major issues, such as elections of officials, declarations of war, and foreign policy. this gave the citizens of pskov some direct influence over their government, though it was not a fully democratic system in the modern sense, as it excluded women, serfs, and other non-landholding classes. the veche elected officials such as the posadnik (a kind of mayor) and other local magistrates, who would govern the day-to-day affairs of the city. additionally, pskov had some form of checks and balances, as its leaders were expected to operate under the oversight of the veche. these elements of collective governance are why some historians view the republic of pskov as a precursor to more democratic systems of government in eastern europe.
Lithuania