The Posadnichestvo of Pskov: Some Aspects of Urban Administration in Medieval Russia
Lawrence N. Langer
To the Memory of Arcadius Kahan, 1920–1982 Ever since publication V. L. Ianin's study Novgorodian mayors ( posadniki ) in 1962, commonplace image republican Novgorod with its political institutions grounded sovereignty veche —the “democratic” assembly city's free male population—has undergone considerable change. It is now generally conceded that was essentially a boyar oligarchy, but controversy still surrounds contention from inception primarily composed boyars and other wealthy landowners, who fourteenth fifteenth centuries were known as well-to-do zhit'i liudi ). Most scholars are willing to accept view dominated by some, including Knud Rasmussen, Henrik Birnbaum, Jörg Leuschner, believe composition twelfth century more complex “democracy” evident, at least until late thirteenth century, when working through Council Lords Sovet gospod —first recorded 1291) usurped “rights” populace. Following work Klaus Zernack, Leuschner believes all males those subordinate towns prigorody outside Novgorod. But last two republic's existence, certainly following reforms 1416 1417, changed, Birnbaum's words, “from quasi-democratic form government based on purely oligarchic rule determined exclusively feudal lords.“ Having admitted representation became limited some forty “feudal” clans, Birnbaum accepts Carsten Goehrke Pskov, legal which thought have approximated Novgorod, retained genuinely democratic throughout century. Thus Pskov brought front lines debunk “extreme views” Ianin, characterized increasingly dogmatic speculative, caught surrounding
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