What is Zemsky Sobor
In the 16th century, a fundamentally new body of government - the Zemsky Sobor - emerged in Russia. The Zemsky Sobor is the highest estate-representative institution of the Russian state, from the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century. This is a gathering of representatives of all segments of the population (except for the serf peasantry) at which economic, political and administrative issues were discussed.
Composition of the Zemsky Cathedral
The Zemsky Sobor included: the tsar, the Boyar Duma, the Consecrated Cathedral in full force, representatives of the nobility, the upper classes of the townspeople (merchants, large merchants), and sometimes state peasants. The Zemsky Sobor as a representative body was bicameral. In the upper chamber there was a tsar, the Boyar Duma and the Consecrated Cathedral were included, which were not elected, but took part in it in accordance with their position.
The procedure for elections to the council
The members of the lower house were elected. The procedure for elections to the council was as follows. From the discharge order the voivods received an election order, which was read out to the inhabitants of cities and peasants. After that, the estate electoral lists were drawn up, although the number of representatives was not recorded. Voters gave their election orders. But elections were not always held. There have been cases when, at an urgent convocation of a council, representatives were invited by the tsar or local officials.
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In the Zemsky Cathedral, an important role was played by the nobles (the main service class, the basis of the army) and merchants, because the solution of monetary problems depended on their participation in this meeting to provide funds for state needs, primarily defense and military.
As representatives from the population, not specially elected deputies were invited, but mainly officials who stood at the head of local noble and posad communities. When making any decision, the members of the council pledged to at the same time be the executors of this decision. During the Time of Troubles at the beginning of the 17th century, the cathedral representation was only elective, and its permanent members were representatives of the service and townspeople. The free peasantry, who formed common "all-uzdny worlds" with the townspeople, were also represented at the councils, but the serfs did not participate in them.
"Tsar John IV opens the first Zemsky Sobor with his penitential speech."
Discussion of questions. Duration
At the Zemsky Sobor, discussion of issues took place by rank and by group. After discussing the issue, the elected people submitted their written opinions to the groups - the so-called "fairy tales".
The regularity and duration of meetings of councils were not regulated depending on the circumstances, importance and content of the issues discussed. There have been cases when zemstvo councils functioned continuously. They solved the main issues of foreign and domestic policy, legislation, finance, state building. The questions were discussed by estates (chambers), each estate submitted its written opinion, and then, as a result of their generalization, a sentence was drawn up, adopted by the entire composition of the cathedral.
Thus, the government had the opportunity to identify the opinions of individual estates and groups of the population. However, on the whole, the council acted in close connection with the royal power and the Duma. Cathedrals were gathered in Red Square, in the Patriarch's Chambers or the Assumption Cathedral of the Kremlin, and later in the Golden Chamber or the Dining Hall.
In addition to the name "Zemsky Sobor", this representative institution had other names: "Council of All Land", "Sobor", "General Council", "Great Zemstvo Duma".
First Zemsky Sobor
The first Zemsky Sobor was convened in Russia in 1549 and in history it is known as the Sobor of Reconciliation. The reason for its convocation was the uprising in 1547 in Moscow and the need to reconcile the contradictions between the boyars and the nobility.
Zemsky Sobor 1613: made the Romanovs a royal dynasty.
Zemsky Cathedrals
Based on historical documents, it is counted in the XVI-XVII centuries. about 50 such cathedrals. All of them can be conditionally divided into 4 groups: convened by the sovereign on his initiative; convened by the king at the request of the estates; convened by the estates on their initiative; cathedrals at which the king was elected.
The first group of cathedrals prevailed. The Council of 1549 belongs to the second group, because it was convened at the request of the estates. The council of 1598 elected Boris Godunov to the kingdom, in 1613 - Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov.
The most complex and representative structure in the 16th century had the Stoglava Cathedral of 1551 and the Cathedral of 1566.
1551 - on the initiative of the sovereign and the metropolitan, a church council was convened, which was named Stoglavy, since its decisions were formulated in 100 chapters. The council regulated church art, the rules of life for the clergy, and compiled and approved a list of all-Russian saints. The most controversial issue was the issue of church land ownership. Rituals were unified throughout the country. The Council approved the adoption of the Code of Law of 1550 and the reforms of Ivan the Terrible.
The 1566 cathedral was more socially representative. 5 curiae were formed on it, uniting various strata of the population (clergy, boyars, commanding people, nobility and merchants). At this council, the question of the war with Lithuania and Poland was decided.
Summarizing the competence of zemstvo councils, we can state that they considered the following issues:
• election to the kingdom;
• war and peace;
• adoption of new regulations;
• taxation.
V. Schepetev
