Administrative division of Novgorod Land
Encyclopedia
The administrative division of Novgorod Republic
is not definitely known; the country was divided into several tysyachas (lit. thousands) and volost
s. The city of Novgorod with its vicinity, as well as a few other towns were not part of any of those. Pskov
achieved an autonomy from Novgorod in the 13th century; its independence was confirmed by the Treaty of Bolotovo
in 1348. After the fall of the republic Novgorod Land, as part of Russia, consisted of 5 pyatinas (literally "fifths") that were further divided into uyezd
s and pogost
s. This division was replaced only in the beginning of 18th century when Peter I
introduced guberniya
s.
, Ladoga Lake and Gulf of Finland
, often referred to as Novgorod volost in chronicles, formed the core of the state. The assumptions of the internal structure of independent Novgorod are mostly based on the list of the builders of the Great Bridge over Volkhov (1260s) and the 1471 treaty between Novgorod and Casimir IV
of Poland. The former lists ten parts of Novgorod itself and nine other entities. According to Burov, these were tysyachas that, together with the capital made t'ma (lit. ten thousand), mentioned in the 1471 treaty. Below is the list of tysyachas and their approximate locations:
Novgorod with its vicinity (located on upper Volkhov and near Ilmen Lake) belonged to a separate territorial unit.
Other important towns were Porkhov
, Koporye
, Yama
, Oreshek and Korela. Most of the towns were in the more economically developed western part of the country, in other parts only ryadki (small town-like settlements) existed or there were no town-like settlements at all.
Several towns were also not part of any tysyacha (and, thus, of t'ma) as they were owned jointly by Novgorod and one of the neighbouring states. Velikiye Luki
were owned jointly by Novgorod and Smolensk Principality and later by Novgorod and Lithuania
. Volokolamsk
and Torzhok
were owned by Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal Principality that became part of Muscowy.
with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya River
, Lake Peipus
, Pskovskoye Lake and Narva River
became a 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 Rakovor
(1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual independence. The Novgorod boyar
s formally recognized Pskov's independence in the Treaty of Bolotovo
(1348), relinquishing their right to appoint the posadnik
s 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".
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
is not definitely known; the country was divided into several tysyachas (lit. thousands) and volost
Volost
Volost was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.In earlier East Slavic history, volost was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ruler or with varying degree of autonomy from the Velikiy Knyaz...
s. The city of Novgorod with its vicinity, as well as a few other towns were not part of any of those. Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
achieved an autonomy from Novgorod in the 13th century; its independence was confirmed by the Treaty of Bolotovo
Treaty of Bolotovo
The Treaty of Bolotovo was concluded in 1348 between the northwestern Russian cities of Novgorod the Great and Pskov and recognized Pskov's political independence from Novgorod...
in 1348. After the fall of the republic Novgorod Land, as part of Russia, consisted of 5 pyatinas (literally "fifths") that were further divided into uyezd
Uyezd
Uyezd or uezd was an administrative subdivision of Rus', Muscovy, Russian Empire, and the early Russian SFSR which was in use from the 13th century. Uyezds for most of the history in Russia were a secondary-level of administrative division...
s and pogost
Pogost
Pogost is a historical term with several meanings in the Russian language. It has also been borrowed into Latvian and Finnish , with specific meanings....
s. This division was replaced only in the beginning of 18th century when Peter I
Peter I of Russia
Peter the Great, Peter I or Pyotr Alexeyevich Romanov Dates indicated by the letters "O.S." are Old Style. All other dates in this article are New Style. ruled the Tsardom of Russia and later the Russian Empire from until his death, jointly ruling before 1696 with his half-brother, Ivan V...
introduced guberniya
Guberniya
A guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of the Russian Empire usually translated as government, governorate, or province. Such administrative division was preserved for sometime upon the collapse of the empire in 1917. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin ,...
s.
Core
Northwestern Russia – the lands near Ilmen Lake, Volkhov RiverVolkhov River
Volkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
, Ladoga Lake and Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, often referred to as Novgorod volost in chronicles, formed the core of the state. The assumptions of the internal structure of independent Novgorod are mostly based on the list of the builders of the Great Bridge over Volkhov (1260s) and the 1471 treaty between Novgorod and Casimir IV
Casimir IV Jagiellon
Casimir IV KG of the House of Jagiellon was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440, and King of Poland from 1447, until his death.Casimir was the second son of King Władysław II Jagiełło , and the younger brother of Władysław III of Varna....
of Poland. The former lists ten parts of Novgorod itself and nine other entities. According to Burov, these were tysyachas that, together with the capital made t'ma (lit. ten thousand), mentioned in the 1471 treaty. Below is the list of tysyachas and their approximate locations:
- Rzhev'skaa (Ржевьскаа), to the southwest of Novgorod, near modern NovorzhevNovorzhevNovorzhev is a town and the administrative center of Novorzhevsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located southeast of Pskov, on the Sorot River. Population: Town status was granted to it during Catherine the Great's municipal reform of 1777....
- Bezhichkaa (Бежичкаа), to the east of Novgorod, with the town of BezhetskBezhetskBezhetsk is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located on the Mologa River at its confluence with the Ostrechina River. It serves as the administrative center of Bezhetsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population: 29,000 ....
- Voch'skaa (Вочьскаа; from the indigenous VotesVotesVotes are a people of Votia in Ingria, the part of modern day northwestern Russia that is roughly southwest of Saint Petersburg and east of the Estonian border-town of Narva. Their own ethnic name is Vadjalain . The Finnic Votic language spoken by Votes is close to extinction. Votians were one of...
), in IngriaIngriaIngria is a historical region in the eastern Baltic, now part of Russia, comprising the southern bank of the river Neva, between the Gulf of Finland, the Narva River, Lake Peipus in the west, and Lake Ladoga and the western bank of the Volkhov river in the east... - Обониская (Oboniskaya), the southwestern shore of Ladoga Lake and near Onega Lake (that gave the name to the tysyacha)
- Luskaa (Лускаа), to the west of Novgorod, west of Luga RiverLuga RiverThe Luga River -See also:* Shum Gora, an archaeological site near the banks of the river...
(that gave the name to the tysyacha) - Lop'skaya (Лопьская), the southern shore of Ladoga Lake and possibly territories to the north and west of the lake (Karelian IsthmusKarelian IsthmusThe Karelian Isthmus is the approximately 45–110 km wide stretch of land, situated between the Gulf of Finland and Lake Ladoga in northwestern Russia, to the north of the River Neva . Its northwestern boundary is the relatively narrow area between the Bay of Vyborg and Lake Ladoga...
- Povolkhovskaya (Поволховская), in the lower reaches of Volkhov RiverVolkhov RiverVolkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
, around the town of Staraya LadogaStaraya LadogaStaraya Ladoga , or the Aldeigjuborg of Norse sagas, is a village in the Volkhovsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Volkhov River near Lake Ladoga, 8 km north of the town of Volkhov. The village used to be a prosperous trading outpost in the 8th and 9th centuries... - Yazholvich'skaa (Яжолвичьскаа), to the southeast of Novgorod
- Knyazha (Княжа), to the south of Novgorod, with the centre in Staraya RussaStaraya RussaStaraya Russa is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, located south of Veliky Novgorod. It is a wharf on the Polist River in the Lake Ilmen basin. It serves as the administrative center of Starorussky District, although administratively it is not a part of it...
, the second most important town in the country.
Novgorod with its vicinity (located on upper Volkhov and near Ilmen Lake) belonged to a separate territorial unit.
Other important towns were Porkhov
Porkhov
Porkhov is a town and the administrative center of Porkhovsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Shelon River, east of Pskov. Population:...
, Koporye
Koporye
Koporye is a historic village in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located about 100 km to the west of St. Petersburg and 12 km south of the Koporye Bay of the Baltic Sea...
, Yama
Kingisepp
Kingisepp , formerly Yamburg , Yam , and Yama , is an ancient town and the administrative center of Kingiseppsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located along the Luga Riverw west of St. Petersburg, east of Narva, and south of the Gulf of Finland...
, Oreshek and Korela. Most of the towns were in the more economically developed western part of the country, in other parts only ryadki (small town-like settlements) existed or there were no town-like settlements at all.
Several towns were also not part of any tysyacha (and, thus, of t'ma) as they were owned jointly by Novgorod and one of the neighbouring states. Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
were owned jointly by Novgorod and Smolensk Principality and later by Novgorod and Lithuania
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a European state from the 12th /13th century until 1569 and then as a constituent part of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1791 when Constitution of May 3, 1791 abolished it in favor of unitary state. It was founded by the Lithuanians, one of the polytheistic...
. Volokolamsk
Volokolamsk
Volokolamsk is a town and the administrative center of Volokolamsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Gorodenka River, not far from its confluence with the Lama River, northwest of Moscow. Population: -History:...
and Torzhok
Torzhok
Torzhok is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, famous for its folk craft of goldwork embroidery. Population: Torzhok has twenty-two large and medium-sized industrial enterprises. Two of them are especially significant...
were owned by Novgorod and Vladimir-Suzdal Principality that became part of Muscowy.
Volosts
Vast lands to the east that were being colonised by Novgorod or just paid tribute to it were divided into volosts. Some of those volosts were:- Zavolochye, in the basins of Northern DvinaNorthern DvinaThe Northern Dvina is a river in Northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River to the east, it drains most of Northwest Russia into the Arctic Ocean...
and OnegaOnega RiverThe Onega is a river in Kargopolsky, Plesetsky, and Onezhsky Districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast in Russia. The Onega connects Lake Lacha with the Onega Bay in the White Sea southwest of Arkhangelsk, flowing in the northern direction. The discharge at the source is and at the mouth is . The river is ...
. Its name means "beyond the portages", meaning the portages between the river systems of Volga and those rivers. It was inhabited mainly by various Finno-Ugric peoplesFinno-Ugric peoplesThe Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
although many Slavs also migrated there in 13th century escaping Mongol invasions. - Perm, in the basins of Vychegda and upper KamaKama RiverKama is a major river in Russia, the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge; in fact, it is larger than the Volga before junction....
(see Great PermGreat PermGreat Perm or simply Perm, Latinized Permia, was a medieval Komi state in what is now the Perm Krai of the Russian Federation.Cherdyn is said to have been its capital....
). - Pechora, in the basin of the eponymous riverPechora RiverThe Pechora River is a river in northwest Russia which flows north into the Arctic Ocean on the west side of the Ural Mountains. It lies mostly in the Komi Republic but the northernmost part crosses the Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It is 1,809 km long and its basin is 322,000 square kilometers...
, west of the Ural MountainsUral MountainsThe Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
. - YugraYugraYugra was the name of the lands between the Pechora River and Northern Urals in the Russian annals of the 12th–17th centuries, as well as the name of the Khanty and partly Mansi tribes inhabiting these territories, later known as VogulsThe Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug of Russia is also...
, to the east of Ural MountainsUral MountainsThe Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
. - TreTre VolostTre Volost was a territorial division of the Novgorod Republic.It was first mentioned in a 1265 treaty of Yaroslav Yaroslavich with Novgorod, and was later also mentioned in other documents dated as late as 1471....
, in the Kola PeninsulaKola PeninsulaThe Kola Peninsula is a peninsula in the far northwest of Russia. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely to the north of the Arctic Circle and is washed by the Barents Sea in the north and the White Sea in the east and southeast...
. - KoloKolo VolostKolo Volost was a territorial division of the Novgorod Republic.It was first mentioned in the 13th century. The last documentary mention of the volost was in the 15th century....
, in the Kola Peninsula
Pskov
After the disintegration of Kievan Rus in the 12th century, the city of PskovPskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
with its surrounding territories along the Velikaya River
Velikaya River
For the Velikaya river in Far East Siberia, see Velikaya River .Velikaya River is located in western Russia . It starts in highlands in the south of Pskov Oblast, flows north through the cities of Opochka, Ostrov, and Pskov into Lake Peipus, which is drained by the Narva River....
, Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus
Lake Peipus, ) is the biggest transboundary lake in Europe on the border between Estonia and Russia.The lake is the fifth largest in Europe after Lake Ladoga and Lake Onega in Russia north of St...
, Pskovskoye Lake and Narva River
Narva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
became a part of the Novgorod Republic
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic was a large medieval Russian state which stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Ural Mountains between the 12th and 15th centuries, centred on the city of Novgorod...
. It kept its special autonomous rights, including the right for independent construction of suburbs (Izborsk
Izborsk
Izborsk is a rural locality in Pechorsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It contains one of the most ancient and impressive fortresses of Western Russia....
is the most ancient among them). Due to Pskov's leading role in the struggle against the Livonian Order
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order and a member of the Livonian Confederation from 1435–1561. After being defeated by Samogitians in the 1236 Battle of Schaulen , the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword were incorporated into the Teutonic Knights...
, its influence spread significantly. The long reign of Daumantas
Daumantas of Pskov
Daumantas, later Dovmont , Christian name Timothy , ; c. 1240? – May 17, 1299), was a Lithuanian princeling best remembered as a military leader of the Pskov Republic between 1266 and 1299...
(1266–99) and especially his victory in the Battle of Rakovor
Battle of Rakovor
The Battle of Wesenberg, Rakvere or Rakovor was a battle fought on February 18, 1268, between the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Knights and a coalition of Russian princes...
(1268) ushered in the period of Pskov's actual independence. The Novgorod boyar
Boyar
A boyar, or bolyar , was a member of the highest rank of the feudal Moscovian, Kievan Rus'ian, Bulgarian, Wallachian, and Moldavian aristocracies, second only to the ruling princes , from the 10th century through the 17th century....
s formally recognized Pskov's independence in the Treaty of Bolotovo
Treaty of Bolotovo
The Treaty of Bolotovo was concluded in 1348 between the northwestern Russian cities of Novgorod the Great and Pskov and recognized Pskov's political independence from Novgorod...
(1348), relinquishing their right to appoint the posadnik
Posadnik
Posadnik was the mayor in some East Slavic cities or towns. Most notably, the posadnik was the mayor of Novgorod and Pskov...
s 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".
Pyatinas
After the conquest of Novgorod Land by Muscowy it was divided into 5 pyatinas:- Shelonskaya, from Shelon RiverShelon RiverShelon River is a river in the northwest part of European Russia, one of the main tributaries of Lake Ilmen. It has a length of 248 km and drains a basin of 9710 km².The river flows through the Novgorod Oblast and the Pskov Oblast.- History :...
, was located between LovatLovat RiverThe Lovat River is a river in Belarus and Russia. It flows out of Lovatets Lake in northwestern Belarus, and flows north through Pskov and Novgorod Oblasts of Russia into Lake Ilmen. Its main tributaries are the Kunya, Polist, Redya, and Robya Rivers....
and LugaLuga RiverThe Luga River -See also:* Shum Gora, an archaeological site near the banks of the river...
rivers to the west and southwest of Novgorod. - Vodskaya (or Votskaya), was located between Luga and VolkhovVolkhov RiverVolkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
rivers, to the north of Novgorod and on the shores of Ladoga Lake. - Obonezhskaya, from the Onega Lake, was the biggest pyatina of all. It was located to the northeast of Novgorod on the shores of White SeaWhite SeaThe White Sea is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is surrounded by Karelia to the west, the Kola Peninsula to the north, and the Kanin Peninsula to the northeast. The whole of the White Sea is under Russian sovereignty and considered to be part of...
, Ladoga and Onega lakes. - Bezhetskaya, to the east of the capital.
- Derevskaya, between MstaMSTAThe 2S19 "MSTA-S" is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer designed by Russia/Soviet Union, which entered service in 1989 as the successor to the SO-152...
and Lovat rivers, to the southeast of Novgorod.