Novgorod Republic

• 1. The Year The Prince Was Fired

  ›

  In 1136, the Novgorodians marched to Yaroslav's Court and dismissed their prince Vsevolod Mstislavich. They did not kill him or exile him permanently. Instead they sent him away and invited a new ruler from another principality. This act marked the formal beginning of independence for the city-state known as Lord Novgorod the Great. Before this moment, princes had ruled with hereditary power passed down through generations. Now the people held the right to hire and fire their leaders at will. The veche assembly became the center of political life where decisions were made by public vote rather than royal decree. The prince remained a military leader but lost his ability to own land or collect taxes within the republic. He lived on money given to him by the city itself. His power was reduced to that of a hired official who could be replaced if he failed to protect the city's interests.

• 2. Archbishops And The Veche Assembly

  ›

  The archbishop of Novgorod sat in the Chamber of Facets after 1433 and headed embassies for the republic. He oversaw court cases of a secular nature while also supervising the largest diocese in Russia until the late 14th century. The archbishop was elected by the Novgorodians and approved by the Russian metropolitan. He was probably the richest single landowner in the city and collected fees for using weights and measures in the marketplace. The posadnik chaired the veche and co-chaired courts together with the prince. Most major decisions required the approval of the posadnik before they could take effect. In the mid-14th century, instead of one posadnik, the veche began electing six officials who kept their status for lifetimes. These six men elected among themselves a stepennoy posadnik each year. Boyars from rich merchant families almost invariably held these positions. The Council of Lords formed around this time with boyar families represented from each district. Feuds continued to grow as the structure changed so that each district had its own posadnik. By 1423 the number of posadniki increased to 24 but stability remained elusive.

• 3. Furs And The Hanseatic Kontor

  ›

  The Lübeck company of Wittenborg exported between 200,000 and 500,000 Lübeck marks from Novgorod to Livonia in the 1350s. This massive trade flow came from the fur-rich lands stretching north of Lakes Ladoga and Onega up to the White Sea. Medieval travel accounts described furry animals raining from the sky in these northern territories. Hanseatic merchants were particularly attracted to Russian resources of furs and beeswax. Novgorod served as the main entrepôt for trade between Rus' and northwestern Europe at the eastern end of the Baltic network established by the Hanseatic League. The Peterhof kontor dominated by Lübeck remained open until it was finally closed in 1494 by Ivan III. Silver cloth wine and herring were imported from Western Europe while squirrel and other relatively cheap furs were supplied in considerable amounts. Anna Khoroshkevich assumed exports increased throughout the 14th century and reached their height in the beginning of the 15th century. By the second half of that century Novgorod suffered from exhaustion of its hunting grounds which moved considerably further north.

• 4. Battles Against Crusaders And Mongols

  ›

  A Swedish army was defeated in the Battle of the Neva in July 1240 where Prince Alexander Yaroslavich received the sobriquet Nevsky. He then defeated German crusaders at the Battle on the Ice in 1242 after forces of the exiled prince of Pskov attacked Votia. Novgorod went to war 26 times with Sweden and 11 times with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword. The German knights along with Danish and Swedish feudal lords launched uncoordinated attacks during 1240, 1242. On the 12th of August 1323, Sweden and Novgorod signed the Treaty of Nöteborg regulating their border for the first time. The Novgorod Republic avoided direct conquest by the Mongol armies but faced political disturbances when tax collectors arrived in 1259. Alexander Nevsky punished town officials who defied him as grand prince of Vladimir by cutting off their noses. This punishment occurred because they had opposed the Mongol overlords who were now collecting taxes through the Russian state structure.

• 5. Birch Bark Literacy And Social Classes

  ›

  Over one thousand birch bark manuscripts have been discovered in the city since archaeological excavations began in the 1950s. Archeologists estimate that as much as 20,000 similar texts still remain buried underground while many more burned down during fires. One notable manuscript was written by a boy called Onfim who lived in Novgorod in the 13th century. Citizens from all class levels participated in writing these texts including women who wrote a significant amount of the documents. According to one estimate 20% of the urban male population in Russian city-states were literate around the mid-13th century. The most common form of labor exploitation was the system of metayage typical for landowners whose household economies were serviced by slaves known as kholops. Their number had been constantly decreasing throughout the period. There were some 80 major uprisings in the republic which often turned into armed rebellions. Notable among these took place in 1136 1207 1228, 1229 1270 1418 and 1446, 1447.

• 6. Icons Painted For Trade And Faith

  ›

  By the end of the 13th century a citizen did not have to be particularly rich to buy an icon produced in Novgorod. Artists received backing from wealthy merchants and members of the strong artisan class. Icons became so prominent that they were often produced as exports as well as for churches and homes. Scholars today have managed to find and preserve only a small random assortment of icons made from the 12th century to the 14th century. The artists favored saints who provided protection related to the economy such as Saint Nicholas who protected travelers and carpenters. The Prophet Elijah offered rain for peasants' fields while Saint George protected animals and herds. In the beginning of the 14th century another icon became prominent: the Virgin of Mercy which commemorates Mary's appearance to Andrew the Fool. Novgorod lost its artistic authority after 1478 resulting in a more uniform method for iconography being established throughout Russia.

• 7. The Bell That Ended A Republic

  ›

  In 1478 Ivan III sent his army to take direct control of the city and abolished the local government including the veche. He replaced it with his namestnik or governor who directly reported to him. Ivan also ordered the removal of the veche bell to Moscow which signified the end of republican government. After the takeover Ivan took more than four-fifths of Novgorod's land half for himself and the rest for his allies. The formal annexation marked a major step in the unification of Russia around Moscow. Ivan later adopted the title of sovereign of all Russia. The boyars found no defenders among the commoners who preferred Ivan III highlighting the social conflict of the time. For the next six years pro-Moscow and anti-Moscow factions competed with one another before the final dissolution. The Hanseatic kontor remained open until it was finally closed in 1494 by Ivan III as an attempt to reduce Hanseatic influence on Russian trade.