The meaning of the word veche.

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From the school history course, we all know that the ancient Russians had a form of democratic government - the veche.

This was the name of the people's assembly, during which important issues concerning the life of the community were resolved. Word"Veche" is of Slavic origin and comes from the root vet

(advice).

How did the evening gather? Who did it consist of? What decisions did you make? In what areas of Ancient Rus' did it operate?

Direct democracy was characteristic of many ancient peoples who inhabited Northern Europe - primarily the Germans and Slavs. It operated in the pre-feudal and early feudal periods, when the power of princes and kings had not yet been established and the people (city community, military squad) independently resolved many pressing issues. This was possible because people lived in small groups, where many knew each other and could nominate from their ranks the most authoritative, respected representatives (voivodes, princes) or solve problems by voting.

How did the veche come about?

There is not much reliable data in the chronicles about how the veche functioned, so historians argue about it. It is known, for example, that people were gathered at the veche by a special veche bell, the ringing of which could be heard throughout the entire area. The veche was held at important moments - for example, if it was necessary to choose a prince, declare war, raise funds, decide on the use of communal lands, roads, etc.

In ancient times, when the Slavs still had a tribal system, general meetings of the tribe were the highest authority. With the passage of time, the forms of social governance became more developed, feudalism strengthened and the veche gradually changed, losing its strength and capabilities. At the same time, the veche played a big role in Ancient Rus'.

Who did the veche consist of?


Only free men could be members of the veche, although there are also known cases of female intervention in politics. A striking example is the fate of the famous Marfa Posadnitsa, who led the Novgorod boyars in the struggle for the independence of Novgorod from the Moscow princes.

Where did the veche take place?

The veche met in Kyiv, Novgorod, the Nizhny Novgorod principality, Belgorod and many other regions of Rus'. With the strengthening of princely power, the veche began to weaken and then disappear altogether. Historical documents show that the veche lasted the longest in the Novgorod Republic and in the Zaporozhye Sich. It is the Novgorod veche that is the model by which scientists judge this phenomenon as a whole. Novgorod democracy lasted until the mid-16th century (when it was defeated by Ivan the Terrible), so a large number of chronicle sources have been preserved.

Initially, the Novgorod veche was a large meeting of heads of families and clans, but gradually became more and more elitist. In the 14th century, the veche consisted of only three hundred people - mainly boyars. By this time, the opinions of other sections of society that occupied a lower position were practically not taken into account. The council worked on the square, right in the open air - this is how publicity was ensured. Decisions were made by majority vote; disputes often turned into fights; often, in order to achieve unanimity, it was necessary to meet several times.

The Novgorod Council discussed and resolved many important issues that influenced the life of society. These are the adoption of laws, the conclusion of military and trade alliances, the declaration of war, the trial of criminals and even executions, the distribution of land plots, the election of officials and other issues. In some situations, when a dangerous situation was created, discord occurred and the veche could not resolve the situation, princes from outside were invited to Novgorod. Upon expiration of the contract or if the invited ruler failed to cope with his duties, the veche decided to expel him.


The final disappearance of the veche meant the end of popular rule in Medieval Rus'. The strengthening Russian state faced new goals, and they could only be achieved with the help of a strong central government. The veche remained in history as proof of the love of freedom and reasonable approach to governance that were characteristic of our distant ancestors.

VECHE VECHE (from Old Slavonic vet - council) - a people's assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' in the X-XIV centuries. Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded treaties with other lands, etc. In the Novgorod and Pskov republics, V. had the highest legislative and judicial power. In Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka land it remained until the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.

Large legal dictionary. - M.: Infra-M. A. Ya. Sukharev, V. E. Krutskikh, A. Ya. Sukharev. 2003 .

See what “VECHE” is in other dictionaries:

VECHE, people's assembly in Rus' in the 10th and early 16th centuries. Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded treaties with other lands, etc. According to the observation of V.L. Yanin, in Novgorod it consisted of a narrow class circle of boyars and... ... Russian history

- (from the Old Slavonic vet council) a people's assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' of the 10th - 14th centuries, convened to resolve common affairs. The veche arose from tribal meetings of the Slavs. With the formation of the Old Russian state, the local nobility tried... ... Political science. Dictionary.

Or veche, Wed, old. (broadcast? testament?) national assembly, meeting, worldly gathering. At one meeting, but not just one speech. A large meeting, general, legal, decent, under the mayor, thousand, etc.; small or vech, private gatherings and conferences, often... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

See advice... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian dictionaries, 1999. veche parliament, council, assembly Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary

EVENING, evening, Wed. (source). A meeting of townspeople in ancient Rus' to discuss state and public affairs. || The place where the meeting gathers. Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 … Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Veche- (from Russian, broadcast, speak) people's assembly in Dr. Rus' in the X-XV centuries, convened to discuss and resolve the most important state issues (on war and peace, on the appointment of senior officials, etc.). V. comes from tribal gatherings that discussed and... ... Encyclopedia of Law

Modern encyclopedia

People's Assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' in the 10th - 14th centuries. The greatest development is in Russian cities of the 2nd half. 11th 12th centuries Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded treaties with other lands, etc. In... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

VECHE, ah, Wed. In Rus' in the 1015th century: a meeting of townspeople to resolve public affairs, as well as the place of such a meeting. Novgorodskoye v. The bell is calling on the. | adj. vechevoy, oh, oh. V. bell. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Veche- VECHE, people's assembly in Rus'. The greatest development was in Russian cities of the 2nd half of the 11th and 12th centuries (Kyiv, Novgorod, etc.). Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded agreements with other lands, etc.... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Veche. Almanac of Russian philosophy and culture, issue 25, 1995, We present to your attention the fourth issue of the almanac of Russian philosophy and culture "Veche" for 1995... Category: Fundamentals of Philosophy. General work Series: Veche (almanac) Publisher: St. Petersburg University Publishing House,
• Veche. Almanac of Russian Philosophy and Culture, No. 13, 2002, We present to your attention the thirteenth issue of the almanac "Veche", which is dedicated to the topic of civil society. The almanac has sections: Current journalism; Monograph in the issue; From history... Category:

People's Assembly in Dr. and medieval Rus' in the X-XIV centuries. It was most developed in the Novgorod and Pskov feudal republics of the 12th-15th centuries. Resolved issues of war and peace, legislation, legal proceedings, current state. management. Participated in the election of princes.

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VECHE

in the Slavic lands, a form of direct participation of the people in solving public affairs, a meeting of free and capable people. Since householders were considered full citizens in the Old Russian state, the children of their fathers, as well as personally free servants, did not participate in V. The prehistoric ancestor of the veche is a tribal assembly. According to the testimony of Procopius of Byzantium (6th century), the Slavs lived from ancient times in the rule of people, and a general meeting was convened on various occasions in their life. For some tribes, this form was preserved for quite a long time: for example, among the Vyatichi, V. in the form of a tribal assembly was preserved until the 12th century. The first period of V.'s development coincides in time with the transition from a tribal assembly to a city one. In the 9th-10th centuries. To resolve matters, the “best people of the whole earth” came to the “senior” city and discussed zemstvo issues in the presence of citizens of this city. M.F. Vladimirsky-Budanov called this stage of V.’s development the “common land council,” where the elders and elders played an active role. Surviving documents testify to the existence of V. in all ancient Russian lands. The wide distribution of this institution is explained, according to V.I. Sergeevich, in that only the consent of the entire people could ensure the implementation of management decisions, since the standing army and state police did not yet exist during this period. The second period of Vietnam's development (11th-13th centuries) was a people's assembly of full citizens of the main city of the earth. The main (senior) city represented, as it were, the entire land, and its V. became the supreme authority of the volost. Residents of the suburbs could also participate in such a V.: every free person, no matter where he lived, had the right to be a member of the V. of the main (senior) city. Thus, the idea of ​​popular participation in power was preserved. The prince, if the V. did not gather for his removal, was present at the V., usually he gathered the V. In case of disagreement with the prince, the V. could be convened by one of the citizens or converged by itself. Clergymen also participated in the V., incl. Metropolitan The methods of convening the V. were different, but most often they used heralds or a bell (for example, the veche bell in Novgorod). In principle, unanimity was required when making decisions: a majority decision in the presence of a strong minority would be impossible to implement. Reaching agreement when the opinions of the participants in the war were divided was carried out on the basis of mutual concessions, while disputes and even bloody fights were not uncommon. V.'s competence included higher administration (calling and expulsion of princes, contracts with princes), current administration (participation in the appointment and replacement of officials), court (political and emergency courts were carried out by the prince and boyars in the presence of the people) and the consolidation of customary law applied by local and urban communities and the princely administration, issues of war, convening the people's militia. In general, the subject of discussion at V. could be any issue of state life, if there were enough people willing to take part in the discussion. In most lands in the 13th century. veche meetings stopped. In the northwestern lands (Novgorod, Pskov, Smolensk) the government occupied a central place among other institutions of power. In these lands V. existed until the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries. This was partly due to the fact that the main occupation of the population in these lands was trade, which contributed to the formation of a developed and influential urban community. The external side of veche meetings was formalized: there was a veche hut, veche clerks, and a special veche seal of Novgorod. The right of veche self-government and corresponding restrictions on princely power in Novgorod and Pskov were secured by formal written agreements (the first known - 1260). In the treaties, the princes pledged “not to plot a war without Novgorod’s word.” This custom existed in other lands, but was formally enshrined only in Novgorod. In addition, the right to elect Prince V. was recognized by all Russian princes at the congress of 1196. Lit:. Vladimirsky-Budanov M.F. Review of the history of Russian law. R. n/d., 1995; Presnyakov A.E. Princely law in Ancient Rus'. M, 1993; Froyanov I.Ya. Kievan Rus. L., 1980; Martyshin O.V. Free Novgorod. M, 1992; Sergeevich V.I. Veche and the prince. M., 1867. L.E. Laptev

Veche

Veche(common Slavic; from Slavic vet- council) - a people's assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' - and in all peoples of Slavic origin, before the formation of state power in early feudal society - to discuss common affairs and directly resolve pressing issues of social, political and cultural life; one of the historical forms of direct democracy on the territory of the Slavic states. Participants in the veche could be “men” - the heads of all free families of the community (tribe, clan, settlement, principality). Their rights at the veche could be equal or different depending on their social status.

The functions of the veche bring it closer to the Scandinavian Thing and the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot.

General information

Since the formation of the feudal system was slow, the departure from primitive democracy was just as slow - in the primitive system, decisions were made by those on whom the entire material way of life or inheritance depended. The last stage of the primitive system - military democracy, developed into the accumulation of property in a narrow circle of people who were interested in succession, that is, preserving property for descendants. Protection from invaders entailed the concentration of power and property in narrow circles - people also gradually became property. First prisoners, then bondage for debt. It turned out to be a vicious circle - to protect against external attacks, free farmers and artisans first promoted professional military men, who then, having accumulated power and property, brought their own people into submission. Despite the presence of certain stable veche traditions, the very concept of “veche” in medieval Rus' was polysemantic, meaning not only legitimate city, Konchan or Ulichan gatherings, but also any crowded gatherings. For example, spontaneous meetings in Belgorod South (997), Moscow (1382), a non-city military council of Novgorodians (1228), directed against the policies of legitimate city meetings or the nobility, narrow-class meetings of the urban plebs (in the Novgorod Republic in 1228, 1291, 1338 , 1418, etc., in the Nizhny Novgorod principality in 1305) also bore the name of the veche.

Market Meetings

Anarchic “market” meetings of townspeople at Torg are also known, traced by P.V. Lukin in Kyiv and West Slavic lands. In the Novgorod Republic, there were also unique market gatherings. For example, in 1403 and 1406, the decision of the city council was called out “at the Market”. The Novgorod Tale of Posadnik Dobrynya, which describes the realities of the 15th century, clearly hints at something separate from the legitimate city gathering at the Church of John the Baptist, standing “in the middle of the city [Veliky Novgorod] on the Market.” One of the points noted by D. G. Khrustalev in the German version of the treaty of Novgorod with the West of 1268-1269 is noteworthy. According to this clause, Novgorodians were forbidden to block the road between the German Court and the St. Nicholas Cathedral, that is, the space located northeast of St. Nicholas. Perhaps, in addition to a simple ban on the use of the Hanseatic highway that ran there, it was also forbidden to stand on this road during “market” gatherings.

The functions of market meetings, obviously, were different in each land - in the West Slavic lands they had almost the overt character of legitimate city gatherings, in Kyiv they were used by townspeople to speak out against the policies of the prince (as in 1068). In Novgorod, apparently, in addition to the gathering directed against the mayor of Dobrynya described in the story about the mayor of Dobrynya, market meetings served as a place of national gathering to announce the veche decision (as in 1403 and 1406), since at the Novgorod city veche itself, according to archaeological data, there were only 300 -500 of its representatives are the same “300 golden belts” mentioned in the Hanseatic report of 1331.

Functions of the meeting

The veche arose from tribal meetings of the Slavs. In the chronicles, the veche was first mentioned in Belgorod Yuzhny under, in Novgorod the Great - under, Kyiv - under. However, information about the clearly veche corporate actions of the townspeople is also mentioned under earlier dates. Veche meetings became widespread in Rus' with the weakening of princely power during the period of feudal fragmentation (second half of the 12th century). According to the most common point of view, the veche in Ancient and Medieval Rus' was not a true democracy; in fact, everything was decided by the prince and his “husbands” - the boyars, on whose behalf all the princely acts that came down to us were drawn up (starting from the time of the treaties of Oleg, Igor, Svyatoslav, etc.) not counting several early Novgorod acts jointly with the veche. However, I. Ya. Froyanov insists that in the ancient Russian period the veche was the highest ruling body in all Russian lands, and not just in the Novgorod Republic. According to I. Ya. Froyanov, despite the fact that representatives of the nobility (princes, boyars, church hierarchs) were indispensable participants in the veche and supervised its work, they did not have sufficient means to sabotage its decisions or subordinate it to their will. The competence of veche meetings included a wide range of issues - concluding peace and declaring war, disposing of the princely table, financial and land resources.

According to M.N. Tikhomirov and P.P. Tolochko, in the princely regions of Rus' in the pre-Mongol period there was a kind of dual power of the princely and veche authorities. That is, it was not a monarchical, but also not completely republican, unlike the Novgorod order, a form of government. For the first time, this idea was actually expressed by I. N. Boltin, who expressed the opinion that both the princely and veche authorities were strong. From the chronicles and princely charters it is known that the prince had judicial and legislative powers separate from the veche, sometimes drawing up a bill only in a narrow circle of those close to him (for example, the Church Charter of Yaroslav the Wise in the 11th century). There are known cases when the prince independently managed financial and land resources. The prince had the authority to collect tribute. In this regard, it is quite understandable why the veche, which often actively influenced politics, was not always able to come to an agreement with the prince. For example, the uprising of 1113 in Kyiv occurred immediately after the death of the then antagonist prince, during whose life the people of Kiev were forced to put up with his policies. The nationwide robberies of princely property by the Vladimir and Bogolyubovites, which unfolded immediately after the death of Andrei Bogolyubsky, are also indicative. During his lifetime, the townspeople could not come to an agreement with Bogolyubsky, and they were forced to wait for the prince’s death in order to then actively vent their dissatisfaction.

Social composition

As for the social composition of veche meetings, in all Russian lands, except Novgorod, in the veche, according to ancient tradition, the heads of all free urban families could take part in the veche. Another thing is that the social heterogeneity of ancient Russian society increasingly made seemingly democratic veche gatherings actually controlled by the boyar aristocracy. True, right up to the beginning of the 11th century, the boyars were still forced to reckon with popular opinion. For example, in 1019, the Novgorod boyars, as the richest class, paid the largest amount for the hiring of the Vyazh squad, however, not of their own free will, but by the decision of the “Novgorodians” - then still a people's veche. However, already in the 12th-13th centuries, not only in the Novgorod boyar republic, but also in other Russian lands, the zemstvo nobility actually subjugated veche meetings to their will. For example, in 1176, the Rostov and Suzdal boyars had already become so strong that, taking advantage of the prince’s absence, they “wanted to establish their own [narrow-class] truth.” At the same time, his idea was almost crowned with success. Ordinary Rostovites and Suzdal residents at the veche willingly “listened” to their boyars. If it weren’t for the Vladimir “people of the Menzii” - the non-boyar strata, who, obviously against the will of their own nobility, called the prince, there would have been two more boyar republics in Rus'. And in 1240, the boyars of Galich “Danila the prince called himself. and she herself holds the whole land,” that is, they openly concentrated in their hands all the power in the Galician land. As for the Novgorod land, boyar domination there can be traced even earlier. Novgorod's major successes in the anti-Kievan struggle of the 11th century further strengthened the natural process of strengthening social stratification. The significant strengthening of the political role of the local boyar nobility is colorfully illustrated by the outright dominance of the boyars in the Mezh-Konchansky struggle of 1115-1118, as the Mezh-Konchanskaya struggle is known only from birch bark letters, and in the chronicle of the “Novugorod boyars”. It is also characteristic that the Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh, who examined this case, summoned the boyars in full force to Kyiv. Moreover, not only as the most noble representatives of Novgorod, but precisely as the main participants in the troubles. The Konchansk nobility bore full responsibility for the anti-Kievan orientation of Lyudin in this turmoil.

Moreover, the neutral nature of this message indicates that the overt domination of the boyars in the inter-Konchan struggle, clearly dictated by purely personal goals, was already considered natural at that time. As for the further history of the Novgorod veche, in 1136 the veche system finally won in Novgorod and power passed to the local boyar aristocracy. Since the 13th century, the city council has degenerated into a council of representatives of several hundred city boyar families. At the same time, most of the Novgorod acts - “eternal charters” were drawn up on behalf of “All Novgorod”, since the veche body was multi-stage due to the national meetings of the ends and streets preceding the city veche. The fact that in 1392, when convening the city council of Nizhny Novgorod, they rang bells, gives reason to believe that the presence of preliminary Konchan gatherings was an all-Russian phenomenon. As for the Konchan system itself, it was in all Russian cities. In addition to city veche meetings, there were also veche in the “suburbs” - cities and villages subordinate to the main city. The traditions of rural gatherings by the “whole world” - the community - were preserved until Stolypin’s agrarian reform at the beginning. XX century. Based on Novgorod, Pskov and Nizhny Novgorod traditions (in 1392, when convening a veche in Nizhny Novgorod, bells were rung), the veche was convened by ringing a special “eternal” bell. In Novgorod, city veche, Konchansk, and Ulichan veche bells were located in special towers - gridnitsa. The Novgorod version of the veche way of life, most depicted in the sources, demonstrates that in addition to the gridnitsa, on the veche square there was a tribune - a “degree” - from which speakers spoke. The veche squares were also equipped with benches. In 1359, residents of the Novgorod Slavensky end, coming to the city veche gathering, “sat down” with their opponents. In 1146, according to the Laurentian Chronicle, the people of Kiev “sedoshed” at the city meeting. True, according to the Ipatiev Chronicle, the Kyiv vechniks “rose up,” but the very fact of the existence of the first version suggests that they sat at the veche not only in Veliky Novgorod.

The people of Novgorod from the beginning, and the people of Smolny, and the Kiyans, and the Polochans, and all the authorities, like a Duma, converge on the veche; Why would the elders think of staying in the same suburbs?

Laurentian Chronicle//Complete collection of Russian chronicles. T.1. M., 1997. Stb.377-378

In North-Eastern Rus', where the cities were weakened by the Mongol-Tatar invasion, the strengthening grand-ducal power eliminated veche institutions by the end of the 14th century.

However, in those lands where there was no grand-ducal power and the princes were not approved by the Horde, the veche order was more durable and the veche sometimes even managed to influence princely policies. So, in 1304, the eternal people of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky did not allow Prince Yuri Danilovich, whom they had called, to go to Moscow for his father’s funeral. In 1392, the Nizhny Novgorod veche actively participated in relations with Moscow. At least until 1296, the ancient tradition of participation of zemstvo representatives in inter-princely negotiations, commemorated by the treaties of Oleg (907) and Igor (945), was preserved. In 1296, Pereyaslav veche delegates took part in one of these negotiations. As can be seen from the veche execution of several local boyars that took place in Kostroma in 1304, the veche also retained some judicial functions. However, the power of the prince increased in these lands. If in the pre-Mongol period it was possible to talk about an approximately equal balance of forces, now the princely power was stronger than the veche. The prince, and not the veche, already had the main judicial powers. When black people rebelled against the boyars in Nizhny Novgorod in 1305, the veche did not execute them. On the contrary, it specifically waited for the arrival of the prince from the Horde. The complex of Smolensk acts of the 13th-14th centuries is also indicative, representing exclusively princely charters, without any mention of the veche. It is not surprising that this state of affairs also affected terminology. If in the pre-Mongol period Russian lands were called “lands” of “volost”, “region” of such and such a main city, which symbolized the active participation in government of the state not only of the prince but also of the entire city - veche, then already from the 14th century the official term “ principality" applicable not only to the Grand Duchy of Moscow, but also to other princely regions, which testified to the overt priority of princely power over zemstvo. It is no wonder that already in the 15th century, no news reached us about veche activities even in those principalities that had not yet been annexed to Moscow (Tver, Ryazan, Rostov, Yaroslavl, etc.). It is quite possible that the chronicles are right in many respects, personifying all political decisions made in these lands in the person of the prince and his entourage. If the veche system was still formally preserved, then in fact the veche no longer played a role in governing the state.

The veche way of life reached its greatest flourishing in the Novgorod land (before) and later in the Pskov Republic (before), which separated from Novgorod, as well as in the Vyatka land, which was also originally part of Novgorod Rus'. There, the veche way of life existed until the annexation of these lands to Moscow.

As for the southern Russian and western Russian lands, which from the 13th to the 15th centuries became part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the veche system there survived until the Union of Lublin in 1569, the veche formally retained a national character (the Novgorod example of the degeneration of the city veche was unique), however, as this can be seen from the Polotsk Acts; it was actually controlled by the nobility.

The most democratic was the veche system of the Pskov Republic, where until the 15th century the nobility was forced to take into account the opinion of the masses. However, veche acts of the 15th - early 16th centuries, where, despite the nationwide nature of the city veche, not all urban classes of vechniks are mentioned, show that natural for caste [ specify] society, oligarchic tendencies developed there as well.

Veche in Novgorod

The Veche was the highest authority in the Novgorod land during the Novgorod Republic. The Novgorod veche organ was multi-stage, since in addition to the city veche there were also meetings of ends and streets.

The nature of the Novgorod city council is still not clear. According to V.L. Yanin, the Novgorod city council was an artificial formation that arose on the basis of “Konchansky” (from the word end - representatives of different parts of the city) representation; its emergence dates back to the formation of an intertribal federation on the territory of the Novgorod land. Ioannina’s opinion is based on data from archaeological excavations, the results of which incline most researchers to the opinion that Novgorod as a single city was formed only in the 11th century, and before that there were several scattered villages, the future ends of the city. Thus, the original future city council served as a kind of federation of these villages, but with their unification into a single city, it assumed the status of a city assembly.

In the initial period, the meeting place of the veche (veche square) was located in Detinets, on the square in front of St. Sophia Cathedral, later, after the princely residence was moved outside the city, the veche square moved to the Trade Side, and veche meetings took place on Yaroslav's Court, in front of St. Nicholas Cathedral. But even in the 13th century, in cases of confrontation between different parts of Novgorod, veche meetings could take place simultaneously on both the Sofia and Trade sides.

However, in general, at least from the beginning of the 13th century, Novgorodians most often gather “in the Yaroslavl courtyard” in front of the St. Nicholas Church (St. Nicholas received the status of a cathedral already in the Moscow period).

The specific topography and capacity of the veche square are still unknown. Held in 1930-40. archaeological excavations at Yaroslav's yard did not give a definite result. In 1969, V.L. Yanin calculated by elimination the veche area in an unexplored area in front of the main (western) entrance to the St. Nicholas Cathedral. The square itself thus had a very small capacity - in the first work V.L. Yanin calls the figure 2000 m², in subsequent works - 1200-1500 m² and accommodated not a nationwide, but a representative composition of several hundred participants, which, according to V.L. . Ioannina were the boyars.

True, in 1988, V.F. Andreev expressed his opinion about the nationwide nature of city gatherings and localized the veche in a more spacious place, as it seemed to him, to the south of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. There is also a theory about the location of the veche square north of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. However, the most authoritative is the concept of V.L. Yanin, which even found its way into textbooks.

The most authoritative is the opinion about the aristocratic nature of the veche at Yaroslav's Court during the late republic (second half of the 14th - 15th centuries). However, the degeneration of the citywide veche body actually happened earlier. Compiled from only the “elders” - the boyars, the famous “row” of 1264 convincingly suggests that the will of other free Novgorod classes - the “lesser” - was sometimes not officially taken into account even at that time, even based on their direct participation in the nationwide Konchan veches , preceding citywide veche meetings at the Yaroslavl Yard. In a German source from 1331, the citywide assembly is called “300 golden belts.” The work of the veche took place in the open air, which presupposed the openness of the people's assembly. From written sources, including chronicles, it is known that on the veche square there was a “degree” - a tribune for mayors and other leaders of the “republic” who held “magistrate” posts. The square was also equipped with benches.

The decisions of the meeting were based on the principle of unanimity. To make a decision, the consent of the overwhelming majority of those present was required. However, it was not always possible to achieve such agreement and not immediately. If the votes were tied, there would often be physical fighting and repeated meetings until an agreement was reached. For example, in Novgorod in 1218, after battles of one end against the other, meetings on the same issue lasted a whole week until “the brothers all came together with one accord.”

At the meeting, the most significant issues of foreign and domestic policy of the Novgorod land were resolved. Among other things, there were cases of invitation and expulsion of princes, issues of war and peace, alliances with other states - all this sometimes fell within the competence of the veche. The veche dealt with legislation - the Novgorod Judgment Charter was approved there. Veche meetings are at the same time one of the judicial instances of the Novgorod land (traitors and persons who committed other state crimes were often tried and executed at the veche). The usual type of execution of criminals was the overthrow of the culprit from the Great Bridge to Volkhov. The veche disposed of land plots, if the land had not previously been transferred to the patrimony (see, for example, Narimunt). It issued certificates of land ownership to churches, as well as to boyars and princes. At the veche, elections of officials took place: archbishops, mayors, thousanders.

Posadniks were elected at a meeting from representatives of boyar families. In Novgorod, according to the reform of Ontsifor Lukinich (), instead of one mayor, six were introduced, ruling for life (“old” mayors), from among whom a “sedate” mayor was elected annually. The reform - the number of mayors was tripled, and the “serious” mayors began to be elected for six months.

Yuri Dolgoruky expelled the "illegal" Kyiv Metropolitan Clement. At his request, Constantinople appointed a new metropolitan, Constantine I. For loyalty in supporting his policies and for supporting Bishop Niphon during the Kyiv schism, the Patriarch of Constantinople granted autonomy to Novgorod in church affairs. Novgorodians began to elect bishops from among the local clergy at their meeting. Thus, for the first time, the Novgorodians independently elected Arkady as Archbishop, and removed Archbishop Arseny.

In addition to the citywide meeting, there were Konchansky and street veche meetings in Novgorod. If the citywide representative veche was essentially an artificial formation that arose as a result of the creation of the Inter-Konchan political federation, then the lower levels of the veche genetically go back to the ancient people's assemblies, and their participants could be the entire free population of the ends and streets.

Notes

Literature

• Gureev M.V. Specificity of the political consciousness of Novgorodians. Views on the republic and monarchy // Novgorodika-2008. Veche republic in the history of Russia. Materials of the International Scientific and Practical Conference September 21-23, 2008. Part 2. - Novgorod: Novgorod State University Publishing House, 2009. - 352 p. pp. 191-201.
• Lukin P.V. “People’s Assemblies” among the Eastern Slavs: the possibilities of comparative analysis // Ancient Rus'. Questions of medieval studies. 2004. No. 3(17). pp. 5-11.

see also

veche

or veche, cf. old (broadcast? testament?) national assembly, meeting, worldly gathering. At one meeting, but not just one speech. A large meeting, general, legal, decent, under the mayor, thousand, etc.; small or veche, private gatherings and meetings, often unauthorized, illegal, seditious; or convened in the vestibule of a prince, a ruler, a public, open court. To celebrate, to stand, to be at a meeting, to confer. Ceremony, action according to verb.

Gathering area, meeting place;

bell ringing for convening a meeting and the tower itself, bell tower, vezha or veche. Become a veche, gather for a meeting. Veche Vologda. full meaning alarm, alarm, flash; not so long ago back in the Urals. Kaz. This custom lived in the army, but there the veche ringing was called a flash, and the gathering was called a military circle. Vechevoy, eternal, related to the evening. Eternal clerk, veche secretary; scribe Eternal letter, conclusion of the evening. Vechnik m. member of the veche, layman with a voice at the meeting; deputy, representative, elected. Forever? and. arch. speech, lamentation? meeting?

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

veche

evening, Wed. (historical). A meeting of townspeople in ancient Rus' to discuss state and public affairs.

The place where the meeting gathers.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I.Ozhegov, N.Yu.Shvedova.

veche

Ah, cf. In Rus' in the 10th-15th centuries: a meeting of townspeople to resolve public affairs, as well as the place of such a meeting. Novgorodskoye v. The bell is calling. and adj. vechevoy, -aya, -oe. V. bell.

New explanatory and word-formative dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

veche

The People's Assembly in the city square as the highest authority (in Rus' X-XIV centuries).

trans. A noisy crowded meeting (usually with a touch of irony).

Encyclopedic Dictionary, 1998

veche

national assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' in the 10th-14th centuries. The greatest development is in Russian cities of the 2nd half. 11-12 centuries Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded treaties with other lands, etc. In Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka land it remained until the end. 15 - beginning 16th centuries

Large legal dictionary

veche

(from Staroslav. vet - council) - a national assembly in ancient and medieval Rus' in the X-XIV centuries. Resolved issues of war and peace, summoned and expelled princes, adopted laws, concluded treaties with other lands, etc. In the Novgorod and Pskov republics, V. had the highest legislative and judicial power. In Novgorod, Pskov and Vyatka land it remained until the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th century.

Veche

Veche- people's assembly of the city, tribal and/or allied community in ancient and medieval Rus'. The form of democracy and self-government in all peoples of Slavic origin before Christianization and the formation of feudal state power in early feudal society. The veche was assembled to elect a governor and a prince to govern a city or region, as well as to discuss common affairs and directly resolve pressing issues of social, political and cultural life, a historical form of direct democracy on the territory of the Slavic states of the pre-Christian period. Participants in the veche could be “men” - the heads of all communities, - elders and elders of the community. Their rights at the veche could be equal or differ depending on their authority or social status.

The traditions of popular democracy survived in the northern region in Novgorod and Pskov until the defeat by Ivan the Terrible in 1569, when city elders were killed and the Novgorod veche bell was deprived of its “language”. In Ukraine, the tradition of the liberties of the veche was preserved in the form of the Cossack Rada of the Zaporozhye Sich and the Western model of self-government - Magdeburg Law. These liberties were eliminated by Catherine II with the liquidation of the Hetmanate and the last Sich by relocating the Danube Sich to the lands of Kuban and Stavropol “for the sake of order.”

Some historians compare the functions of the veche with the Scandinavian Thing and the Anglo-Saxon Witenagemot and the meeting of elders in ancient Prussia.

Veche (party)

Veche- political party of Ukraine, former name - “Constitutional Democratic Party”. The political party "Veche" was registered by the Ministry of Justice on May 14, 1993 and entered into the Register of Political Parties under No. 14.

Veche (disambiguation)

Veche:

• Veche is a national assembly in ancient and medieval Rus'.
  • Novgorod veche
• The Veche is the lower house of the Yugoslav Parliament.

Veche (newspaper)

"Veche"- Russian newspaper of nationalist and monarchist orientation, published in 1905 - 1910.

The first issue was published in Moscow on December 11, 1905. Its founder and actual editor-publisher is V.V. Olovenikov. Formally, he was listed as the editorial secretary, and his wife was the publisher. In “Veche” No. 2 (December 18, 1905), a certain V. Vladimirovich was named as editor-publisher.

At the beginning of 1908, Olovennikov became seriously ill and went abroad for treatment, after which his close assistants began editing the newspaper: F. A. Slepov, and then several issues by M. D. Pletnev. After Olovenikov’s death (February 1908), the newspaper continued to be published by his mother, identified in the imprint as “heirs of V.V. Olovenikov.”

In addition to the newspaper, in 1908 the weekly magazine “Veche” was published, which published literary works and photographs of prominent monarchists.

Before the publisher received permission to publish the newspaper (a message about filing a petition to publish a weekly newspaper was published in No. 4 of January 3, 1906), “Veche” was published in the form of collections. No. 1 was published with the subtitle “New Moscow Daily Political Newspaper”, No. 2 - with the subtitle “Moscow Political Newspaper”. An announcement was published in the same issue: “The Veche newspaper will be published when necessary, because the editor-publisher has no money; doesn’t want any subsidies.”

The main material No. 6 of January 19 is “Happy Day of the Russian People,” dedicated to the Highest reception by Nicholas II on December 23 of the deputation of the Union of the Russian People.

No. 7 of January 23 was published under the title “Moscow Veche”. Norme attracted attention with the publication of “The Political Speech of a Jewish Rabbi, Read by Him About 30 Years Ago.” No. 8 of February 8 was published under the title “Our Veche.”

Only on February 13 the newspaper acquired its final format, and from that time on it was published under the name “Veche. A social, political and literary newspaper, with portraits, drawings and caricatures." “Veche” was published first on Mondays, then twice, and then three times a week. The circulation at times reached 25 thousand copies. After the arrival of the artist L. T. Zlotnikov to the editorial office, each issue was published with topical caricatures, mainly about Jews.

Anti-Jewish sentiment also dominated the publications of Vecha. In 1907, almost every issue of the newspaper published the slogan “Away with the Jews - Rus' is coming.” Starting from October 3, 1908, every issue published the full house “The Jews must be evicted from Russia without fail.” The authors of the articles and employees of the newspaper included such well-known monarchist figures as P. A. Krushevan, N. I. Eremchenko, M. D. Pletnev.

"Veche" published many poems, most of which were also anti-Jewish. For example, the “Veche” of November 7, 1906 presented D. Pavlov’s essay “Get Out of Russia!”: “Get Out of Russia! Out, Judas! We’ve had enough of your “freedoms.” Run, you evil traitor, before all the people are indignant!”

The main material of the issue of “Vecha” dated December 7, 1906 was “An Open Letter from A.I. Dubrovin to Metropolitan Anthony.” In the issues that followed this publication, the publisher published materials that returned the reader to the topic raised in this letter by the head of the Union of the Russian People.

The sanctions imposed on the newspaper were mainly related to excesses in criticism of government officials - government ministers and local administration officials. Thus, for the publication in issue No. 60 of the article “On the Eve of the Barricades,” in which employees of the St. Petersburg city government - “Poles associated with Jews” - were accused of the murder of V. F. von der Launitz, the newspaper was fined 1,000 rubles. The same fine was imposed for the publication in No. 61 (July 1907) of a letter from S. F. Sharapov with accusations against the Minister of Finance V. N. Kokovtsov.

Due to lack of funds, on March 10, 1909, the newspaper was transferred to the Moscow RNC, after which it became known as “Veche. Organ of the Moscow Union of the Russian People" and then "Veche. Organ of Russian monarchist allies. Publication of the Moscow Union of the Russian People."

The transfer of the newspaper into the hands of Archpriest Vostorgov caused a conflict: a number of Olovenikov’s former employees, who were political opponents of the archpriest, publicly announced their refusal to participate in the publication. And although throughout 1909 the new owners constantly informed readers of their intention to switch to a daily newspaper in 1910, they were unable to recruit the required number of subscribers, and the Moscow department of the RNC curtailed plans to continue publishing Vecha.

The only issue for 1910 was published on February 15, on the eve of the second anniversary of the death of the publication’s founder, V.V. Olovenikov. The newspaper was published under the title “Veche. Weekly socio-political newspaper.” Announcing subscriptions for 1910 in this issue, editor-publisher F. A. Slepov wrote that “the main place in the newspaper is given to the amazing monstrous growth of the awakened Russian national self-awareness and self-preservation, which resulted in the Black Hundred Liberation Movement.” However, the next issue of the newspaper was never published.

Veche (magazine)

« Veche" - a samizdat magazine of Orthodox-patriotic content. Published in the USSR in 1971-1974. The magazine was published approximately every 3 months, with a circulation of 50-100 copies. The volume of the issue was about 300 pages. A total of 10 issues were published.

The founder and editor-in-chief of the magazine was Russian historian and dissident Vladimir Nikolaevich Osipov. Among the regular authors of the magazine were Moscow priest Dmitry Dudko, writers Leonid Borodin, publicists Gennady Shimanov, Anatoly Ivanov, Svetlana Melnikova, Mikhail Kudryavtsev, Mikhail Antonov. Adele Naydenovich, who was then the wife of Vladimir Osipov, made a great contribution to the publication of the magazine.

Materials from several issues of the magazine “Veche” were republished abroad by the publishing house “Posev” in the “Free Word” series.

Examples of the use of the word veche in literature.

E, kakvo pak, Lev Abalkin, Lavlyo-Revlyo, now veche We know that there is nothing for you.

Ernst-Julius Horn, mentor at Abalkin at the school for progress, veche Don't worry about living between.

Tax to the chakas until the morning, and in the morning, for a long time now, I remember what beshe tosi Lev Abalkin and after, katosi remember, with the vzdishka, she said, why didn’t she feel for him this veche goals dweiset and pet godini.

Quite often, without even quarreling, they formed a special camp on veche: millers and bakers, tanners and shoemakers, carpenters and cabinetmakers, silversmiths and diamond makers, stone makers and painters, tilers and pottery sculptors, shipbuilders, loaders, tailors and cloth makers, ironworkers and blacksmiths, armor makers and gunsmiths, miners and blast furnace workers, soap makers and lard makers, wax makers and mead makers.

Then he put together a kind veche, which was attended by Esarhaddon's elder brothers, as well as Assyrian officials and representatives of the people, and asked them if they agreed with the appointment of Esarhaddon as heir to the throne.

It was interesting and taught how Leonid Andreevich dissuaded the darling with fury and contemptuous indignation, and veche Kato resident in Khonti prez octomvri '67

He literally spent two or three hours in front of his eyes, nothing happened, veche received guests.

Glasovete veche Not behold, dude, it’s far from the bottom of the blaskashe kapak on the smear line.

Went to veche howl platform Evpatiy, spoke about the threat to Ryazan and the entire Russian land, talked to the people as he was used to speaking in his hometown in noisy Ryazan veche.

Evpatiy had difficulty recognizing places where folk music had roared recently. veche, where the multi-colored domes of the Cathedral Church were colorful, where there were grand-ducal mansions with elegant towers and a high carved porch, from where the prince used to speak with the people.

Cheloto on the flow veche the flood was cut off easily, and the flow was a glare, a glare, but it was a little bit of the heap that would be separated from the glutnitsa and tightly entwined with us - edri the wetted animals, they were dirty, they were scooping up goat from the khichuri.

Cloak bavno se svlichashe from garba mu, and that veche sat down on the bench, painted the kraka, spun the lyavata si ryka on the backside, and ss free si dyasna raka praised the ephesus for gilding and the sword, hammered into the rotten bowl on the hearth.

Gone are the days when shield makers, locksmiths and blacksmiths removed bishops and interfered in the affairs of government when veche the foremen of the workshops, the true representatives of the black people, interceded, and the boyars relied on them in the struggle for power.

Dnes veche everything is a mess, why is it ruined from the vestry of theses, a kind of perfection of civilization, it’s a meaningless and unpromising occupation, somehow, yes, you’ll expedite the growth of the darvoto - and let’s talk about any shit, - kato go darpash for the hell.

In it, a huge expansion of the darveta from the land of white dneri, somehow they didn’t infest anywhere in the empire - neither in the Irukanskoto herzogy, nor pak in the Targovskaya Republic of Soan, which is a long time ago veche Beshe prevernala vsichkite si burn in rabi.