Historians, exploring what a community is in Ancient Russia, distinguish two types of such social groups - urban and rural. They lived the majority of the population of the East Slavic state.
Rural communities
Rural residents in ancient Russia engaged in fishing and animal husbandry and, of course, cultivating the land. Residents of remote farms and villages united to make it easier to grow rich crops and also pay taxes to the princes. What is a community if you use the vocabulary of that time? This is a ruse. Do not confuse this concept with the place where the ships are built. Vervi got its name thanks to the ropes with which the land was demarcated.
This is the answer to the question of what a community is. One gang could include several villages. On average, the distance between the communities was about 30 kilometers.
The general use of land was the norm for all medieval countries, in which there was a lot of land, but the state of agriculture remained at a fairly primitive level (simple equipment, etc.) At the same time, the community system was convenient for princely power. It was much easier for tax collectors (tax collectors, tyuns) to interact with a large group of peasants than with several families separately.
Distinctive features
An important distinguishing feature of the Slavic community was its belonging to a particular territory. Such a custom clearly demonstrates the importance of the locality, and not the clan (as was the case with other peoples of that time). To understand what a community is, just look at the names of tribal unions of the Eastern Slavs. Glades got their name because they lived in the fields, Drevlyans settled in dense forests, in thickets of trees, etc.
All historians who studied what the community is in the Middle Ages emphasized the importance of a territorial attribute similar to the principle adopted by tribal unions.
Equality of Members
The secondary importance of the clan did not allow the advancement of various family clans. Even the gradual enrichment of communities and increased productivity within them did not lead to greater inequality. The benefits were distributed approximately equally between all members of the vervi.
This way of life was preserved among the Slavs for several centuries. It is precisely because of this that the Russian people have always been suspicious and disapproving of greedy money-grubbers, for whom wealth was above all. Cohesion and moderation in everyday life - this is what a community is.
Community Relations
The above relationships in the village were extremely stable. They did not allow the development of "capitalism" in the countryside, when everyone earned for themselves. On the contrary, the harsh climate of most of the territory of Russia forced the members of the Vervi to live side by side and take care of each other in the event of a crop failure.
The life of the peasant depended entirely on how much he cultivated agricultural products. If a premature cold or war nullified the results of his labor, then the verve came to the aid of such an injured worker. For comparison: in Europe, agricultural relations developed differently. For example, in medieval England there always existed a class of impoverished peasants - paupers.
Fight with the boyars
Until the XIV century, the unity of the peasants did not allow the feudal lords to get all the agricultural land of the country. This important feature of the social group under consideration once again clearly shows what a community is in the history of the Middle Ages and what its significance is. While the old order was maintained in Russia, European capitalism ruined many individual farms.
Western peasants could not create a strong community that would protect their interests, due to the predominance of clan relations in the countryside. All this led to the fact that the rich feudal lords gradually enslaved all the poor. In ancient Russia this did not happen precisely because of the unity of the verws. Even in the most difficult times, the state did not limit the freedom of peasants. In extreme cases, the food tax increased, the deductions of which went to the center (for example, to Kiev or Vladimir). But in Europe at that time compulsory work on the feudal estate was already widespread everywhere. So the rich exploited the free labor of the peasants, increasing the difference between the wealthy and the poor.
Princes support
Among other things, the peasant community in Russia was also protected by princely power. The rulers of the ancestors distributed the land with their vassal for military service, while in Europe large plots were bought by wealthy barons and counts. The royal power there was weakened and could not resist this natural process. In Russia, the princes, not wanting to weaken their own positions, gave vassals (boyars) limited plots of land.
Rurikovich also did not allow their subordinates to take possession of the peasant communities, maintaining a balance in the village, on which the subsistence of the entire state depended. The norms of relations between the villagers and the boyars were enshrined in the "Russian Truth" - a set of Slavic laws adopted under Yaroslav the Wise. This document spoke of the supreme right of the prince to judge feudal lords for arbitrariness perpetrated against the community.
People and Smerds
The parallel existence of a free and not free peasantry is another factor helping to determine what a community is in Ancient Russia. This distinction between villagers has even entrenched in the language. Free peasants were called lyudins, and dependent peasants were called smerds. The latter were the de facto property of the prince - they worked on his land and carried labor duties in his favor.
“Russkaya Pravda” legally fixed the unequal position of the community members (a fine of 40 hryvnias was imposed for their murder) and smerds (the fine for deprivation of life was 5 hryvnias). Criminal offenses were also punished by a princely court. So, let's now, given this factor, we try to formulate what a community is in ancient Russia. Definition will necessarily imply free peasants who lived noticeably better than smerds who lived outside the community.
Urban community
The medieval Russian city is another social environment, without studying which it is difficult to determine what a community is. On history, this topic is held in the 6th grade. It is important for children to know that large settlements appeared on the lands of the Eastern Slavs in the 9th century. They differed from ordinary villages with the protective fortifications necessary for defense against enemy armies and nomads. The power of such cities extended to the surrounding territories. They were called "lands" or "volosts".
At the dawn of Slavic statehood, the city community was necessarily governed with the help of a veche - national assembly. Every visitor to such an event had the right to vote. Therefore, it is not surprising that Ancient Russia is still considered a democratic country, where the decision of the people often stood above the prince's will. This principle was especially noticeable in Veliky Novgorod, where the veche remained the center of political life until 1478, when the whole republic was annexed to the Moscow state.
But popular gatherings also had their drawbacks. The diversity of interests and the lack of a clear system of vote counting led to sharp disputes and even urban unrest. Often such situations led to anarchy. Therefore, the presence of the prince, who could act as an arbiter between opposing parties, was also important for the peace of the inhabitants. One way or another, in each case, the decision was made by reaching a compromise between the dissenting members of the urban community.
The importance of veche
The sole power of the prince was especially important for the city when it came to military campaigns. When it came to managing the army, several opinions could not exist - this would destroy the army. Therefore, in this matter, each prince had authority, it was very important to maintain the sacredness of power.
When the united Old Russian state broke up into several destinies, the small princes began to experience difficulties in relations with both the army and the city community. A significant example is the same Novgorod, from where in 1136 Vsevolod was expelled. Veche accused him of cowardice and fleeing the battlefield during the war against Yuri Dolgoruky. The conflict led to the fact that princely power in the city was finally under the control of the aristocracy and the national assembly.
A similar political architecture was in neighboring Pskov. There, the princes did not inherit the title from father to son, but were elected by the inhabitants. So in Pskov in the XIII century, Dovmont, a Lithuanian by birth, who gained recognition of citizens thanks to his courage and honesty, came to power.