Zemsky hut appeared in Tsarist Russia in the 16th century during the reforms under the reign of Ivan IV, who was later named Ivan the Terrible.
Ivan groznyj
Ivan the Terrible is the Moscow prince, who also became the first king in the history of the state and rules from 1547 to 1584. Ivan inherited the throne from his parents: his father, Moscow Prince Vasily III and his mother, Elena Glinsky.
A boy was born in 1530, at a young age he lost both parents. When he was only 3 years old, his father died of a serious illness, and at the age of eight he lost his mother. The childhood of the young king cannot be called careless. He grew up among endless palace intrigues, watching the struggle for power of the Shuisky clan and the Belsky clan. Representatives of these families did not shun violence or killings in the struggle for power. The people around him taught the young king to become suspicious, vengeful and cruel. So Ivan decided to have unlimited power.
The coronation of Ivan the Terrible took place on January 16, 1547. In front of his people and representatives of foreign states, the young man became the first king of Russia. And what an advantage this title gave him! All previous great princes overseas rulers called princes. But the word king was translated as emperor, which significantly raised his status in the eyes of foreign neighbors. After all, at that time in the world there was only one emperor who headed the Roman Empire. Ivan the Terrible became the second.
The people of the king were nicknamed the Terrible after his death. According to historical information, the reign of Ivan IV was brutal. Having centralized the state in 1549, he introduced the oprichnina in 1565, as a result of which property was confiscated from a large number of feudal lords in favor of the state. In addition, for the alleged betrayal and violations committed against the will of the tsar, Ivan the Terrible did not hesitate to resort to capital punishment - execution.
Reforms of Ivan the Terrible
Being on the throne, Tsar of All Russia Ivan the Terrible distinguished himself, though by his cruel, but wise rule. Being a highly educated person, he understood that fundamental changes needed to be made. Ivan the Terrible decided to carry out fundamental reforms for the development of the state, which would bring Russia to one of the leading positions. The sovereign ordered the convocation of the Zemsky Sobor. The event took place in 1550. At the meeting, participants, among whom were representatives of the Elected Council and proxies of Ivan the Terrible, discussed the implementation of reforms in the state. These included military, judicial, church reforms and self-government reform.
Self-government reform of Ivan the Terrible
Carrying out changes in the field of self-government at the local level, Ivan the Terrible conducted Zemsky, Gubnaya and other reforms. As a result of these changes, such a local government body as the Zemstvo hut appeared. It existed only in the territory on which the Zemstvo reform was carried out.
What functions did Zemstvo huts perform
In order to eradicate the “feeding” of governors and to administer a fairer court, Ivan the Terrible issued statutory letters and allowed the population to participate in the conflict resolution process. So, for example, the people could choose their representatives, who defended the interests of the working population, not allowing corruption and personal interests to influence the decision-making.
What kind of organ was that? Zemsky hut was called one of the elected bodies on the territory of Tsarist Russia, which controlled and ensured the implementation of local self-government. There were several posts in this body: the
zemstvo headman, the zemstvo clerk, and the kissers. These posts for a period of 1 to 2 years were held by people nominated by the people. In addition, it was the locals who financed the organ’s budget.
The implementation of reforms in the state strengthened the power of Ivan the Terrible. The appearance of zemstvo and labial huts played a big role in this. Their functions were to control finances. This includes the collection of taxes, duties, arrears, as well as the distribution of funds for worldly affairs.
Another task that was performed by the employees of the zemstvo hut was the control of agriculture. Moreover, land purchase and sale agreements were concluded only with the knowledge of the elders.
Beloyarskaya Zemstvo hut
One of these huts, created on behalf of Peter the Great, who ruled Russia from 1689 to 1725, was the Beloyarsky hut. People were resettled there by force. At first, the population of the Beloyarsk Zemstvo hut consisted only of people who were sent into exile for not pleasing the sovereign. And in the future, the hut, through the efforts of residents, turned into a real fortress. The people strengthened it with a moat and built a picket fence, trying to protect themselves from the attacks of nomads.
Now Beloyarskaya fortress is the cultural heritage of Russia. Located near the Ob River and surrounded by a ribbon boron, it attracts the attention of many tourists who want to relax and plunge into the atmosphere of past centuries.