The process of enslavement of peasants in Russia took several centuries. Two centuries have passed since the reign of Ivan the Third, when a centralized state was formed , led by Moscow, until complete enslavement. It all began with St. George's Day in the first Codex, then reserved summers, school years. These are links of one chain, and each must be considered in conjunction with the others.
St. George's Day
St. George's Day is the feast of St. George at the end of November. Since the time of the first Judicial Code in 1497, the transfer of peasants to another landowner was limited to a week before and a week after that day. The agricultural work cycle was coming to an end, money was paid for the use of utility buildings, and the farmers' families could leave to look for lighter bread from another owner. The fact is that in Russia there was a shortage of workers. The sovereign gave land for service, but there was no one to work on it. Therefore, the estate and landowners competed among themselves, dragged the peasants to themselves, and provided better conditions for life and work.
Preserve Summer
Towards the end of the reign of Ivan the Terrible , economic collapse reigned supreme. The lost Livonian war and the oprichnina’s policy undermined the country's budget, there was a desolation of landowners and patrimonial lands. Under these conditions, population migration increased, peasants more often moved from place to place in search of a better life. Therefore, Ivan at the sunset of his reign answered the petitions of his servants by introducing the so-called reserved years, which preceded the lesson years. These were periods of the prohibition of peasants to use the right of St. George's Day. This decision was made as temporary, but as they say, there is nothing more permanent than temporary.
Lesson summers
Another step that reduced the freedom of the peasants was the introduction of school
years. The year of their appearance is not completely determined. Previously - this is the reign of the last Rurikovich Fyodor Ivanovich, but in fact, the king's brother-in-law Boris Godunov was in charge of the state. The decrees of that era do not apply to decrees of that era. 1597, however, in most textbooks on domestic history is defined as the date the introduction of the term for the search for peasants who left their owners on reserved summers. That is, at a time when transitions were prohibited. This was the only way for peasants to change something in their lives. So, they fled to another landowner without permission. The host was interested in this, so he hid the defectors. The school years are the period in which the owner of the peasants could turn to the executive branch with a statement about the loss of his people. If the peasants were found on time (the lesson), then returned to the previous owner.
Terms of the search for peasants
The first decrees of the tsar introduced five-year terms for the investigation of peasants, then this period increased to seven, ten and fifteen years. At the beginning of the 17th century, in some areas, due to famine, the reserved summers, and hence the lesson years, were canceled. This, however, did not mean that the enslavement process was stopped, but rather suspended in the turbulent events of troubled times. Under the first kings of the Romanov dynasty, a policy of maneuvering between the interests of various sectors of society, including landowners of different levels, was pursued. Some demanded that the king reduce the term of the fugitive investigation, while others - increase. In the interest of settling the southern lands, the government even went to the abolition of school hours. But life was gradually getting better, the interests of landowners were drawing closer, the feudal mode of production required legalized serfdom.
Cancel class years
The reign of Alexei Mikhailovich had several major riots. Popular discontent was associated with the establishment of new state and church orders and a deterioration in the standard of living of the population. As often happens, the state became stronger and richer, and the people were poor. In 1648, the
Salt Riot took place
, the first of a series of subsequent unrest. Frightened by the uprising, the young king convened the Zemsky Sobor. It revealed many contradictions of the feudal state. And yet, the result was the adoption of a new code of laws of Russia under the name "Council Code". As for the peasants, they were considered the property of the feudal lords, their private property. All who harbored the runaway peasants were punished. And for the fugitives themselves, any terms were canceled, after which they could hope for freedom from the owner. Thus, the abolition of school hours, recorded in 1649, meant the final execution of
serfdom. Now throughout his life, everyone who left the owner risked being caught and returned to the owner, who could punish him at his discretion. This did not mean that the shoots had stopped, but the peasants had already fled not to another owner, but to the south, to the Cossack lands. This state was also destined to wage a long struggle.