The administrative-territorial units of Ancient Russia were part of the system of structural management of the territory, where issues related to the collection of taxes were solved and other state functions were carried out. At different periods of history, individual units bore different names, they were combined into larger ones or split into small territorial entities, which were controlled by members of the ruling dynasty.
The history of the division of Kievan Rus
The administrative-territorial units of Ancient Rus at different periods were volosts, regions, principalities, counties, provinces and classes. Since the 9th century, administrative division has changed several times depending on the current ruler, the number of members of the ruling family and the situation in the state.
In the 9th century, the unification of the Eastern Slavic and Finno-Ugric tribes took place, as a result of which the state of Kievan Rus appeared. The newly formed state was ruled by the Rurik dynasty. The constituent parts of the country were called volosts and regions and were ruled by the princes of Rurikovich. Each member of the dynasty was endowed with his own territory, and after his death, the land passed to another relative, also belonging to the dynasty. Depending on the composition of the family, the number of volosts ranged from several units to several tens.
In the XII century, a period of fragmentation began, and the territory of Kievan Rus was divided into several independent principalities, which were called "lands". After the Mongol invasion, fragmentation intensified, and there were more principalities.
Russian state
In the XIV century, Kievan Rus was transformed into a Russian state, and the country was divided into so-called "counties". This name refers to territorial associations of volosts, which were subordinate to a larger settlement - a city or a village. Between the sixteenth and the seventeenth centuries, counties also included “sieges” —militarized areas allocated as a separate administrative unit.
Cities of Ancient Russia
In the annals of the 9th-10th centuries there are references to 25 cities that were part of various principalities. Kiev, Zhytomyr and Vyshgorod belonged to the Principality of Kiev, Uglich and Rostov belonged to Vladimir-Suzdal. Over time, the distribution has changed.
The division of the territory into administrative-territorial units was unstable in Ancient Russia. Civil wars and the Tatar-Mongol invasion influenced the division of the state. Some settlements changed their names and subordination, while others disappeared from the face of the earth.