The end of the 15th century was marked by an important event in the history of Ancient Rus - the entry of the Vyatka land into the Moscow principality. Grand Duke Ivan III managed to make a significant contribution to the “collection of Russian lands,” begun by Ivan Kalita. However, in spite of all the expediency of this process, he and his predecessors had to face an active confrontation between the Vyatichi, who had created a veche republic and did not want to lose their freedoms so dear to them.
Where did the Vyatka land come from?
According to the chroniclers and the data obtained during archaeological excavations, the first Russian settlers appeared in the basin of the Vyatka River, the largest tributary of the Kama River, at about the end of the 12th - beginning of the 13th centuries, and during the period of the Mongol-Tatar yoke their number increased significantly. Earlier, this vast territory was inhabited by the Udmurts, who were a conglomerate of Finno-Ugric tribes.
Having settled in new places, the settlers founded the first cities of the Vyatka land - Kotelnich, Nikulitsyn and several others. The largest settlement was Vyatka, received the same name as the whole of this region. By the end of the 14th century, it had grown so much that it became its administrative and economic center.
Democracy Model
Due to the fact that the Vyatka land was significantly removed from Moscow and large grand-ducal estates, its population was able to use independence in resolving most issues. It developed a certain likeness of the Novgorod Republic, which at the same time had its own characteristic features.
The administrative apparatus of Vyatka consisted of elected people and was divided into councils, each of which had authority in a certain area - military, police, judicial, civil, etc. Heads of councils were elected, as a rule, from among the most notable citizens - boyars , governor and merchants. The executors of their decisions were simple peasants and artisans. In the villages, all power was concentrated in the hands of the elders and centurions.
Dubious reputation
In the middle of the 15th century, the capital of the region was renamed Khlynov, and this name was kept for it until 1780, after which it again became Vyatka. The reason for renaming can be found in the ancient annals known as the "Tale of the land of Vyatka." If you believe its compiler, Vyatichi, characterized by an extremely free disposition, have long been famous for robberies and robberies of their neighbors. With bold raids, they ravaged even the outskirts of Veliky Novgorod.
Because of this, the ancient Russian word “hlyn”, which means “robber” and “thief”, was often used in relation to them. Over time, it transformed into “Khlynov” and became the name of the city, preserved for more than three centuries. This is the version of the chronicler, and no one today can vouch for its authenticity. Looking ahead, we note that in 1780 the previous name was returned, and already in 1934 it was again changed. Vyatka was then renamed Kirov.
Union with the separatists
Keeping all the attributes of the Veche republic, the Vyatka land at the end of the XIV century became the patrimony of the Suzdal-Nizhny Novgorod Prince Dmitry Konstantinovich, about which he and the inhabitants of the region concluded an agreement. After his death, a bloody civil war broke out between his sons and his closest relatives, as a result of which Hlynov, as well as the territories adjacent to it, were transferred to the sons of the deceased - Semen and Vasily. However, their rule did not last long - both soon died. Their death served as a prerequisite for the accession of Vyatka land to Moscow, which was carried out in 1403 by Grand Duke Vasily III.
Until his death, which followed in 1457, the Vyatichi remained completely loyal to him, but then everything changed. The struggle for a vacant throne between the Moscow and Galician boyars, who advocated the sovereignty of their possessions, developed into an armed confrontation, and the Vyatichi sided with the latter. In this they miscalculated. The separatists were defeated, and their leader Dmitry Shemyaka was killed.
Confrontation with Grand Duke Vasily II
Since that time, Vyatka land formally leaves the jurisdiction of Moscow princes. It groups supporters of the former feudal way of life, many of whom came there from the devastated and burned Galich. A powerful party is being formed from them, as well as from among the most active citizens, whose supporters have been able for some time to confront the then-Grand Prince of Moscow Vasily II the Dark.
However, in 1459, he sent a large army to Hlynov (Vyatka), led by governor Ivan Potrinaev, who, after a siege of many days, forced his defenders to surrender. After this, the rebellious city was again annexed to the Moscow Principality, but with the preservation of all forms of local self-government.
The Last Days of the Veche Republic
Vyatichi managed to preserve these republican liberties until 1489, until they were put to an end by Grand Duke Ivan III Vasilyevich (grandfather of Ivan the Terrible). It is with his name that the final accession of Vyatka land to the Moscow state is connected. Having decided to permanently erase the republican spirit from his subjects, he not only sent a large army to the Vyatichi, but also took up the Tatars against them, whose squad of seven hundred horsemen led by Khan Urik smashed and burned the city suburbs.
From the pages of the Archangel Chronicle it is known that the total number of grand-ducal troops brought to Vyatka in August 1489 reached 64 thousand people, which far exceeded the number of defenders of the city. Nevertheless, the calculation of Muscovites on their unconditional surrender was not justified. Hiding behind the city walls, Vyatichi prepared for defense.
Attempt to bribe the governor and subsequent events
In the same chronicle it is reported that even before the outbreak of hostilities, the residents of Khlynov tried to bribe the grand-princely governors and thus ward off trouble. But Ivan III, knowing the customs of his subjects and foreseeing this possibility, warned in advance that greed would lead them to the chopping block. This argument took effect, and the governors refused the money. Moreover, they told the Vyatichs who arrived at them that the only condition for saving the city could be universal surrender, oath to the Grand Duke of Moscow (kissing the cross) and the extradition of the main initiators of the resistance.
Desiring to at least somehow gain time, the besieged asked two days for reflection, and after they refused. Seeing that the conditions presented by them were rejected and that a peaceful outcome was impossible, the governors began preparations for the attack, for which they brought many bundles of firewood to the city walls and poured resin over them. These preparations had a strong psychological effect on the besieged. Realizing that the governors intend to burn the city, and put themselves to a painful death, they trembled.
The end of former liberty
Remembering one of the conditions put forward by him, the Vyatichi betrayed the besieging leaders of the anti-Moscow party created in the city: Fedor Zhigulev, Ivan Opilisov, Fedor Morgunov and Levontiy Manushkin. All four were immediately brought to Moscow and hanged there by order of Ivan III. In the city itself, spared the cost of surrender from the fire, numerous executions were also carried out of those who did not want to acknowledge the power of the Moscow princes and openly expressed their dissatisfaction.
The final accession of Vyatka land to the Principality of Moscow ended with the fact that most of its inhabitants were subjected to forced resettlement. In order to exclude the possibility of organizing a new rebellion, Ivan III ordered them to be sent by their families and individually to various, mostly remote areas of the state, and to populate the liberated territory with loyal and non-threatening residents of the Moscow Region. It should be noted that in the history of Russia this was not the first case of mass deportation. In 1478, a similar measure was applied to the inhabitants of the conquered Veliky Novgorod.
Despite the fact that after the events of 1489 described above, the Vyatka Veche Republic was no longer reborn, many of its citizens did not want to pacify their freedom-loving spirit and, contrary to the requirements of the princely officials, refused to move to the places indicated for this. Having broken with their former life, these people massively went to the Volga, where they became inaccessible to the government. There, some of them united in gangs and hunted by robbery, which was commonplace for many (it was not without reason that they were called “Hlyns”), while others were dissolved in the Volga Cossacks and did ... about the same.
The price of betrayal
But by no means all destiny prepared such a sad ending. Those Vyatichi, who volunteered to cooperate with Moscow governors and regularly reported on all manifestations of discontent among fellow countrymen, were showered with grand princely favors. Many of them received estates from Ivan III, abandoned by the previous owners, extensive land allotments and large sums of money. The history of the land of Vyatka knows many famous noble families whose rise began with the fall of the Veche republic.