After the period of the Great Troubles, a gradual restoration of control of the Vladimir and Moscow lands began. Numerous wars and riots are a thing of the past, the tsarist autocracy has stabilized and gained strength. The strengthening of control was accompanied by the expansion of the network of administrative bodies of authority, among which was the Zemsky order, the central state governing and control body.
First mention
During the Time of Troubles, no significant governing authorities existed. The entire territory of Russia was fragmented. But the gradual strengthening of the influence of the Moscow principality led to the expansion of lands falling under the jurisdiction of the Moscow prince, which means that he also needed his own land administration bodies.
As an independent institution, the Zemsky order was first mentioned in documents of 1564, although individual employees who were called Zemsky deacons have been fulfilling their duties since 1500. The emergence of centralized governing bodies of the Russian lands speaks of a weakening of the influence of the princely and boyar aristocracy, and the strengthening of central authority. Zemsky Sobor and orders constituted two branches of the existing government: legislative and executive. The first cathedral was convened during the reign of Ivan the Terrible in 1549 and coincides in time with a sharp aggravation of the conflict between the “lower classes” and “upper circles”, which manifested itself both in the capital of Russian lands and on the outskirts of the principalities.
The history of the convocation of Zemsky cathedrals dates back two centuries. Historically, the two chambers dealt with appointments and orders: in the first there were gatherers, boyars, treasurers and butlers, in the second - boyar children, governors, princes and nobles.
The structure of the Zemsky order
The bulk of the officials of the Zemsky order were round heads appointed from local nobles. They led street watchmen, archers and gunners. They were also subordinated to the trellis clerks, who controlled the gates blocking the streets of old Moscow, the yarygs — those responsible for cleaning the bridges and various townspeople who performed a wide variety of assignments.
Responsibilities of the Zemsky order
Zemsky order fulfilled its many duties on the basis of decrees and orders of the current authorities. His officials ousted the existing city clerks and tertiary - proteges of the boyar and princely.
Among the main duties of order officials were:
- improvement of the jurisdictional territory, urban management;
- tax collection;
- litigation and litigation with the lower classes of the population;
- law enforcement, fire fighting;
- fight against feeding, brothels and gambling.
The overall level of development of Moscow was typical of a medieval city: narrow streets clogged with waste, piles of manure on pavements and an unbearable stench. By weekends and holidays, attempts were made to restore order on the streets of Moscow, the condition of the Nikolskaya and Myasnitskaya streets, on which the tsar often drove, was maintained almost ideally. Later, all the rough work was entrusted to people of the lower class - meryzhny. They were also obliged to clean the streets, take out sewage, and serve at the stables of noble officials.
The work of the Moscow police
Zemsky order paid for the work of the Moscow police, which was responsible for the order and prevented minor offenses. The management staff was small. The head of the police department was selected by the head who was allocated an office and a small office. Archers and trellis clerks stood out to help the head. The wealthy courtyards had their own security and investigation service and practically did not contact the police.
Zemstvo management development
At the beginning of the 17th century, the Zemsky order was divided into two Zemsky yards, which controlled two different parts of Moscow. The number of officials who served in the orders increased, its functions expanded. All paperwork was divided into “judicial” and “cash” tables. Petitions, petitions and decisions made after their consideration were entered in special books.
After the innovations of Peter the Great, oriented towards the European way of life, the order and the Zemsky Sobor were abolished. The ministry and board were formed according to Western European models. It was they who were entrusted with the responsibility to perform the functions of the ancient governing bodies.
Zemstvos revival
In the second half of the 19th century, the decline of the existing system forced Tsar Alexander II to carry out reforms related to the reorganization of public administration. One of the first was the reform of local self-government, in which local authorities received more authority and partially could make independent decisions.
At this time, the question of the treatment of rural residents is raised and the Zemsky Doctor program is launched. The order for the provision of medical care brought doctors and paramedics to distant corners of the country, whose duties included the provision of emergency medical care.
The conditions of educational programs provided the right to literacy to the most numerous sections of the population - peasants. Zemstvo itself made the decision to build railways or erect large industrial enterprises. Much attention was paid to the cultural life of small hodki and villages: theaters, women's courses, public libraries and other cultural and educational institutions were opened. Unfortunately, revolutions and wars destroyed the full potential that 19th century reforms brought to the life of the state.
At present, in history lessons and Olympiads devoted to the study of the past of our native land, such an assignment is often found: "Order," Zemsky Sobor "," Ministry "," Collegium "- what is superfluous?" The correct answer would be the “Zemsky Sobor”, since it was the legislative body of power, and all the other listed government institutions were executive.