Having thrown off the centuries-old shackles of the Horde and overcoming feudal fragmentation, Russia by the middle of the sixteenth century turned into a single state with a large population and vast territories. She needed a strong and organized army to defend borders and develop new lands. So servicemen appeared in Russia - professional warriors and administrators who were in the service of the sovereign, received a salary from land, food or bread and were exempted from taxes.
Categories
There were two main categories of service people.
1. Serving in the homeland. The highest military class, recruited from among the Russian nobility. From the name it is clear that the service was transferred to the son from his father. Occupied all leadership positions. For service, they received land allotments for permanent use, and rich people also fed on the account of the work of peasants on these allotments.
2. Those who served on the device, that is, by choice. The bulk of the army, ordinary warriors and lower-level commanders. They were chosen from the masses. As a salary received land allotments for general use and for a while. After leaving service or death, the land was taken by the state. No matter what talent the “instrument” warriors possessed, no matter what feats they performed, the road to the highest military posts was closed to them.
Domestic servicemen
In the category of service people in the country, children of boyars and nobles were enrolled. They began to serve from the age of 15, before that they were considered undergrowth. Special Moscow officials with assistant clerks were sent to the cities of Russia, where they organized shows of noble youth who were called "novices." The suitability of the newcomer to the service, his military qualities and property status were ascertained. After which the applicant was enlisted in the service, and he was assigned a monetary and local salary.
According to the results of the reviews, dozens were compiled — special lists in which all service people were kept records. The authorities used these lists to control the number of troops, the size of salaries. In dozens, there were movements of a servant, his appointment or dismissal, wounds, death, captivity.
Service people in the country according to the hierarchy were divided into:
• duma;
• Moscow;
• urban.
Intelligent servicemen in the homeland
Natives of the highest aristocratic milieu, who dominated the state and the army. They were governors, ambassadors, governors in the border cities, led orders, troops and all state affairs. The smart ones were divided into four ranks:
• Boyars. The most powerful people of the state are following the Grand Duke and the patriarch. Boyars had the right to sit in the Boyar Duma, were appointed ambassadors, governors, members of the Judicial Collegium.
• Swindlers. The second most important rank, especially close to the sovereign. Schoolchildren represented foreign ambassadors to the ruler of Russia, they also dealt with all the grand princely trips, whether it was a trip to war, prayer or hunting. Schoolchildren went ahead of the tsar, checked the integrity and safety of the roads, found an overnight stay for the entire retinue, provided everything necessary.
• Clever nobles. They performed a variety of duties: they were appointed governors and managers of the Orders, participated in the work of the commissions of the Boyar Duma, they had military and court duties. With due talent and zeal, they moved to a higher rank.
• Clerks are thoughtful. Experienced officials of the Boyar Duma and various Orders. They lay work with the documents of the Duma and the most important Orders. The clerks edited the tsarist and duma decrees, acted as rapporteurs at meetings of the Duma, and sometimes rose to the rank of head of the Order.
Instrument Service
Service people on the instrument made up the combat core of the Russian troops. They were recruited from free people: the population of cities ruined by servicemen in the homeland and partly from black-faced peasants. The “instrumental” ones were exempted from most duties and taxes and for the service were endowed with a cash salary and small plots of land on which they worked themselves in their free time from service and war.
Service people on the device were divided into:
• Cossacks;
• archers;
• gunners.
Cossacks
Cossacks did not immediately become sovereign servants. These masterful and brave warriors only in the second half of the sixteenth century entered the sphere of influence of Moscow, when the Don Cossacks for a fee began to protect the trade route that connected Russia with Turkey and the Crimea. But Cossack troops quickly became a formidable force in the Russian army. They guarded the southern and eastern borders of the state, actively participated in the capture of Kazan and the development of Siberia.
Cossacks settled separately in cities. Their army was divided into “instruments” of 500 Cossacks each under the leadership of a Cossack head. Additionally, the devices were divided into hundreds, fifty and tens, they were commanded by centurions, Pentecostals and tens. The general management of the Cossacks was in the hands of the Streletsky order, which appointed and dismissed service people. The same order determined their salary, punished and judged them, sent them on campaigns.
Sagittarius
Sagittarius can rightfully be called the first regular army in Russia. Armed with edged weapons and squeakers, they were distinguished by high military training, versatility and discipline. Sagittarius were mainly foot soldiers, they could fight both independently and as a full complement to the cavalry, which until then had been the main striking force of the sovereign troops.
In addition, the archery regiments had a clear advantage over the noble cavalry, because they did not need long training camps, they went on a campaign on the first order of the authorities. In peacetime, streltsy monitored the rule of law in cities, guarded the palaces, and carried out guard duty on city walls and streets. During the war, they participated in sieges of fortresses, repulsing attacks on cities and in field battles.
Like the free Cossacks, archers were divided into orders of 500 warriors, and those, in turn, were divided into hundreds, fifty and the smallest units - dozens. Only serious injuries, old age and wounds could put an end to the service of the archer, otherwise it was life-long and was often inherited.
Pushkari
Already in the sixteenth century, statesmen understood the importance of artillery, so special service people appeared - they were gunners. They performed all tasks related to guns. In peacetime, the guns were kept in order, stood near them in the guard, were responsible for obtaining new guns and making cores and gunpowder.
During the war, they were all concerned about artillery. They transported guns, served them, participated in battles. The gunners were additionally armed with beeper. The Pushkarsky rank also included carpenters, blacksmiths, collars and other artisans needed to repair tools and city fortifications.
Other service people in Russia in the 16th century
There were other categories of warriors.
Service people on call . This is the name of the soldiers who were recruited by special decree of the king from the peasants during heavy wars.
Battle slaves . The military retinue of large aristocrats and medium-sized landowners. They were recruited from non-free peasants and rejected or ruined newcomers. The war slaves were an intermediate link between the draft peasantry and the nobles.
Church service people. These were monastic warriors, patriarchal archers. Warriors who took tonsure and report directly to the patriarch. They played the role of the Russian Inquisition, following the piety of the clergy and defending the values ​​of the Orthodox faith. In addition, they guarded the highest dignitaries of the church and, if necessary, became a formidable garrison in the protection of fortified monasteries.