The Muscovite state or Muscovy is the name of Russia in the period from the beginning of the reign of John III (1478) to the transfer of the capital of the state to St. Petersburg (1712). Sometimes this period is limited to 1547.
The tradition of calling Russia pre-Petrine times the Moscow kingdom was accepted and supported by 19th-century historians, who were based on the fact of changing capitals. Scientists of the Soviet period adopted this name.
Under Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the concept of “Moscow State” was mentioned in the meaning of the Principality of Moscow as a part of the Russian kingdom.
The formation of the Russian state, which, in addition to the principality of Moscow, included the Novgorod Republic, as well as the Yaroslavl, Tver, Rostov and partially Ryazan principalities and the cities of Chernigov, Bryansk, Novgorod-Seversky, influenced the development of cultural characteristics and the formation of a special "subculture".
After the sunset of Kievan Rus, the culture of the Moscow state began to develop along a completely special path. The path of orientation toward Christian Western countries was not adopted. The formation of cultural features was associated primarily with geographical and political factors. The Russian state did not side with either the western or eastern directions of historical development. But it absorbed, however, many features of both cultures. In addition, the development of the state was influenced by the Orthodox Church and pagan traditions.
The Moscow kingdom was strongly influenced by the Golden Horde. On the one hand, the Tatar-Mongol yoke significantly slowed down the cultural development of the Russian land, as cities were destroyed, many crafts and farming cultures were lost. The country was thrown back in time. On the other hand, conflicting relations with the Horde sent the state along a completely new path of development.
Thus, the socio-political system in the Moscow kingdom of the 15th century bore the imprint of strong eastern influence. This was manifested in the despotism of the management system and lifestyle in general.
Many features of the worldview, characteristic of medieval Russia, developed under the influence of the east. In addition, with the fall of Constantinople, Russia begins to recognize itself as the only defender of Orthodoxy and is even more estranged from Western countries in a cultural sense.
As a result of the influence of all these factors, the Moscow state in the 16th century was distinguished by the following features of culture and national identity.
The spirituality characteristic of the East was combined with the desire for freedom inherent in the people of the West.
At the same time, personal self-awareness was weakly expressed, collectivism prevailed. Orthodoxy remained the determining factor for the formation of worldview. Thus, traits such as sacrifice, selflessness, and the acceptance of one's fate acquired great value.
In the human value system of that time, one of the central places was occupied by the state and the interests of the state. The concept of homeland has always been very important for Russian people.
In terms of cultural development, the 17th century is a turning point. The system of values and worldview are changing. The cyclical perception of time is being replaced by such concepts as the past, present and future.
The Moscow state in the 16-17th centuries followed the path of forming a national character as a stable combination of features that characterize the nation. It was in the 17th century that this combination became noticeable, and representatives of other cultures began to describe it.
Also, during the period of the Moscow kingdom, a process of the departure of art from the influence of church canons takes place. In the 16th century, major chronicles were created, and in oral folklore, historical tales replaced the epics.
In the 17th century, the first signs of a new era culture began to appear .
It can be said that from the 14th to the 17th centuries, the formation of the Great Russian ethnos and its main features took place in the Moscow kingdom. This period is also characterized by self-determination of the Russian Orthodox Church. These changes left an imprint on the further development of Russia.