Watchmen - who are they? Basically, when they talk about them, the history of the Russian state and its defenders, heroic warriors, come to mind. But the meaning is not limited to this. He has several interpretations, although they are close to each other. Details about the meaning of the word "vigilantes" below.
What does the dictionary say?
The explanatory word says that a combatant is one who is a member of the squad. He is more of a warrior. Thus, you need to figure out what a squad is. This will make it possible to understand the meaning of this word.
Let's turn to the current dictionary again. It says that squads are different. Here are some of them:
- Association of armed persons who are with the prince and form the core of his army. Members of such a squad helped the prince to carry out his managerial functions. These associations took place in Russia in the period of 9-13 centuries.
- A group of people, which was created in accordance with the principle of voluntariness, is called upon to achieve certain goals. It could be a pioneer or folk squad.
- The military unit present inRussia until 1917 in the militia troops. They formed on an irregular basis.
Consequently, vigilantes are members of the aforementioned and similar associations. What functions did they perform? The most interesting will be the story about the prince's warriors and those who were voluntary assistants to the police in Soviet times.
Russian warriors
As stated above, the prince's warriors in Russia formed the basis of his army in the 9th-13th centuries. They were the same necessary element in the life of society as the prince. The latter needed warriors to maintain order in his possessions, as well as fend off constant enemy raids.
The combatants were a real military "weapon", always at hand and in full combat readiness. In addition, they were also princely advisers.
The importance of combatants for the prince cannot be overestimated. Such a military force gave him the opportunity to win an advantageous table, that is, reign in the most advantageous place for him. They raised the status of the ruler in the eyes of ordinary people. The prince who managed to unite many skillful, courageous knights around him was himself a hope and support in defense against enemies.
As you know, in those days there was an ongoing hard struggle between the princes. Therefore, external protection was almost a paramount task. Based on this, the princes treated their combatants very well. They highly valued them, protected them, gave them generous gifts and provided them with a decent salary.
Duties of the prince's vigilantes
Members of the princely squad were the basis on which the state apparatus and the entire military organization in Russia were built. They were supposed to perform the following functions:
- protect the Grand Duke;
- collect tribute;
- participate in trading expeditions;
- carry out military campaigns;
- suppress rebellions;
- help with local administration;
- to engage in self-training in military craft;
- maintain combat readiness;
- participate in the council that was with the prince.
Thus, the combatants were the closest entourage of the prince. And at the same time, they formed the foundation on which such a permanent body as a squad was built. They turned into those who guarded the common economic interests, and became the most influential political force.
Some information about combatants
In conclusion of the consideration of the question of who these combatants in Ancient Russia are, we will give some information about the events in their lives that have survived to this day.
- In some cases, the oldest vigilantes could have their own units of warriors.
- The prince kept the warriors on the income that he received from the parish. In addition, they were en titled to a certain part of the booty they won.
- If suddenly someone killed a senior combatant, they took vira from him, which had a double size. Vira in ancient Russia was understood as punishment in the form of levying monetary pen alties. Withover time, this rule extended to the punishment for killing juniors.
- When the prince died, the combatants went to the one who was his successor. Because of this, sometimes in the principality there was not one, but two squads, which often competed.
- With the establishment of Rurik's descendants in some areas, the warriors become more settled, and the squad becomes a local character. In the 12th century, the prince's warriors received land ownership. Thanks to these changes, they gradually begin to oust the boyars, taking away their veche and bureaucratic functions. The importance of the veche and its regiments is also decreasing. Confrontation is growing between combatants and boyars.
Popular and voluntary
Druzhinniki, who were in the voluntary people's squad (DND), existed during the Soviet era. It was an organization created to provide law enforcement assistance to ordinary citizens. Its members helped to protect public order and the state border, carried out educational work among the population.
The formation of voluntary detachments took place at the level of the enterprise, street, house management, collective farm. They had the status of amateur public organizations. People's combatants were assisted by the state, party bodies, Komsomol and trade unions. In modern Russia, the revival of DND began in 2014.
