Zemskaya hut appeared in Tsarist Russia in the 16th century during the reforms under the reign of Ivan IV, who was later called Ivan the Terrible.
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan the Terrible is a Moscow prince, who also became the first tsar in the history of the state and ruled from 1547 to 1584. Ivan inherited the throne from his parents: his father, Prince Vasily III of Moscow, and his mother, Elena Glinskaya.
A boy was born in 1530, at a young age he lost both parents. When he was only 3 years old, his father died of a serious illness, and at the age of eight he lost his mother. The childhood of the young king cannot be called careless. He grew up among the endless palace intrigues, watching the struggle for power of the Shuisky family with the Belsky family. Representatives of these families did not shun violence or murder in the struggle for power. The surrounding people taught the young king to become suspicious, vindictive and cruel. So Ivan decided to have unlimited power.
The coronation of Ivan the Terrible took place on January 16, 1547. Before his people and representatives of foreign states, the young man became the first tsar of Russia. And what an advantage this title gave him! All previous grand dukes were called princes by foreign rulers. But the word tsar was translated as emperor, which significantly raised his status in the eyes of foreign neighbors. After all, at that time in the world there was only one emperor who headed the Roman Empire. Ivan the Terrible finished second.
The people called the tsar Terrible after his death. According to historical data, the reign of Ivan IV was marked by cruelty. Having centralized the state in 1549, he introduced the oprichnina in 1565, as a result of which property was confiscated from a large number of feudal lords in favor of the state. In addition, for alleged treason and violations committed against the will of the tsar, Ivan the Terrible did not hesitate to resort to capital punishment - execution.
Reforms of Ivan the Terrible
Being on the throne, the Tsar of All Russia Ivan the Terrible distinguished himself, though by his cruel, but wise rule. Being a highly educated person, he understood that drastic changes needed to be made. Ivan the Terrible decided to carry out fundamental reforms for the development of the state, which would bring Russia to one of the leading positions. The sovereign ordered to convene the Zemsky Sobor. The event took place in 1550. At the meeting, participants, among whom were representatives of the Chosen Council and trusted representatives of IvanGrozny, discussed the implementation of reforms in the state. These included military, judicial, church and self-government reforms.
Reform of Ivan the Terrible's self-government
Introducing changes in the field of self-government at the local level, Ivan the Terrible carried out the Zemstvo, Gubnaya and other reforms. As a result of these changes, such a local self-government body as a zemstvo hut appeared. It existed only in the territory where the Zemstvo reform was carried out.
What functions did Zemstvo huts perform
In order to eradicate the "feeding" of the governors and administer a fairer trial, Ivan the Terrible issued charters and allowed the population to participate in the conflict resolution process. So, for example, the people could choose their representatives, who defended the interests of the working population, not allowing corruption and personal interests to influence decision-making.
What kind of body was this? Zemsky hut was one of the elected bodies on the territory of Tsarist Russia, which controlled and ensured the implementation of local self-government. There were several positions in this body: zemstvo headman, zemstvo deacon, kissers. These positions for a period of 1 to 2 years were occupied by people who were nominated by the people. In addition, it was local residents who financed the body's budget.
Reforms in the state strengthened the power of Ivan the Terrible. The appearance of zemstvo and labial huts played a big role in this. Their function was to control finances. This includes the collectiontaxes, duties, arrears, as well as the distribution of funds for worldly affairs.
Another task performed by the staff of the Zemstvo hut was the control of agriculture. In addition, contracts for the sale of land were concluded only with the knowledge of the elders.
Beloyarskaya zemstvo hut
One of these huts, created on behalf of Peter I, who ruled Russia from 1689 to 1725, was the Beloyarskaya hut. People were moved there by force. At first, the population of the Beloyarsk zemstvo hut consisted only of those people who were sent into exile for not pleasing the sovereign. And later the hut, through the efforts of the inhabitants, turned into a real fortress. The people fortified it with a moat and built a palisade, trying to protect themselves from nomadic raids.
Now the Beloyarsk fortress is the cultural heritage of Russia. Being near the Ob River and surrounded by a ribbon forest, it attracts the attention of many tourists who want to relax and plunge into the atmosphere of past centuries.
