Russian truth is a code of laws how it was created. The first laws - “Russian Truth”

Great statesman. A supporter of education, the development of literacy, the first schools and libraries at monasteries. Yaroslav the Wise. l Collector of the first set of legal documents and decrees that existed in Rus' in the 10th-11th centuries - Russian Pravda (c. 1016)

"A Brief Truth" consisted of 43 articles. The first part, the most ancient, also spoke about the preservation of the custom of blood feud, about the lack of a sufficiently clear division of the size of court fines depending on the social status of the victim. The second part reflected the further process of development of feudal relations: blood feud was abolished, the life and property of feudal lords were protected by increased penalties. Parts of "Russian Truth". "The Brief Truth".

Parts of "Russian Truth". "Vast Truth". Extensive Pravda is the second edition of Russian Pravda, a monument to a developed feudal society. Created in the 20–30s of the 12th century. (a number of researchers associate its origins with the Novgorod uprisings of 1207–1208 and therefore attribute its composition to the 13th century).

Parts of "Russian Truth". "Abridged Truth". The Abridged Pravda - or the third edition of the Russian Pravda, which arose in the 15th century. It survived in only two copies of the 17th century, placed in the Helmsman’s Book of a special composition. It is believed that this edition arose as an abbreviation of the text of the Extensive Truth (hence the name), was compiled in the Perm land and became known after its annexation to the Moscow principality.

Currently, Russian researchers (I.N. Danilevsky, A.G. Golikov) more often talk about the Brief, Long and Abbreviated Truths as independent monuments that are of great importance for the study of various parts of the state of Rus', similar to all-Russian and local chronicles.

After Vladimir the Red Sun, as a result of civil strife and the struggle for the throne, one of his sons Yaroslav came to power, who became a fair and intelligent ruler, Yaroslav the Wise. His management of the country and activities are described in the annals of different states. During his reign, beneficial friendly relations were concluded with many countries. All European powers took Russia into account. The prince began the creation of the first collection of laws, “Russian Truth,” which is the starting point for the legislative power in Rus'.

Prerequisites for the occurrence

Together with the people, norms and customs were established, that is, certain rules of behavior in the community, as well as coercion or punishment as a consequence of disobedience to these norms. As a result of the baptism of Rus', close relations with Byzantium and other states, contradictions began to appear between religion and established folk customs, which led to the transformation of norms into written laws. At the congress of Russian bishops in 1039, at the behest of Yaroslav the Wise, the Metropolitan of Rus' was elected without the consent of the Patriarch of Constantinople; this became an important message on the path to liberation of the Russian Orthodox Church from the influence of Constantinople. Also, the reasons for drawing up written and orderly laws were the stratification of society, because in the process of transition from the clan to the neighboring community, such a concept as private property appeared, the need to consolidate power over the estates and regulate relations within the state by the force of princely legislation.

The main theses of "Russian Truth"

“Russian Truth” contains two parts, the laws of which relate to different periods of time. The first part - “The Most Ancient Truth” - was compiled by Prince Yaroslav himself, the second - “The Truth of the Yaroslavichs” - by three brothers, his sons.

The collection “Russian Truth” itself has a casual system of structure, this is when the legislator tries to foresee and describe possible life situations. The collection always contained indications of a person’s belonging to some social position. The population was legally divided into the following social categories:

Squad;

Clergy;

Villagers and townspeople (merchants, artisans, purchases)

The prince occupied a special place, the highest position.

Most of the laws provided for the protection of private property, the order of inheritance, obligations and contracts. Agreements in “Russkaya Pravda” were divided into types:

Purchase and sale;

Loans (household loan and mortgage loan);

Storage of luggage (considered a free service);

Personal hiring (hiring of servants).

In the collection “Russian Truth”, liability is imposed for contracts and obligations, and in case of violation, a penalty (fine) and damages are imposed. For example, someone who stole a horse undertakes to return it and pay 3 hryvnia vira.

Serious crimes include causing bodily harm, insult by action (blow with a blunt object, palm, sheath, that is, insult with a blow, but without harming a person), murder. In such situations, the criminal undertakes to pay a fine to both the victim and the princely treasury. Two possible intents were identified: direct (attack, robbery) or indirect (for example, in a fight or self-defense). The highest degree of punishment is expulsion from the community of both the criminal himself and family members, confiscation of movable property, and enslavement. "Russkaya Pravda" did not recognize the death penalty. However, the death penalty was sometimes used. Such harsh measures were resorted to as punishment for acts against the state (gangs of robbers, uprisings). But Yaroslav the Wise is trying with all his might to eliminate the death penalty, which is a consequence of blood feud in Rus'. Here the Orthodox Church also had its influence, advocating the abolition of executions. In those days, the court in Rus' was characterized by:

Competitiveness of the parties;

Relative equality of the parties;

Active participation in the proceedings.

The beginning of the trial was the complaint of the plaintiff or the capture of the offender during the crime. The trial according to the laws of “Russian Truth” was carried out in three stages:

Zaklich (public reporting of a crime);

Code (a three-day period during which witnesses are interviewed and evidence is searched);

Pursuing a trace or searching for a criminal (if he was not discovered earlier).

Church laws

In addition to “Russian Truth”, many spheres of life in Rus' were subject to church laws. It was during the reign of Yaroslav the Wise that the rights of the church became clearly defined, which were regulated by three points:

Family and marriage relations;

Crimes against the church, apostasy from the faith;

Violations committed by church servants.

In church court, penance (long prayers, prostrations or fasting) was imposed on the offender.

Meaning for Rus'

Thanks to the creation of the first collection of laws “Russian Truth”, Kievan Rus was brought to order, relationships between various categories of the population were regulated and princely power was strengthened, which was a prosperous and timely stage in history and served as an important transformation for the further development of social and state life.

1. Explain why after the death of Prince Vladimir, who strengthened the Russian state, strife began.

In the chronicle, all the blame for the strife is placed on Svyatopolk. But such strife occurred after the death of not only Vladimir and his father Svyatoslav, but also many of Vladimir’s descendants. This means that the system itself allowed such strife to arise and pushed the heirs of the Grand Duke to fight. And indeed, under the authority of each of them there was his own inheritance, which provided resources for the struggle, and most importantly, each of them had his own squad, which was devoted only to its master, because it was from him that it received all the wealth and favors.

2. What policy did Yaroslav the Wise pursue in relation to neighboring peoples and states? What was the result of this policy? When answering, use the text of the paragraph and the map on p. 41.

Yaroslav subjugated some weaker peoples, thus expanding the territory of the state. He actively built cities, thus consolidating his power over the conquered lands, and also built a line of defense against the peoples roaming the Black Sea steppes (Pechenegs). Yaroslav did not conquer other nations, but subordinated them to his influence - so his proteges were two successive kings of Norway (Harald III the Severe and Magnus I the Noble). Finally, Yaroslav strengthened the international authority of the Old Russian state as a whole, even among distant peoples, for example, through the marriages of his children: his sons married princesses from the Holy Roman Empire, Poland, Byzantium, his daughters were married to Norway, England, France and Hungary.

3. Tell us about the creation of the first Russian code of laws - Russian Pravda.

Before this, crimes were judged according to the so-called customary law, that is, customs that were passed down orally from generation to generation. In this case, different interpretations of the laws were possible. The development of learning made it possible to write down laws. They began to do this precisely under Yaroslav the Wise, creating the so-called Brief Truth. Later, already under the heirs of Yaroslav, the code of laws was significantly expanded to the Extensive Truth. Some historians suggest that the Brief Truth, compiled under Yaroslav, was intended only for the prince’s squad, and according to the Long Truth, all his subjects were judged.

4. Name the main crimes and forms of punishment for them recorded in Russian Pravda.

Russian Truth punished murder, self-mutilation, theft, robbery, various arson, etc. The usual form of punishment was the payment of a fine (vira), which was paid by the criminal, and if he was hiding, then by the residents of the area where the crime was committed. The latter measure seems unfair today, but thanks to it, these residents themselves were interested in finding and apprehending the criminal.

5. How was the inequality of the position of different groups of the population reflected in Russian Pravda?

In Russian Pravda, penalties for murder, for example, were different depending on what position a person occupied in society. This was true under the conditions of that time. They paid viru to relatives - this was, as it were, compensation for what the murdered person could have earned for the family. The higher a person's position, the more income he had, the more income his relatives lost if he was killed. This is how social inequality was expressed in Russian Pravda.

6. Describe the contribution of Yaroslav the Wise to the development of ancient Russian culture. What was the significance of his founding of the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv?

Yaroslav the Wise sought not only the flourishing of Russian culture, he even sought to surpass Byzantium. The St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv was built in imitation of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Constantinople - the main temple of Byznatia (and in imitation of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, churches with the same name appeared in Polotsk and Novgorod). Under Yaroslav, in principle, stone construction flourished, the creation of books, and not only translated ones; Russian works proper also appeared (for example, “The Tale of Boris and Gleb”).

7*. Draw up a historical portrait of Yaroslav the Wise (use the instruction on drawing up a historical portrait on p. 52).

Yaroslav Vladimirovich the Wise received the first principality (Novgorod) in 1010, became the Great Prince of Kyiv in 1016, although due to strife he united his father’s entire inheritance under his rule only in 1036, and died in 1054. He was smart and reasonable, even cunning. Yaroslav can be called a talented statesman - he knew the needs of the state, he was able to solve problems that arose. There is a well-known reconstruction of his appearance, which Mikhail Mikhailovich Gersimov carried out based on the found skull: an old man with a wide nose, prominent cheekbones and deep-set eyes is looking at us. In addition to the struggle for his father’s inheritance, he became famous for strengthening the state, expanding its borders, strengthening its international authority, both among its closest neighbors and among distant peoples. Under Yaroslav, culture flourished - one of the most significant manifestations of this was the construction of the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. It was under Yaroslav that the first Metropolitan of Kiev of Russian origin, Hilarion, was known. Yaroslav also became famous as a legislator: it was under him that the first version of Russian Truth was created.

In history, Yaroslav remained precisely as the Wise - the ruler of a powerful and united Old Russian state, whom his enemies feared and his friends respected. The image of Yaroslav especially wins against the backdrop of his heirs constantly fighting with each other.

The concept of “Russian Truth” recreates the most ancient legal norms adopted in Kievan Rus by Yaroslav the Wise himself and the former princes. The ancient code reflects not only the legal aspects of social relations, but also the high level of development of society.

Announcement: without this set of laws in Rus' they could still kill for a long time by the right of “blood feud”.

In the article “About Yaroslav the Wise Briefly” we took a journey through the history of the heyday of Kievan Rus. Today we are analyzing the problems of ancient Russian legislation.

So, one of the great deeds of Prince Yaroslav Vladimirovich was the first set of laws “Russian Truth”. It was created by a group of like-minded people. Representatives of the clergy played a major role in Rus'; among them there were many wise people.

Scientists find similarities between the ancient laws of different countries. In particular, some legal customs of the “Russian Truth” and the “Salic Truth” of the ancient Franks of the 5th century AD are similar. For example, a way to determine who is at fault. The accuser and the accused had to undergo a test.

Taking turns, they reached out with their bare hands:

1. a ring or pebble from a cauldron of boiling water;
2. a piece of hot iron from a fire.

Whoever has fewer burns is right. Whoever's hand is charred or blistered is to blame. This is where the expression “God marks the rogue” comes from. Please note that in the time of Yaroslav the Wise, both were tested, not just the accused. This is how those who loved disputes, gossip and slander were brought up.

Russkaya Pravda established a system of huge fines for crimes. I emphasize that under Yaroslav the Wise the fine for killing both the poor and the rich was the same! Later, the life of a poor person began to be valued 15 times cheaper!

Hryvnia is the monetary unit of Ancient Rus'. A milk cow cost almost 2 hryvnia. So for the murder of a tiun there was a vira (fine) of 80 hryvnia! 40 cows are expensive even in modern Russia, and even more so in those days. So the whole village worked hard to pay the fine.

One person will take a shit, but everyone will answer. Such measures led to strengthened educational control within each community so that no one would do anything bad. The authority of older people for young people was enormous!!!

In ancient times, a beard and mustache were a symbol of masculinity. It was considered a terrible insult if someone spat in the beard, tore out a tuft, and burned it. In Russkaya Pravda, such violations were punished more severely than for a severed finger!!

So, in “Russian Truth” Yaroslav the Wise compiled 17 articles in which blood feud was limited, relations in the princely squad were regulated, and the influence of pagan customs was reduced. The descendants of Yaroslav added rules to strengthen the power of the feudal lord and protect his property, according to the law of inheritance. The difference in the legal protection of poor people and rich people has increased. As life in society changes, so do the laws. The journey through the history of Rus' will continue.

Before the baptism of the country by Prince Vladimir, Kievan Rus was a pagan state. In those days, all laws were not written down anywhere, and people lived according to ancient customs. But when Yaroslav the Wise ascended the throne, the first written laws appeared. The creation of the first written set of laws began precisely with Yaroslav the Wise.

What was the name of the first written set of laws in Rus' and who was their creator?

1. Yaroslav the Wise. In 1016, he published a set of bills on order in the city of Novgorod and called it “Russian Truth of Yaroslav the Wise.” The bill consisted of 35 chapters, which separated criminal and civil law;
2. three Yaroslavich brothers - Vsevolod, Svyatoslav and Izyaslav. They supplemented the code with new bills in 1072, which became part 2 of the “Russian Truth” and were called “The Yaroslavich Pravda”. Subsequently, the code of laws was regularly replenished by church decrees and princely statutes;
3. Vladimir Monomakh. In 1097, he gave Rus' a new “Russian Truth” - the “Charter of Vladimir Vsevolodovich” and temporarily stopped the collapse of Rus'.

What was written in the written code of laws of Ancient Rus'?

The special conditions of this law were as follows:

1. a slave could become free. To do this, he had to pay the owner a certain amount;
2. slaves had to be responsible for the property of their masters;
3. the law described everything about debt obligations, fines for stealing someone else's livestock and seizing someone else's land, and much more;
4. the order and priority of receiving the inheritance were determined.

The set of laws that Vladimir Monomakh issued was much softer:

1. debt slavery was prohibited;
2. abolished the death penalty for fugitive slaves;
3. determined the situation of purchases and merchants;
4. regulated the collection of usurious interest.

In fact, there are no clear restrictions on this issue. However, there are unspoken rules that determine the need for construction on a plot of 4-6 acres....

Laws are needed in order to oversee and control the issue of interaction between individuals in society and the interaction of society with the state. So, we can say...