Tysiatskii

Atysiatskii(Russian:тысяцкий,IPA:[ˈtɨsʲɪt͡skʲɪj],"thousandman"), sometimes translatedduxorherzog,was a military leader inKievan Rus'who commanded a people's volunteer army called athousand(Russian:тысяча,romanized:tysyacha). In theNovgorod Republic,the tysyatskii evolved into a judicial or commercial official and was elected fromboyarsat avechefor a period of one year. In cities with no veche, tysyatskiis were appointed by theknyazor prince from among the noble boyars and could hand down their post to their sons.

In theNovgorod Republic,tysyatskiis were considered representatives of ordinary people (Russian:чёрные люди,lit.'black people'). Along with the role as military leaders, they were also supposed to supervise the city fortifications, convene veches, act as ambassadors and as judges in the commercial courts. Like theposadniks,the office was often held by one man for several years in a row and he was often succeeded by his son or another close relative, indicating that the office was held within clans and was not fully elective.In the 14th century the former tysyatskiis maintained considerable political influence and privileges and were known asOld Tysyatskiis.The earliest documented tysyatskii of Novgorod wasPutyata.

Dmitry Donskoy,Grand Prince of Moscow,abolished the post after the death of Vassilii Vassilievich Veliaminov in 1374, replacing it withvoyevodasandnamestniks.The Novgorod tysyatskii was abolished whenIvan IIIconquered the city forMuscovyin 1478, and the same happened inPskovwhenVasili IIIconquered it in 1510.

References

Notes

Sources

• George Vernadsky.A History of Russia. (Yale University Press, 1969) (ISBN0-300-00247-5).

External links

• (in Russian)Tysyatsky in Novgorod- Article inBrockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary
• (in Russian)Tysyatsky in Kiev and Moscow Rus- Article inBrockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary