DOI 10.51255/2311–603X_2025_2_238

A. A. Vovin. Roman Law and the Pskov Judicial Charter // Petersburg Historical Journal, no. 2,
2025, pp. 238–249

Abstract:

The article continues a series of two articles co-authored by Alexei Vovin and Natalya Sredinskaya and focuses on the Roman law reception (in its Latin version) in the North-West of Rus’. There is a core text which is at the center of all forementioned publications. The 89 th article of the Pskov Judicial Charter is very close in textual and semantic terms to the corresponding places in the codes of Theodosius and Justinian. This article develops and substantiates the previously expressed idea that the norm of Justinian’s codification could not penetrate into the Pskov Judicial Charter through later Byzantine law codes, whose translations into Church Slavonic were spread in Old Rus’. Accordingly, the 89 th article source, as well as a number of new notions appearing in Pskov Judicial Charter, were produced as a result of borrowing from an unknown Latin-language source that reflected the realities of the code of Justinian or the earlier code of Theodosius. The article also examines another article of the Pskov Judicial Charter (the 91th), whose origin could be probably found in Theodosian Code as well. The final conclusions lead us to a new glance at the origins of the law of the North-West of Rus’ and the extent to which the Old Russian culture experienced the Roman law reception.

Key words: Pskov Judicial Charter, Medieval Pskov, Roman Law Reception, Code of Justinian, Byzantium, medieval studies.

Author:

Vovin, Alexey Aleksandrovich — PhD in History, Senior Researcher at the St. Petersburg
Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia).
E-mail: avovin@gmail.com

References:

Koptev, A. V. Kodifikatsiya Feodosiya i ee predposylki [The Codification of Theodosius and its
Prerequisites. In Russ.]. Drevnee parvo. 1996. No. 1, pp. 247–261.

Korogodina, M. V. Kormchie knigi XIV — pervoi poloviny XVII v. T. 1. Issledovanie. T. 2. Opisanie redaktsii [Pilot Books of the 14th — the First Half of the 17th Centuries. Vol. 1. Research. Vol. 2. Editorial description. In Russ.]. Moscow; St. Petersburg, Al’yans-Arkheo, 2017. 600 + 648 p.

Shchapov, Ya. N. Prokhiron v slavyanskoi pis’mennosti [Prohiron in Slavic Writing. In Russ.]. Vizantiiskii vremennik. 1977. Vol. 38, P. 48–58.

TiKhomirov, M. N. Zakon Sudnyj Lyudem kratkoj redakcii v russkih rukopisyah [The Law of “Sudnyi Lyudem”, in a Short Edition in Russian Manuscripts. In Russ.]. In Tikhomirov, M. N. (ed.). Zakon Sudnyi Lyudem kratkoi redaktsii. Moscow, Izdatel’stvo Akademii nauk SSSR, 1961. 178 p.

Vershinin, K. V. Merilo Pravednoe v istorii drevnerusskoi knizhnosti i prava [The “Merilo Pravednoe” in the History of Ancient Russian Literature and Law. In Russ.]. Moscow; St. Petersburg, Nestor-Istoriya, 2019. 294 p.

Vovin, A. A., Sredinskaya, N. B. O receptsii rimskogo prava v chastnykh aktakh severo-zapadnoi Rusi XIII–XV vv.: Teoriya i praktika sravnitel’nogo istochnikovedeniya [On the Reception of Roman Law in Private Acts of Northwest Russia of the 13th –15th Centuries: Theory and Practice of Comparative Source Studies. In Russ.]. In Vspomogatel’nye istoricheskie distsipliny. Iss. XLI. St. Petersburg, Nauka, 2022. P. 161–209.

Vovin, A. A., Sredinskaya, N. B. Receptsiya rimskogo prava v Severo-Zapadnoi Rusi XIV–XV vv.: vdova i imushchestvo pokoinogo muzha [The Reception of Roman Law in Northwestern Russia of the 14th –15th Centuries: The Widow and the Property of Her Late Husband. In Russ.]. In Studia Slavica et Balcanica Petropolitana. 2022. No. 1 (31), pp. 105–116.

Перейти к полноэкранному режиму

Similar Posts

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — P. A. Avakov. THE ELDER BROTHER AND OTHER RELATIVES OF ST. PETERSBURG

Historiography has invariably placed significant emphasis on the distinctiveness of St. Petersburg as a city of a new type, which subsequently became synonymous with imperial Russia. Numerous scholars posit that the city had historical antecedents in the same geographical region. In recent years, however, a tendency has emerged to consider Taganrog, on the site of which the fortified town Troitsky (Holy Trinity’s Town) was founded in 1699, to be the elder brother of St. Petersburg. On initial consideration, there is ample evidence to support this assertion. Troitsky’s stablishment as the inaugural port city during the reign of Peter the Great, situated on a seashore and following a structured plan for a naval base, substantiates this assertion. Both cities’ origins as border outposts, as well as the location of their construction, being chosen by the Tsar himself, are further similarities. Nevertheless, the historical trajectories of the two cities diverge radically, and the circumstances surrounding their establishment are shrouded in mystery. In 1711, Peter the Great had to sacrifice the elder brother for the sake of the younger brother’s prosperity, since by that time the Baltic plans had become more important for the Tsar than the Black Sea ones. The fortress on Cape Tagan (Tagan Rog), which was revived by Catherine II in 1769, subsequently lost its former military-strategic significance and was transformed into a trading city. Consequently, Taganrog became one of the elements of the anti-Petersburg myth.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — A. V. Apanasenok. IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE “BLUE SNAKE”: THE PROBLEM OF TOBACCO SMOKING ON THE PAGES OF OLD BELIEVER MAGAZINES OF THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

The present paper is devoted to an examination of the history of the anti-smoking campaign that emerged in Russia in the pages of thick Old Believer magazines between 1906 and 1916. It is demonstrated that following the Russian Old Believers’ attainment of fundamental civil liberties in 1905, their customary anti-smoking rhetoric transitioned from the intra-confessional domain to the national stage. The active fight against tobacco use in the territory of the Russian Empire was intended to become a kind of calling card of the Old Believer communities in the process of their integration into the public life of the country. The paper examines the various arguments against smoking that were advanced by Old Believer monthly magazines, as well as the proposed ways to limit the impact of tobacco on Russian society. The study concludes that the expressed ideas had little chance of widespread dissemination and mass support in the context of the growing crisis in Russian society. Nevertheless, they represented a noteworthy landmark in the evolution of the national “anti-smoking discourse”.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — I. V. Zykin. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE WINTER WAR OF 1939–1940 FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOVIET PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY

One of the tasks of industrialisation in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s and early 1940s was the development of the pulp and paper industry due to low production volumes and dependence on imported equipment and technologies. Despite the establishment of joint ventures, research institutes, and machine-building enterprises, it was not possible to overcome the quantitative and technological lag behind the countries of Europe and North America — the leaders of the pulp and paper industry. The article analyses the potential of pulp and paper enterprises on the Karelian isthmus at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s and the consequences of the Soviet-Finnish War for the pulp and paper industry of the USSR. At the end of the 19 th century — in the 1930s, a large complex for the deep processing of wood was built on the Karelian isthmus. Advanced technologies were used in the production of pulp and cardboard, which were not available in the Soviet Union. However, Soviet specialists paid little attention to Finland’s experience, preferring Germany, Sweden and the USA, where, in addition to technology, mechanical engineering was being developed. The accession of the Karelian isthmus to the Soviet Union after the Winter War of 1939–1940 became an important factor in the development of the pulp and paper industry. The work carried out between April 1940 and May 1941 showed the importance of coordinating the efforts of party-state, planning and economic bodies, concentrating human and technological potential in the restoration of enterprises and the development of their capacities, maintaining dependence on energy imports, control and measuring equipment for pulp cooking and the return of evacuated equipment. An advanced complex for deep processing of wood appeared in the Soviet Union, which significantly changed the spatial and technological development of the pulp and paper industry. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Finland’s attack on the side of Germany led to the evacuation of enterprises and the temporary loss of territories.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — A. K. Kirillov. TAX PETITIONER AS PART OF THE TAX OPTIMIZATION CULTURE IN THE LATE IMPERIAL RUSSIA

The article under consideration pertains to the study of a relatively obscure phenomenon in the annals of Russian history — namely, tax offices. By the onset of the 20th century, these institutions had evolved into a pivotal component of the tax calculation technology within the advanced segment of the Russian tax system. A significant aspect of their function pertained to the consideration of objections raised by entrepreneurs with regard to the amount of additional business tax levied upon them. The study draws upon a collection of objections lodged by taxpayers of the 2nd Tomsk office in 1907. The research methods employed encompass graphology, textology and hermeneutics. By comparing the design of the objections, typical expressions and the logic of substantiating taxpayers’ demands, identifying differences between similar documents and analysing corrections in the texts, the author discovers three series of objections, in each of which all documents (from two to eight in number) were undoubtedly composed by the same person. The author’s analysis is further enriched by a comparison of the handwritings in which the objections themselves, the signatures under them and the notes to them were written. This analysis demonstrates two key findings. Firstly, the objections were not composed by the taxpayers themselves, but by professional consultants. Secondly, at least two consultants had assistants who were directly involved in the preparation of the documents. In one particular instance, the name of the consultant was also identified. This finding suggests a discernible tendency among provincial entrepreneurs in late imperial Russia to entrust the reduction of their tax payments to professionals engaged in legal services.

PHJ № 2 (46) 2025 — B. P. Milovidov. CAPTURED DOCTORS OF THE NAPOLEONIC ARMY AT WORK IN RUSSIAN MILITARY HOSPITALS: URGENT NEED VS CENTRALIZED REGULATION

The article under scrutiny herein sets forth a discussion on the utilisation of prisoners of war belonging to Napoleon’s army medical personnel during the years 1812–1814, who were employed within the Russian military hospital infrastructure. In an effort to reduce costs and partially offset the additional burden on the treasury, which had the unexpected task of maintaining an entire army, the Russian government sought to utilise prisoners within the country’s economy. This initiative represented a continuation of a broader policy initiated during peacetime, aimed at attracting qualified foreign specialists to Russia. Approximately half of the medical personnel captured in officer rank were able to contribute to the functioning of military hospitals. This represented approximately 19 % of the Russian military’s medical personnel in officer grades. The necessity for medical personnel was exceedingly pressing. Doctors participated voluntarily, motivated by financial incentives. The primary regulatory document was the regulation prepared by J. V. Willie and approved by M. I. Kutuzov on December 24, 1812. However, in reality, the process of attracting captured doctors to work in hospitals was largely chaotic. The central authorities’ efforts were not the primary factor in the success of this process; rather, it was the result of other factors. The excessive centralisation and lack of coordination between military and civilian authorities, local and central management structures, and various departments of the Ministry of War created problems. The remuneration of the captured doctors was determined on an individual basis by the central office of the Ministry of War and persisted for a considerable duration. However, this was partially offset by the actions of local authorities, who were guided by other legislative norms of their choosing, which seemed more or less appropriate to the situation.