What did Elena Glinskaya do. Regency of Princess Elena Glinskaya

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Vasily III died when his son, the future sovereign - Ivan IV was only three years old. His mother Elena Glinskaya (1533-1538) was declared regent under the young Ivan.

As a woman, Elena was very beautiful. The reconstruction of Elena's appearance based on the remains that have come down to us made it possible to establish that for women of her time Elena was tall (approximately 165 cm), had a slender proportional figure, her hair was red like copper, and her facial features were thin, regular and soft. By her nature, Elena was not an evil, cheerful, sociable woman, she was engaged in charity work. In addition, she was very smart and educated in a European way, knew Polish and German, spoke and wrote Latin. However, despite the many attractive features of her character, Elena was not popular among the people, due to her European origin and an extramarital love affair with Prince Ivan Fedorovich Ovchin-Telepnev-Obolensky.

DI. Ilovaisky believed that the reign of Elena Glinskaya was not marked by any important events in domestic and foreign policy. This opinion of a respected historian seems to me not entirely correct. Elena ruled for not a full five years, but managed to do a lot during this time. Continuing the policy of her husband, Elena led a successful struggle against the separatism of the specific princes and boyars. In 1533, Elena Glinskaya liquidated the inheritance of the Dmitrovsky prince Andrei Yurievich, and in 1537 the inheritance of the old man Andrei Shuisky. Thus, the last two independent large principalities, Dmitrov and Starodub, became part of the Muscovite state.

Of the state events held at the initiative of Elena Glinskaya, the main ones were the lip and monetary reforms.

The monetary reform was carried out in 1535. Numerous cut and counterfeit silver coins were poured into new ones. The basis of the monetary system was the silver ruble, and the main payment unit was the kopeck, which got its name from the horseman with a spear depicted on it. The reform unified the monetary systems of economically weakly interconnected regions, primarily Moscow and Novgorod. The right to walk on the territory of Russia received only a penny, money and half a penny. For the first time in the history of Russia, a unified monetary system was introduced, which looked like this: 1 ruble was 100 kopecks, half a ruble was 50 kopecks, half a half was 25 kopecks, hryvnia was 10 kopecks. Altyn 3 kopecks. 1 kopeck 2 money or 4 pennies.

The lip reform consisted in the reorganization of local self-government. Receiving numerous reports of the abuse of governors and volostels, Elena began to withdraw from their jurisdiction the most important criminal cases of robbery and theft, and transfer them to the labial elders, elected from representatives of the nobility and boyars. Having concentrated the main part of criminal cases in their hands, the labial elders received the status of district judges.

Also noteworthy is the town-planning activity of Elena, which was carried out by her in order to protect the western and eastern borders of the Moscow state. Under her, the proud cities of Buigorod, Mokshan, Pronsk, the fortresses of Balakhna, Velizh, Sebezh, Temnikov and Zavolochye were built, Vladimir, Tver, Yaroslavl scorched by fires were rebuilt. Vologda, Novgorod and Ustyug were fortified. In 1535, on the orders of Glinskaya, in Moscow, the Italian Pyotr Fryazin was built, China is proud, defending trade and settlements.Built proudly Elena strengthened and populated by Russian immigrants from Lithuania.

The foreign policy of the Grand Duchess was also distinguished by firmness, activity, consistency, and at the same time was very successful. The main foreign policy event of the reign of Elena Glinskaya was the Starodub War (1534-1537). In 1534, the great Lithuanian prince Sigismund I, deciding to take advantage of the infancy of Ivan IV, presented Moscow with an ultimatum demanding to return to the borders of 1508. The ultimatum was decisively rejected and Sigismund began hostilities. The war continued with varying success. In its course, neither side was able to achieve decisive success. As a result, Lithuania and Russia signed a truce on February 18, 1537, according to which Russia ceded the Gomel volost to Lithuania, but retained Zavolochye and Sebezh. Of other foreign policy agreements relating to the reign of Helena, it should be noted the truce concluded in 1535 with Livonia for a period of seventeen years, as well as the signing for a period of sixty years with Sweden, also signed in 1537, according to which Sweden pledged not to help either Lithuania or Livonian Order in case of their war with Russia. Under Elena, diplomatic relations were established with the Moldavian ruler Peter Stefanovich, the Astrakhan king Abdyl-Rahman and the Nogai princes. Noteworthy is the fact that Elena Glinskaya herself negotiated and made decisions on her own.

The policy pursued by Elena Glinskaya was of great progressive importance, since it contributed to the centralization and strengthening of the Russian state. In 1558, Elena Glinskaya died unexpectedly at a very young age. It is not known exactly how old she was at the time of her death. Anthropologists studying the remains of Elena in the female necropolis of the Moscow Kremlin determined that the princess was approximately 25-27 years old. They believe that Elena Glinskaya was born around 1510. There were rumors that Elena was poisoned by the boyars. The Austrian diplomat Sigismund von Herberstein wrote about this in his "Notes on Muscovy". This version was confirmed four hundred years later, after the head of the spectral laboratory of the forensic medical examination of the city of Moscow, Tamara Makarenko, in 1999, having made a spectral analysis of Elena Glinskaya's hair, found that the concentration of mercury salts in them exceeds the permissible norm by a thousand times! So the version of the poisoning of Elena Glinskaya received its practical confirmation.

Grand Duchess Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya ruled the Russian state from 1533. The ruler was not popular with either the people or the boyars. Known for financial reform and the end of the Russo-Lithuanian war.

Childhood and youth

Princess Elena was born in the family of Vasily Lvovich Glinsky (nicknamed "Dark") and Anna Yakshich in 1508. The exact date of birth is not preserved in the annals. Glinskaya's uncle on his father's side was a major government official in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, but after the rebellion he fled to Moscow with his whole family. Legends say that the Glinsky family originates from.

The girl grew up as a stately red-haired beauty. She studied languages, the political structure of the country, painting and art. In 1526, Elena became the bride and wife of the Russian Grand Duke, who divorced his first wife because of her infertility.

Governing body

In 1533, Elena Glinskaya became a widow and made a revolution in the country. The princess took power from everyone whom her husband had appointed regents before his death. He ordered his wife to protect the state until his eldest son grows up, but he did not entrust power to a woman.

Elena banned the purchase of land from service people and increased control over the monastic lands. So the princess decided to fight dishonest boyars who wanted to increase their territories at any cost. Glinskaya waged a tough fight against the princes and boyars, who were against the central government. The woman wanted to give her son a calm, submissive and prosperous country.

The main assistant to Elena Vasilievna was Prince Ivan Fedorovich Ovchina Telepnev-Obolensky. There were rumors that they had an affair, despite the fact that the man was married to the daughter of Prince Osip Andreevich Dorogobuzhsky.

Modern depiction of Elena Glinskaya

Prince Ivan Fedorovich could easily influence Elena, and therefore all the affairs of the Russian state. The subjects were dissatisfied with the arrogant behavior of the favorite, the fact that he did not hide his status.

Elena Vasilievna was strict with those who allowed themselves to publicly speak out badly in the direction of the ruling princess or Prince Ivan Fedorovich. They were punished. So Glinskaya put her uncle Mikhail Glinsky behind bars. He went to prison after the woman found out that Mikhail was talking about Telepnev-Obolensky. There my uncle died of starvation.

In 1537, Elena Glinskaya concluded a peace treaty with the Polish king Sigismund I. She achieved favorable conditions for the country with the help of a professional and cohesive army. The king understood that this was the best that he would get from this war, which devastated the treasury of Poland.

During the reign of the princess, many defensive structures appeared. One of them is the Kitaigorod wall. It was built in three years in order to protect Moscow from the raids of the Crimean Tatars. To our time, the wall has not survived.

The most important of the reforms of Princess Glinskaya is the monetary one. Elena Glinskaya introduced a single monetary currency on the territory of the Russian state - a silver coin weighing 0.34 g. One quarter of this coin was called a "polushka". The Grand Duke was minted on the coin on horseback and with a spear in his hands. All counterfeit coins were confiscated and melted down into original ones. This reform has made a significant contribution to strengthening the country's economy.

Elena was in power for a short time (five years), but managed to lay the foundation for the reign of her son Ivan. So, the woman began lip reform. She ordered the lands to be taken away from the governors and transferred to the labial elders and "beloved heads" who were subordinate to the Boyar Duma.

All these years, the growing Ivan the Terrible watched the reign of his mother and drew his own conclusions. The boy was raised by his grandmother Anna Yakshich. Looking at the struggle for power between the boyar families and the boyar rule itself, Ivan became cruel, harsh and secretive. He understood that such feuds lead to the decline of the state and theft from the treasury.

Ivan was the only contender for the throne, since his father himself, before his death, gave him the "scepter of great Russia." The second son of Elena and Vasily Ivanovich was deaf and dumb and "simple in mind", as they say in the surviving annals. He did not compete with his brother in the struggle for power.

Death

Princess Elena Glinskaya died on April 4, 1538. Some historians claim that there is evidence that the Shuisky boyars poisoned the woman. Studies conducted centuries after the death of the princess indicate the presence of rat poison in the body. However, this version is not considered the main one, because in those days mercury was often used for the production of cosmetics, which could cause death. Elena constantly emphasized her beauty, including a thick layer of cosmetics.

The ruler of the Russian state was buried in the Kremlin, in the Ascension Convent. After her death, the remains were collected dozens of times by scientists in order to learn more about the princess. A portrait of a woman was drawn from the bones of her skull.

If at the beginning of the reign, the citizens of the country treated the foreigner who seized power with caution, then five years later they fell in love with her. They noted the strengthening of the protection of state borders, financial stability and the weakening of the power of the boyars.

Memory

• 1945 - The film "Ivan the Terrible"
• 1999 - Reconstruction of the appearance of Elena Glinskaya
• 2009 - TV series "Ivan the Terrible"

The mother of Ivan IV (the Terrible) Elena Glinskaya is rarely mentioned today. But the story of her life is inextricably linked with Russia. Thanks to the efforts of this female ruler, the state was able to survive without irreversible damage ...

The mother of Ivan IV (the Terrible) Elena Glinskaya is rarely mentioned today. But the story of her life is inextricably linked with Russia. Thanks to the efforts of this female ruler, the state was able to survive the time of unrest and rebellion without irreversible damage.

The Glinskys are considered descendants of the famous Khan Mamai. After the victory of the Russians on the Kulikovo field, one of the clan of Khan Mamai, having converted to Orthodoxy, began to serve the Lithuanian prince. Subsequently, he received the title of Prince Glinsky. In terms of nobility, the Glinsky family was second only to the reigning dynasties.

The Glinskys ended up in Russia thanks to Prince Mikhail Lvovich Glinsky, who was called to the service by the Russian Tsar, offering a large salary, help to him and his close relatives. Therefore, Prince Glinsky brought his family with him to a new place of residence. And indeed, the sovereign kept his promise and endowed Glinsky with lands and even two cities (Medyn, Yaroslavl). Unfortunately, the prince did not get along on Russian soil and wanted to return to Lithuania. But that was not the case: he was immediately imprisoned for a long time, accused of betrayal.

It is not known for sure whether Elena Glinskaya was born in Moscow or was brought as a child. It is known for certain that she met Tsar Vasily III at the age of eighteen. Elena Glinskaya possessed not only amazing beauty, but also was smart, received an excellent education: she spoke Polish, German, knew Latin. Vasily III was delighted with the young Elena. Why the king chose Elena as his wife is unknown. But her candidacy was quite suitable for the closest associates of the sovereign: the family of the future tsarina was not connected by ties with any boyar clans. The king needed an heir, and Elena always dreamed of taking a higher position in society. And as subsequent events showed, the sovereign sincerely fell in love with his young wife. For the sake of young Elena, the tsar changed many established customs, bringing them closer to European fashion. It cannot be said that the environment was against such changes. Many liked to shave their beards, wear European clothes, adorn themselves with jewels and use incense.

The first wife of Vasily III was unable to give birth to an heir. And this led to a divorce. They say that the Tsar ordered to build the Novodevichy Convent for her. Four months after the tonsure of his first wife as a nun, Vasily III married Elena Glinskaya.

Despite the marriage of the sovereign to Elena, the fate of Mikhail Lvovich Glinsky did not immediately change - he was still in prison. Only the persistent requests of his wife could soften the heart of the king, and he gave freedom to the captive and introduced him into his environment.

The closest associate of the king at that time was considered to be Prince Ivan Telepnev-Obolensky. A handsome man, a wonderful military leader did not take his eyes off the young queen in love. Over time, he will become the closest person to Elena.

In the meantime, in all churches it is ordered to pray that the Lord would grant the reigning couple an heir. The spouses themselves also made pilgrimage to monasteries to miraculous icons, attended church services and gave gifts to the poor. The heir was born only four years later, after the wedding in 1530. Everyone was sure that this long-awaited event happened due to the intervention of divine forces. They baptized the first-born in the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and named John. The nurse of the baby was the sister of Prince Obolensky.

Vasily III dearly loved and cared for his son. Even when he was away from Moscow, he constantly demanded to report to him about the boy's health.

Soon the second son, Yuri, was born in the royal family. And five weeks after this joyful event, Vasily III fell ill and died: according to the official version, from blood poisoning.

After the death of the sovereign, Elena Glinskaya found herself in a difficult situation: her son Ivan had not reached the age when it was possible to take the Russian throne, and she was considered a foreigner and the daughter of a Lithuanian governor, whom the sovereign accused of betrayal. She did everything possible to secure her son's right to the throne. A ceremony was held to declare the young Ivan the Grand Duke. Messengers were sent around the cities with orders to swear allegiance to the new Grand Duke.

Open opponents of Elena Glinskaya and her son were her husband's brothers, who were hampered by the Board of Trustees, who ruled on behalf of the minor sovereign. This council was created during the life of Vasily III and no one could influence its activities, including Elena Glinskaya herself. The young ruler needed serious support. And it was provided by Ivan Telepnev-Obolensky. Until now, the reason for such a rapprochement between the famous governor and the ruler remains a mystery. Perhaps the governor's sister and at the same time the nanny of the young Ivan Vasilyevich played a role in this, or there had long been a love affair between the tsarina and the nobleman during the life of Vasily III. Whatever the reason, Telepnev and Elena ended up together in this historical period, soldered together by one fate.

In order to keep the throne for her son, Elena Glinskaya took harsh measures against those who hatched plans to prevent Ivan from the Russian throne. She physically destroyed her opponents. The uncle of the ruler, Mikhail Glinsky, who did not accept the fact that Elena interfered in government and reproached her for cohabitation with Telepnev-Obolensky, also fell under reprisal. The ruler hid her relative in prison, and after him she deprived all members of the guardianship council of power. Only the Shuiskys and the brother of Vasily III, Andrei Staritsky, survived, who did not interfere with Elena's rule and lived quietly in Moscow. But, as it turned out, not for long. Andrei Staritsky demanded from Elena the city for his inheritance, having received a refusal, he fled from Moscow, fearing for his life. Being a refugee, Andrey began to be perceived by Elena and her governor Obolensky as a threat. Andrei Staritsky was caught and imprisoned. The same fate befell the wife and son of the disgraced prince.

Simultaneously with the internal struggle, the ruler also waged external wars. Troops led by Obolensky attacked the Polish and Lithuanian lands, as a result of victories and defeats, it was possible to conclude a temporary truce. The weakening of power led to the fact that Kazan attacked the Russian estates. It was not possible to take revenge on the Kazanians for the robbery of the Kostroma district: the Crimean Khan threatened Moscow. Six-year-old Ivan had to receive Kazan ambassadors and offer peace.

Elena Glinskaya managed the state as best she could. New fortresses appeared on the borders of Russia, and the old ones were strengthened anew. Three hundred families of refugees from Lithuania were placed on Russian lands. There was a fight against counterfeiters, and a new coin was introduced into use, on which the heir to the throne, Ivan, is depicted with a spear in his hand (penny). Kitai-gorod was being built up and fortified.

It seemed to Elena that life was gradually returning to a calm course: internal enemies were destroyed, and external ones did not bother ... Her unexpected death in April 1538 surprised everyone. The annals state that the Grand Duchess was poisoned by the boyars who hated her. Until now, no one can explain why Elena Glinskaya was buried the very next day and why there is no mention that the metropolitan held a funeral ceremony over the body of the ruler. Neither the people nor the boyars expressed grief for the deceased princess. Only the little son and Prince Obolensky mourned Elena Glinskaya.

Seven days after the death of the Grand Duchess, the boyar council, ruled by Shuisky, decided to imprison Prince Obolensky, where he soon died of hunger and cold. Russia for a long time passed into the hands of various boyar groups. Only Ivan Vasilyevich changed the situation. Having entered the reign of the country, he burned his enemies with "blood and iron."

Until now, it is doubtful that Ivan IV was the son of Vasily III. For contemporaries, the close relationship between Elena Glinskaya and Obolensky was not a secret, so Ivan the Terrible could well be the son of the governor Telepnev-Obolensky. Perhaps the difficult years of childhood, the loss of parents were deposited on the character of the future Russian tsar. Ivan IV (the Terrible) remained in the memory of generations as the most cruel ruler, who did not disdain the most barbaric methods of government.

But a bright memory remained of his mother, because although she was originally from the Principality of Lithuania, but becoming the Russian queen, she showed herself as a true patriot of the new homeland.

Vasily III grieved greatly that he had no children. They say that once he even cried when he saw a bird's nest with chicks on a tree.

- Who will reign after me in the Russian land? he mournfully asked his neighbors. - My brothers? But they can't even manage their own business!

On the advice of those closest to him, he divorced his first wife, Solomonia Saburova, who was tonsured, as they say, against her desire, and, as mentioned above, married Elena Glinskaya, the niece of the famous Mikhail Glinsky.

Solomonia Saburova. Painting by P. Mineeva

The new wife of Vasily III was not like the then Russian women: her father and especially her uncle, who lived in Italy and Germany, were educated people, and she also learned foreign concepts and customs. Vasily III, having married her, seemed to be inclined towards rapprochement with Western Europe. To please Elena Glinskaya, he even shaved off his beard. This, according to the then concepts of the Russians, was considered not only an obscene deed, but even a grave sin: the Orthodox considered a beard an essential accessory of a pious person. On the icons representing the Last Judgment, on the right side of the Savior, the righteous were depicted with beards, and on the left, infidels and heretics, shaved, with only mustaches, “like cats and dogs,” pious people spoke with disgust.

Despite such a view, young dandies appeared in Moscow at that time, who tried to become like women and even plucked their hair on their faces, dressed up in luxurious clothes, put shiny buttons on their caftans, put on necklaces, many rings, rubbed themselves with various fragrant ointments, went around in a special way. small step. Pious people armed themselves strongly against these dandies, but they could not do anything with them. Having married Elena Glinskaya, Vasily III began to flaunt ...

Elena Glinskaya. Reconstruction from the skull of S. Nikitin

Papa found out that the Grand Duke was deviating from the old Moscow customs and was trying to persuade him to the union - Vasili filed. III, even the hope of getting Lithuania after the childless Sigismund, hinted at the fact that Constantinople, “the fatherland of the Moscow sovereign,” could be taken over. Basil III expressed a desire to be in alliance with the pope, but evaded negotiations on church affairs.

More than four years have passed since his marriage to Elena Glinskaya, and Vasily Ivanovich still had no children. He and his wife went on a pilgrimage to the monasteries, distributed alms; in all Russian churches they prayed for the granting of an heir to the sovereign.

Finally, on August 25, 1530, Elena Glinskaya gave birth to an heir, Vasily III, who was named John at baptism. Then there was a rumor that when he was born, a terrible thunder swept across the Russian land, lightning flashed and the earth trembled ...

One holy fool predicted to Elena Glinskaya that she would have a son, "Titus - a broad mind."

Two years later, Vasily III and Elena had a second son, Yuri.

The reforms of Elena Glinskaya were carried out in conditions when the young united Russian state was changing its way of life, abandoning the outdated orders of the fragmentation period.

Personality of Elena Glinskaya

In 1533, Grand Duke Vasily III died suddenly. His first wife was never able to bear him a child. Therefore, quite shortly before his death, he concluded his own despite the fact that it was contrary to church rules. His second wife was Elena Glinskaya. As in any monarchy, in the Moscow principality, in the absence of an heir, the question of the succession of power sharply arose. Because of this, the personal life of the ruler became an invariable part of public life.

Elena gave birth to Vasily two sons - Ivan and Yuri. The eldest of them was born in 1530. At the time of his father's death, he was only three years old. Therefore, a regency council was assembled in Moscow, which included boyars from various influential aristocratic families.

Board of Elena Glinskaya

Elena Vasilievna Glinskaya, the mother of the young prince, stood at the head of the state. She was young and full of energy. According to law and tradition, Elena was supposed to transfer power to her son when he reached the age of majority (17 years).

However, the regent died suddenly in 1538 at the age of 30. Rumors circulated in Moscow that she had been poisoned by the Shuisky boyars, who wanted to seize all power in the council. One way or another, but the exact causes of death have not been clarified. Power for another decade passed to the boyars. It was a period of unrest and excesses, which influenced the character of the future king.

Nevertheless, in the short period of her reign, Elena managed to implement many state changes that were designed to improve life within the country.

Prerequisites for monetary reform

In 1535, an unprecedented transformation of the monetary system began, initiated by Elena Glinskaya. Reforms have been needed for decades. Under Ivan III and Vasily III, it annexed many new sovereign territories of Pskov, the Ryazan principality, etc.). Each region had its own currency. Rubles differed in denomination, coinage, share of precious metals, etc. While the specific princes were independent, each of them had his own mint and determined the financial policy.

Now all the scattered Russian lands were under the jurisdiction of Moscow. But the mismatch of money led to the complication of interregional trade. Often, the parties to the transaction simply could not settle among themselves due to the discrepancy between their coins. This chaos could not remain without consequences. Counterfeiters were caught all over the country, who flooded the market with low-quality fakes. There were several methods of their work. One of the most popular was circumcision of coins. In the 1930s, the amount of low-quality money became threatening. The execution of criminals did not help either.

The essence of the changes

The first step towards correcting the financial situation was to be a ban on the monetary regalia (the right to mint) of the former free appanages, on the territory of which their own mints existed. The essence of the monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya - the whole

At this time, the number of European merchants increased, who happily traveled to trade in the markets of Muscovy. There were many goods rare for Western buyers (furs, metals, etc.) in the country. But the growth of trade was hampered by the turmoil with counterfeit coins within the Moscow principality. The monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya was supposed to correct this situation.

Continuation of the policy of Basil III

It is interesting that measures to change the monetary policy were discussed even under Vasily III. The prince led an active foreign policy (fought with Lithuania, Crimea, etc.). The cost of the army was reduced due to the deliberate deterioration of the quality of coins, in which the proportion of precious metals decreased. But Vasily III died prematurely. Therefore, the monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya took place in unexpected circumstances. The princess successfully coped with her task in a short time. This can only be explained by the fact that she was an active assistant in Vasily's affairs when he was still alive. That is why Elena Glinskaya was aware of all the cases and the necessary measures. The confusion inside and the regency council could not prevent the young ruler.

Reform implementation

In February 1535, a decree on changes in monetary circulation was announced in Moscow. Firstly, all old coins that were minted before that day became invalid (this applied to both low-grade fakes and coins of the corresponding quality). Secondly, new money was introduced weighing a third of a gram. For the convenience of small calculations, they also began to mint coins twice as light (0.17 grams). They were called polushki. At the same time, the word of Turkic origin "money" was officially fixed. Initially, it was distributed among the Tatars.

However, there were also reservations that provided for the monetary reform of Elena Glinskaya. In short, some exceptions were introduced for Veliky Novgorod. It was this city that was the merchant capital of the principality. Merchants from all over Europe came here. Therefore, for ease of calculation, Novgorod coins received their own weight (two-thirds of a gram). They depicted a rider armed with a spear. Because of this, these coins began to be called kopecks. Later this word spread throughout Russia.

Effects

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits brought by the reforms of Elena Glinskaya, which are very difficult to describe briefly. They helped the country move to a new stage of development. A unified monetary system facilitated and accelerated trade. Rare goods began to appear in distant provinces. The food shortage has decreased. Merchants grew rich and invested their profits in new projects, raising the country's economy.

The quality of coins minted in Moscow has improved. Among European merchants, they began to be respected. The country's foreign trade was activated, which made it possible to sell rare goods abroad, which gave a significant profit to the treasury. All this was facilitated by the reforms of Elena Glinskaya. The table shows the main features of these transformations not only in the financial, but also in other spheres of society.

lip reform

Princess Elena Glinskaya, whose reforms did not end with finances, also began to change the system of local government. The change in the borders of the state under her husband led to the fact that the old internal administrative division became ineffective. Because of this, the lip reform of Elena Glinskaya began. It concerned local government. The adjective "labial" comes from the word "ruin". The reform also covered criminal justice in the province.

According to the innovation of the princess, labial huts appeared in the country, in which labial elders worked. Such bodies were to begin work in each volost city. The labial elder could conduct a trial over the robbers. This privilege was taken away from the feeders, who appeared during the growth of the Moscow principality. The boyars who lived outside the capital became not just governors. At times their power was too dangerous for the political center.

Therefore, the transformations in local self-government began, initiated by Elena Glinskaya. The reforms also introduced new territorial districts (lips), which corresponded to the territory that was under the jurisdiction of the lip elders. It was a division according to criminal jurisdiction. It did not cancel the usual volosts, which corresponded to the administrative boundaries. The reform began under Elena and continued under her son Ivan. In the 16th century, the borders of the lips and volosts coincided.

Changes in local government

The elders were chosen from local boyars. They were controlled by the Duma, which met in the capital, as well as the Rogue Order. This governing body was in charge of criminal cases of robberies, robberies, murders, as well as the work of prisons and executioners.

The division of powers between the local administration and the judiciary made it possible to increase the efficiency of their work. The position of a lip kisser also appeared. He was elected from among wealthy peasants and had to help the headman in his work.

If the criminal case could not be considered in the lab hut, then it was sent to the Robbery order. All these innovations have been brewing for a long time, but they appeared precisely at the time when Elena Glinskaya ruled. The reforms have made it safer for merchants and travelers to travel on the roads. The new system came in handy in the improvement of the Volga lands, annexed at the time (Kazan and Astrakhan khanates).

Also, the mouth huts helped the authorities to fight against anti-government protests among the peasantry. As mentioned above, the reform was necessary not only to change local government, but also to combat feeding. The abandonment of this outdated practice occurred a little later, when, under the successors of Elena, they began to update the Zemstvo legislation. As a result, over time, the appointed governors were replaced by elected ones, who knew their volost better than the appointees from Moscow.

The work of the labiums

The emergence of labial huts and the beginning of an organized fight against crime were the result of understanding that any violation of the law is not a private matter of the victim, but a blow to the stability of the state. After Elena Glinskaya, the criminal norms were also updated in her son's Code of Laws. Each labial headman received a staff of employees (tsolovalnikov, tenths, etc.). Their number depended on the size of the bay and the number of residential yards within this territorial unit.

If before that the feeders were engaged only in the adversarial and accusatory process, then the elders conducted search and investigative activities (for example, interviewing witnesses, searching for evidence, etc.). It was a new level of legal proceedings, which made it possible to more effectively fight crime. The reforms of Elena Glinskaya became an unprecedented impetus in this sphere of society.