Prince of Novgorod

History

From the early 12th century, the prince's power in the Novgorod Republic was more nominal. Imperial and Soviet-era scholars often argued that the office was ineffectual after 1136, when Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich was dismissed by the Novgorodians, and that Novgorod could invite and dismiss its princes at will. In this way, the prince of Novgorod was no longer the "ruler" of Novgorod but became an elective or appointed official of the city-state.

That being said, the traditional view of the prince being invited in or dismissed at will is an oversimplification of a long and complex history of the office. In fact, from the late 10th century until its formal annexation in 1478, the princes of Novgorod were dismissed and invited only about half the time, and the vast majority of these cases occurred between 1095 and 1293, and not consistently so during that period. That is, the office was elective for perhaps two centuries and even then it was not always elective. Even during this period, the nadir of princely power in the city, more powerful princes could assert their power independently over the city, as did Mstislav the Bold in the early 13th century, Alexander Nevsky in the 1240s and 1250s, his brother Iaroslav in the 1260s and 1270s, and others.

According to a remark in the chronicles, Novgorod had the right, after 1196, to pick their prince of their own free will, but again, evidence suggests that even after that, princes were chosen and dismissed only about half the time, and Novgorod often chose the most powerful prince in Rus' as their prince. That usually meant that the prince in Kiev, Vladimir or Moscow (who retained the title of grand prince of Vladimir from about the 1320s onward, although there were several interruptions), either took the title himself or appointed his son or other relative to be prince of Novgorod. At times other princes, from Tver, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and elsewhere, also vied for the Novgorodian throne. Thus, Novgorod did not really choose its prince, but considering the political climate, they often very prudently went with the most senior or most powerful prince in the land if he did not impose himself (or his candidate) upon them.

What was different about Novgorod, then, was not so much that Novgorod could freely choose its princes – it could not. Rather, what was unique was that no princely dynasty managed to establish itself within the city and take permanent control over the city. Rather, while other Rus' cities had established dynasties, the more powerful princes vied for control of Novgorod the Great, a most-desirable city to control given the vast wealth (from trade in furs) that flowed into the city in the medieval period.

In the absence of firmer princely control the local elites, the boyars, took control of the city and the offices of posadnik and tysyatsky became elective. The veche (public assembly) played a not insignificant role in public life, although the precise makeup of the veche and its powers is uncertain and still contested among historians. The posadnik, tysiatsky, and even the local bishop or archbishop (after 1165) were elected at the veche, and it is said the veche invited and dismissed the prince as well.

List of princes

List based on Michael C. Paul (2008).

First princes

Dominance of Grand Prince of Kiev (970–1088)

From 970 to 1088, the Grand Prince of Kiev was the patron of the Prince of Novgorod.

Contested control (1088–1230)

From 1088 to 1230, control over Novgorod was contested between various princely houses, and between them and the city itself. In 1136, the citizenry of Novgorod established the Novgorod Republic, and henceforth – in theory, though not always in practice – elected and dismissed its city officials, including the prince.

Dominance of Grand Prince of Vladimir (1230–1478)

From 1230 to 1478, the Grand Prince of Vladimir was either himself the Prince of Novgorod, or the patron of the Prince of Novgorod. There was fierce competition between the princes of Tver, Moscow, and Nizhny Novgorod-Suzdal for the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir, after 1400 increasingly granted by yarlik (patent) of the khan of the Golden Horde by winning his favour, which eventually the Daniilovichi of Moscow did.

Daniilovichi Princes of Moscow

• 1328–1337 Ivan I Kalita the Money-bag
• 1337–1353 Simeon the Proud
• 1353–1359 Ivan II the Fair
• 1359–1363 Dmitry II the One-eyed, 1359–1363
• 1363–1389 Dmitry III of the Don

[[Gediminid]] Grand Dukes of Lithuania

• 1389–1407 Lengvenis

Daniilovichi Princes of Moscow

• 1408–1425 Vasily I, 1408–1425
• 1425–1462 Vasily II the Blind, 1425–1462
• 1462–1480 Ivan III the Great

References

Bibliography

• (e-book).

References

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11. Paul, "Was the Prince of Novgorod a 'Third-rate bureaucrat' after 1136?" 94-97.
12. Michael C. Paul, "The Iaroslavichi and the Novgorodian Veche 1230-1270: A Case Study on Princely Relations with the Veche," ''Russian History/ Histoire Russe'' 31, No. 1-2 (Spring-Summer, 2004): 39-59.
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15. On the fur trade, see Janet Martin, ''Treasure of the Land of Darkness: The Fur Trade and Its Significance for Medieval Russia'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985); Paul, "Was the Prince of Novgorod a 'Third-Rate Bureaucrat' after 1136?"; see also the relevant sections (re: Novgorod) in Janet Martin, ''Medieval Russia: 980-1584'', (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1995).
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