Great Muscovite Law Code (1649)
Explanation and Analysis of the Document
The complete Ulozhenie is divided into twenty-five chapters, each dealing with a different general topic or legislative area. They are presented in a specific order, corresponding to the importance or status accorded to each at the time, from the highest to the lowest. Thus, chapter 1 considers the honor and authority of God and his church, the second chapter treats the personal honor of the czar, the third looks at matters of conduct in the czar's court, and so on. The final chapter (the “lowest,” not excerpted here) treats unlawful taverns. The chapters between consider a wealth of issues, including the mint and currency, travel and foreigners, various ranks of service personnel, tolls and fees, the judicial process at various social levels, monasteries, different categories of landholding, social and political estates, slaves and serfs, robbery and theft, the death penalty, and palace musketeers. Some chapters are short—the one on...
