Grand Duchy Research Articles

PRE-REVOLUTIONARY HISTORIOGRAPHY OF THE PROBLEM OF PROOF OF MEMBERSHIP IN THE NOBILITY IN THE GRAND DUCHY OF LITHUANIA

The article examines the main pre-revolutionary works on the problem of proving one’s membership in the Szlachta (nobility) in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Achievements and shortcomings of pre-revolutionary historiography are identified. The research on this issue is divided into two stages. The first stage (16th–18th centuries) was characterized by genealogical and heraldic studies (Maciej Stryjkowski and Bartosz Paprocki, Kasper Niesiecki). The second stage (late 18th – 1st quarter of the 20th century) is represented by the works of Ivan Lappo, Matvei Lyubavsky, Fyodor Leontovich, Stanisław Ptaszycki, and others. It is concluded that pre-revolutionary historiography provided a rich material for research but missed aspects such as the reasons and legal regulation of the procedure for proving membership in the Szlachta, the tactics of judicial processes, and their impact on the society and culture of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Nevertheless, the pre-revolutionary period laid the foundation for further research on the problem of proving nobility, which remains relevant in the 21st century.

The Titular War of the Moscow State with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the Turn of the 16th – 17th Centuries: Communication and Pragmatic Aspect

Purpose. The struggle for the royal title recognition was one of priorities in the foreign policy of the Moscow State in diplomatic relations with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) at the turn of the 16th – 17th centuries. The purpose of the article is to identify the communication and pragmatic features of the controversy about the title «tsar» betweenthe Russian monarch Boris Godunov and the Lithuanian ambassadors, which was preserved in the documents of the embassy of the GDL’s Chancellor Lew Sapieha to Moscow (1600–1601).Results. The main communication strategy of Boris Godunov in obtaining the recognition of the royal title was ration-al argumentation: succession by the right of inheritance and conquest, recognition by Christian and Muslim rulers, observance of the necessary rituals and diplomatic protocol. However, the key arguments of the Russian monarch were regarded by the Lithuanian side as a manipulative influence attempt, since they did not have sufficient documentary and factual confirmation. In turn, Lithuanian ambassadors also used verbal manipulation: deliberate substitution of the meaning of words, appeal to «God’s justice» and opponent’s emotions.Conclusion. Despite the failure to achieve recognition of the royal title, the analyzed polemics played an important role in the development of Russian diplomatic communication, since: 1) it let clearly formulate the official position of the Russian government and systematize relevant arguments in favor of the royal title, 2) stimulated the search for new communication strategies and tactics to legitimize the royal title in foreign policy relations with the GDL.

Institutional cooperation in handling epidemics: The case of the Misericordia of Florence during the Italian preunification period

The function of nonprofit organisations (NPOs) in managing healthcare and poverty relief and the role of accounting and reporting in their management control systems have many implications for accounting historians. The present research examines the relationship between NPOs and local governments in the management of public services, particularly during health emergencies. Specifically, this study examines the institutional cooperation between the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Misericordia of Florence and the Santa Maria Nuova Public Hospital during the cholera epidemic of 1855–1862. This research applies a conceptual framework based on Michel Foucault's concepts of ‘governmentality’, ‘nosopolitics’ and the ‘government of the poor’ and Mitchell Dean's ‘technologies of government’ to the study of archival primary sources. This research makes several contributions to the accounting history literature regarding the involvement of NPOs in healthcare, including an original analysis of the role of accounting and reporting in the ‘government of the sick’ from a nosopolitical perspective.

The expansion of British steeplechasing in the Grand Duchy of Posen

ABSTRACT In the nineteenth century, British culture and sport were held in high esteem abroad as models of progress and modernity. British-organised sports gained prestige in European societies, and their practice became a symbol of social class development and progress. In contrast to the Polish population living under Austrian and Russian rule, the Polish population of the Prussian-controlled Grand Duchy of Posen had the opportunity to practise, or at least passively enjoy, steeplechasing, which originated in the British Isles. This was made possible by the Society for the Improvement of Horse, Cattle and Sheep Breeding in the Grand Duchy of Posen. Unlike the British steeplechase, the Society's jump races were free of betting and focused more on utilitarian aspects by promoting the improvement of horse breeding and the benefits of horse ownership. Despite the socio-political differences, they were very similar to their British counterparts. This makes the steeplechase races in the western Polish territories annexed by Prussia significant events and, in some ways, pioneering contributions to the development of the sport in Continental Europe. With the establishment of English sporting fashions, the steeplechase became one of the components of a long-term process of introducing various British sports to Poland.

“THE SERMON ON THE DEC EASED” BY HRYHORII TSAMBLAK: RECENSIONS, POETICS, AND STYLE

The copy of “The Sermon on the Deceased” by Hryhorii Tsamblak, preserved in the library of the Kyiv Cave Monastery, was written in the 16th or early 17th century at the Belarusian Suprasl Monastery. This sermon is a part of the so-called “Hryhorii Tsamblak’s Book,” which may have been compiled by the author himself during his tenure as Kyivan metropolitan. The examined copy of the “The Sermon on the Deceased” and the copy of the same work kept in the scientific library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences in Vilnius are of Belarusian origin and differ significantly from the copies created in the Moscow principality. Therefore, it can be assumed that the Kyiv and Vilnius codices originate from a common protograph that was modified either by the author himself or by a scribe in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. In “The Sermon on the Deceased,” Hryhorii Tsamblak shares his thoughts on the Christian custom of commemorating the dead. The preacher optimistically proclaims an eschatological perspective for Christians. The didactic purpose of Tsamblak’s sermon is to illuminate the futility of earthly concerns and efforts. The ontological perspective for the righteous pertains to the hope of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Based on numerous examples of human activity, such as the hard lives of warriors, farmers, sailors, and ore miners, the preacher attempts to illustrate the concept of “the vanity of vanities” and “the hurricane of human life that passes quickly.” Tsamlak argues that the Christian’s axiology should oppose the cult of enrichment, power, and vanity. Metaphorically and symbolically, he portrays the work of a farmer hoping for a good harvest, which represents the imperishable — eternal life in Christ. “The Sermon on the Deceased” was influenced by the sermons of John Chrysostom and, probably, by one of the works of Macarius the Great. The style of Tsamblak’s sermon can be defined as emotionally expressive.

Parliamentary procedure in the Finnish Parliamentary Reform of 1906. A safeguard of democracy or an obstacle to democratization?

ABSTRACT This article explores the debates and innovations in parliamentary procedure in the Finnish Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. It focuses on the radical parliamentary and suffrage reform of 1905-06, when Finland’s outdated Diet of four Estates was replaced by a unicameral parliament elected through universal male and female suffrage. Until then, Finland had been a latecomer in parliamentary development, with reformists eager to study and apply European experiences, models, and concepts. These European influences inspired Finnish actors to pursue procedural innovations while balancing the risks and benefits of the dramatic reform. While many parliaments were struggling with limited time and considered imposing restrictions on the right to speak, Finnish reformists chose a different path, embracing the traditional ideals of careful, thorough, and multivoiced deliberation. This approach became heavily politicized and was particularly challenged by socialist newcomers, leading to an open struggle between competing concepts of democracy and parliament.

The Hostage in the Law of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania up to the First Lithuanian Statute (1529)

The hostage institution in the Law of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania has got an exhaustive historiography, that's why the manifestation of this institution in the earliest written source of GDL and the regulation of its standards up to the First Lithuanian Statute is discussed in this article.The information about the hostage up to the middle of the 15th century is fragmentary (the exception is the privilege of Duke Vytautas to the Brasta Jewish community in 1388). However, in the 2nd half of the 15th century - the beginning of the 16th century, the acts of the Lithuanian Metrica and other acts allow us to disclose the essence of the hostage, the object and the subject of the hostage law, the continuation, the procedure of return of the hostage, and so on.The First Lithuanian Statute legalized the main standards of the hostage law, though they were reflected in a many-sided way in court practice.

Beginnings of Polish archaeological museums in the 19th century

The first Polish archaeological museums or those with archaeological departments – institutions dealing withgathering collections, conducting research, organizing exhibitions and publishing works devoted to archaeology, as it was understood at that time – began to be established in the mid-19th century. They were created by scientific societies or on the initiative of private individuals. They were: the Museum of Antiquities of the Kraków Scientific Society, the Museum of Antiquities in Vilnius, the Museum of Polish and Slavic Antiquities in the Grand Duchy of Poznań, the Museum of the Toruń Scientific Society, the Museum of the Lubomirski Princes in Lviv and the Dzieduszycki Natural History Museum in Lviv. The article discusses the beginnings of Polish archaeological museums, their creation, the scope and shape of the collections, methods of obtaining artefacts, the headquarters and the further fate of these institutions.

The Image of Alexander Menshikov in the «Polish Iliad» of Janusz Wiśniowiecki

The biography of Alexander Menshikov is one of the most popular topics among the scholars, who deal with the Peter the Great’s epoch. The main reason for this is his rapid climbing up the social ladder, when the Tsar’s favorite tried to prove his noble origin. Accordingly, it caused the early emergence of different myths and legends, concerning the Menshikov’s youth, the beginning of the friendship between him and Tsar Peter I. At the same time many disputable episodes of his biography remain unclear and obscure. «Ilias Polski» («The Polish Iliad»), the memoirs of the Polish aristocrat Janusz Wiśniowiecki contain some new facts about Menshikov’s biography, supplement the evidences, which were known before as well as describes his ambiguous role in the Russian-Polish relations during the Second Northern War 1700–1721. Wiśniowiecki doubted the Menshikov’s noble origin and described some cases that confirm his greed and arrogance. At the same time the author stressed his bravery, fidelity to Tsar Peter the Great, military aptitude and recognizes the favorite’s support in the case of release of his brother, the great hetman of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki from the Russian captivity.

Research of lithuanian metric in Ukraine

The article discusses research conducted by Ukrainian historians on the Lithuanian Metrica or Metrica of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This powerful complex comprises 663 storage units in the Russian State Archives of Ancient Documents (Moscow), as well as several original copies in the Central Archives of Historical Records (Warsaw). The act material in these books enables the study of political, military, economic, social, legal, and other facets of the history of Central and Eastern European countries. The chronological scope spans from the late 1970s of the XX century and until today. The article commences with a scholarly analysis of M. Kovalskyi’s works. Additionally, it provides an overview of monographs, articles, and dissertations referencing the materials from the Lithuanian Metrica. Specifically, it discusses the scholarly contributions of H. Boriak, P. Kulakovskyi, Yu. Sviatets, H. Vynohradov, S. Abrosymova, V. Atamanenko, O. Diachok, O. Rusyna, L. Demchenko, V. Polishchuk, D. Vashchuk, A. Blanutsa, L. Zherebtsova.

Was Grand Duchy of Lithuania a Federation?

According to received wisdom in the historiography of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), going back to M. Dovnar-Zapolski, M. Liubavski, O. Halecki, the territorial form of government in the GDL was federal in the late XV-early XVI century. The paper critically reviews the arguments advanced in favor of this thesis and argues that the concept of empire describes the territorial organization of GDL in a more accurate way. The criticism of the federalist theory is grounded in the conceptual analysis of the state forms provided by the distinguished Lithuanian historian and law theorist Mykolas Rėimeris (1880-1945). In his analysis, M. Rėimeris draws the distinction between a unitary state and three types of state compounds: federation, confederation, and empire. While federation and empire share the principle of subordination as the mode of organization, in the empire this is the subordination to a privileged metropole territory and cultural-ethnic group, while in federation all territories are subordinated to the federal center on parity grounds, all participating in federal government. Supplementing M. Rėimeris' ideas with those from the contemporary comparative sociological research on empires and imperialism (S. Eisenstadt, M. Doyle, A. Motyl, Ch. Tilly), the author argues that GDL was an empire because relations between Lithuania in the strict sense (including also some Russian lands annexed by the early XV century) and Polotsk, Vitebsk, Smolensk, Volynia, Kiev, Samogitia, etc. were those of subordination of the periphery to the imperial metropole. The proponents of the federalist thesis mistake as federalism what in reality was a system of indirect rule characteristic for premodern empires. The historiographical tradition was blind to imperial features of GDL because it implicitly or explicitly compared GDL with the Moscow state, considering it as a paradigmatic case of empires. However, the Moscow empire represents only one specific type of empire - Westphalian empire, distinguished by the early application of direct rule. While most medieval polities were transformed into sovereign territorial states and Westphalian empires in the early modern time, GDL was unique in following the path of federalization. However, GDL was transformed into a federation only on the eve of the Lublin Union in 1569, while in the XIV-first half of the XVI century it was a traditional empire, including metropolitan military agrarian domains and indirectly ruled peripheral areas shading into areas of mere hegemony.

Идеология, топонимия, политика памяти: история переименований в странах Балтии

The article presents an analysis of the toponymy of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in historical retrospect and the relationship with local memory politics. The practice of changing geographical names was carried out and continues to be carried out in line with the Baltic historical policy and such fundamental components as ethnocentrism, the fight against the consequences of “Soviet occupation” and decommunization. At the same time, toponymy was transformed most uniformly and consistently in Estonia and Latvia, due to similar historical development. The dynamics of changes in Lithuanian geographical objects are more specific due to the experience of their own statehood in the person of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, as well as changes in borders in 1939.

Public participation in the administration of justice during the polish-lithuanian period (14th – first half of the 17th century)

The scientific article examines the development and functioning of the judicial system on Ukrainian lands during the Polish-Lithuanian rule (14th – first half of the 17th century). The main focus is on the multi-level structure of judicial authority, which included the central power represented by the prince and boyars, as well as local power exercised by appointed officials such as voivodes, volostels, and posadniks. It is established that the legal heritage of Kyivan Rus significantly influenced the judicial system of Ukrainian lands during the Lithuanian principality, providing stability and consistency in legal regulation. The implementation of Magdeburg Law in certain cities is discussed, which brought new legal standards and granted some autonomy to urban communities. The role of various forms of public justice, such as veche, arbitration, kopa, communal, peace, and bench courts, is identified. The analysis covers kopa (communal) courts, which had survived since the times of Kyivan Rus and operated based on ancient Rus law. It is emphasized that kopa courts existed on Ukrainian lands both in the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Their uniqueness lay in the participation of representatives from all social strata, which ensured a wide range of opinions and experiences. This form of justice involved the consideration of various cases, including land disputes, criminal offenses, inheritance issues, and other civil matters. Despite the spread of German law, which introduced new legal standards and procedures, kopa courts remained important institutions, especially in rural communities. Kopa courts were an integral part of the legal system of Ukrainian lands during the medieval period, ensuring access to justice for all social strata and playing an important role in maintaining social justice and legal order. A separate section of the article is dedicated to Wallachian law, which spread in the western Ukrainian lands in the 14th century and provided for a democratic form of justice through judicial veche. In summary, the coexistence of different legal systems – German, Rus, and Wallachian law – created a multifaceted legal culture that met the needs of various societal layers and ensured the stability and predictability of judicial decisions on Ukrainian lands during the medieval period.

The Spaces and Places of Jewish Emancipation during the Vormärz

Abstract During the revolutionary era, Jews in the new Grand Duchy of Baden were given hope that full citizenship and integration would eventually be achieved. However, not every location or space in the Grand Duchy was inclusive, as Jews were excluded from most areas in civil society and the state. The Rhein-Neckar region (including the cities of Mannheim and Heidelberg), however, proved to be a location where close contact between Jews and Christians was not only more regular, but an important facet of the developing liberal society—whether that was in the newspapers, the classroom, or bourgeois associations. These so-called ‘fraternal spaces’ shaped the individuals and were shaped by those individuals who came through them. In the case of the Rhein-Neckar region, this led to Jewish-Christian relationships that had an indelible impact on the blossoming liberal movement of the Vormärz as well as the lead-up to the 1848 revolutions.

Protestant German books in Protestant libraries of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 16th-17th centuries

-

Kiedy zaczyna się ojczyzna? O wschodniosłowiańskim koncepcie ojczyzna w aspekcie historycznym

The central topic of this paper is the Slavic concept of homeland in its historical aspect. It will be discussed here with the example of two East Slavic areas: the Moscow Russia and the Belarusian residents of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The time span covered is the later pre-national period, i.e. the 17th-18th c. In this context, more global questions are also addressed, concerning the differences between these two areas, as well the main characteristics of the Moscow culture that makes it substantially different from the European culture and worldview.

Ojczyzna w przekładach biblijnych XVI wieku, powstałych na terytorium Rzeczpospolitej i Wielkiego Księstwa Litewskiego

The article presents an analysis of the concept of homeland in 16th-c. Biblical translations produced on the territory of Poland (the late period of the Jagiellonian dynasty and early Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Those include translations into Polish: the Catholic Leopolita Bible (1561) and the Jakub Wujek Bible (1599), the Protestant Radziwiłł or Brest Bible (1563), the Arian translation by Symon Budny (the Nesvizh Bible) (1572), as well as into Church Slavonic: the Ostrog Bible (1580–1581) or a hybrid translation by Francis Skaryna (1517–1519). It is argued that despite religious and linguistic differences, Biblical translations reveal a large number of similarities. Based on the analysis of these similarities, it can be assumed that the 16th century was a turning point in the development of the concept of homeland, and its formation in the modern understanding was influenced, in different ways, by both the New and the Old Testament.

Orthodox Christians in Lithuania

Abstract In this article we will examine how ethnicity (Russians and Russian speakers of mixed ethnic identities) and religion (Orthodoxy) interact and construct ethnoreligious identity in the case of Orthodox Christians in Lithuania. To investigate these aspects, the article will draw on data from qualitative fieldwork (2019–2021) and the analysis of articles from the official journal of the archdiocese of Vilnius and Lithuania. We argue that for the Orthodox community in Lithuania, the historically established close links of Orthodoxy with Russian Orthodox tradition and Russian identity are important today. However, a significant part of the Lithuanian Orthodox community identifies with the global (Byzantium) and/or local (Grand Duchy of Lithuania) Orthodox tradition and faces the challenge of including the Lithuanian language in religious education and practices.

Methodological Perspectives on Smuggling: The GDL-Prussia Borderlands in the Late Eighteenth Century

ABSTRACT In this article we explore the customs system of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL) along its border with Prussia in the late eighteenth century, using as primary sources four inspection reports submitted to the GDL’s Treasury Commission between 1788 and 1792. We focus primarily on the extent of smuggling practices, the state of the customs administration, and the amount of revenues collected from cross-border trade. Our research is an example of a spatial humanities project, and for this reason we are primarily interested in methodological questions. More specifically, we employ a mixed methods analytical framework that includes GIS mapping, qualitative spatial reasoning (QSR), and corpus linguistics to explore the borderlands of the GDL at multiple scales of analysis. We do so to illustrate how a mix of methods and tools can shed new light on the degree of control exerted by the GDL along its border with Prussia.

Литовський рід Монтовтів (Монтовтів Коблинських) на Волині в XV–XVI ст.

The joint development of Lithuanian and Ukrainian lands within the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th–16th centuries fostered inter-ethnic family ties. One of such cases was the Lithuanian family of Montovt, known in Volhynia since the second half of the 15th century. The article looks at the history of the family of Montovt. The Grand Duke of Luthuania bestowed upon Mykhailo Montovtovych, a member of this family, the most important administrative office in Volhynia – starosta of Lutsk, and the latter’s descendants settled in Volhynia permanently. Jakub Montovtovych, the younger son of Mykhailo Montovovych, whilst serving as starosta of Kremenets, received for his service substantial land holdings – volost of Mlyniv together with the town of Koblyn. After the name of the town Volhynian Montovts started to be called the Montovt Koblynskies. The important status of the family of Montovt in Volhynia is evidenced not only by high offices held by some of its members, but also by matrimonial ties: the Montovts established kinship ties with several ducal families, in particular the families of Holshan, Porytsky, Lubetsky and Sokolsky. The most famous from the family of Montovt in the 16th century was Hanna Montovtivna, the daughter of Yan Yakubovich, who was the son of Yakub Mykhailovych. Hanna's destiny, which began happily, had a very sorrowful continuation. When she was 14, her father gave her in marriage to Duke Bogush Lubetsky. In her second marriage, she was the wife of Duke Vasyli Sokolsky. Altogether Hanna was married four times. After the death of her father, her stepmother and her second husband Oleksandr Semashko, trying to appropriate her inheritance, married her against her will to a cruel and uneducated man Pavel Zglychynsky, who deprived her from her property and kept her in prison for 14 years. Freed from the captivity, Hanna tried to divorce her husband, but according to the decree of Lutsk bishop, Zglychynsky only apologized to his wife and promised to treat her well henceforth. Thus, Hanna was forced to forgive him and to continue to live with him in marriage.