Russkaya Pravda

Russkaya Pravda (Russian Русская Правда) or Ruska Pravda (Ukrainian Руська Правда) was the legal code of later Kievan Rus and the subsequent East Slavic principalities during the times of feudal division. Three recensions of "RP" are known, with extant copies dating from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries: Kratkaya (The Short Edition), Prostrannaya (The Vast Edition), and Sokraschennaya (The Abridged Edition). While "Russkaya Pravda" is the common English spelling, and corresponds to the Russian usage, Ukrainian commentators and certain scholars outside Russia consider the spelling "Ruskaya Pravda", corresponding to the Ukrainian usage, to be more correct in terms of history.

The term is often translated as "Russian truth", using the modern meaning of the word "правда", but a more precise etymological translation would be "The law of Rus'" with law = righteousness, natural law, as in the Latin "ius russicum".

Common law, Knyaz legislation, and legal proceedings represented the basis of “RP”. The Short Edition of “RP” contained “Pravda Yaroslava” (Yaroslav’s Truth), i.e. “Drevneyshaya Pravda” (The Oldest Truth) of Yaroslav the Wise, “Pravda Yaroslavichey” (Truth by Yaroslav’s sons) and others. “RP”s legal regulations reflected the evolution of the social relations in the Rus' of the 11-13 centuries.

“Pravda Yaroslava” comprised legal regulations of feudal law along with the archaic regulations that could be traced back to the primitive communal system. Subsequent development and improvement of “RP” took place in times of Iaroslav’s sons and his grandson Vladimir Monomakh. The most important legal regulations were added to “RP” after the revolts in Kiev, Novgorod, and Rostov-Suzdal province in 1068-1071. “Pravda Yaroslavichey” increased responsibility of a given community for killing knyaz’es soldiers, tiuns (“tiun”, a privileged servant of knyazs or boyars), starostas (“starosta”, a representative from the low-ranking administration of a knyaz), otroks (“otrok”, a low-ranking soldier in the army of a knyaz) and other servants on their own territory. “Pravda Yaroslavichey” provided severe punishment for arson, deliberate cattle mutilation, and collective encroachment on rich people’s property. After the 1113 Riot in Kiev, an exorbitant interest law was introduced that limited financial operations of moneylenders.

“RP” stabilized the system of feudal relations and social inequality. During 11-13 centuries “RP” served the strengthening of feudal dependency of smerds (“smerd” – a feudal-dependant peasant), zakups (“zakup” - a feudal-dependant peasant, who could become free after paying off his “zakup”, a feudal loan), kholops (“kholop” – a feudal-dependant peasant, who could be killed or sold like a slave) etc. The Vast Edition of “RP” contains special regulations with regards to the status of zakups and kholops. “RP” also reflects the role of the court of knyaz’, a trend towards increasing differentiation of punishments and penalties, bigger fines for the benefit of knyaz’ or his administration with correspondingly decreasing compensation to the victims.

Trying to abolish blood feud (that was quite common at that time), “RP” narrowed its “usage” and limited the number of avengers to the closest relatives of the dead. If there were no avengers on the victim’s side, the killer had to pay a fine (called “vira”) in favor of the knyaz’ and partial compensation to the relatives of the victim (the killer’s community had to help him pay his fine). If a woman were killed, one would have to pay half of the regular fine (called “poluvir’ye”, half of “vira”).

“RP” also defended health and honor of the free members of the feudal society and had provisions about financial compensations for mutilation or an insult by word or deed. “RP” had a detailed system of punishments and penalties for larceny in a city or countryside, deliberate damage to forests, hunting grounds or lands, trespassing etc. It also regulated debt relations between individuals and contained articles of liability and hereditary law. Under “RP”, legal proceedings included witnesses, use of oaths or “ordaliy” (lat. ordalium, or “ordeal” in English, a kind of a last-resort test used to prove defendant’s innocence or guilt). The search for culprits included listening to witnesses, collecting evidence, or hot pursuit. Investigators had to check for false accusations (“poklyop”), as well. These were the first steps towards forensic science.

On the territory of present-day Russia, the "RP" was replaced in 1497 by the “Sudebnik”, the Code of Law. Several centuries earlier, new legal codes were promulgated in Pskov and Novgorod.uk:Руська Правда