Abstract

The article explores the possibilities of using the Books of Ranks (razriad) to identify the “honor” of precedence of city voivodeship appointments. In the context of the constant active warfare conducted by Russia in the 16th century, city voivoda appointments could give an important advantage in the precedence disputes and provided significant voivodeship experience. It can be assumed that in connection with changes in the tactical and strategic situation, the “informal” status, “honor status” of city voivodeship appointments also changed. The analysis of the documents of the Razriad Department in a number of cases makes it possible to reveal the dynamics of the “honor status” of voivodeship appointments to specific cities in different periods. An appointment to the same city for the same voivodeship position at different times and in different conditions can be interpreted as career advancement or as a form of disgrace. The author chose the example of the city of Velikiye Luki: its importance changed from the late 15th to the early 17th century and the voivodas appointed there received different (within very wide limits) status in the voivodeship hierarchy. The work defines the circle of voivodas who were appointed to Velikie Luki during this period and characterizes their status in the frames of mestnichestvo system and their position in the voivodeship hierarchy. It also identifies the periods of greatest activity when governors of the city were appointed. Conclusion is made about the correlation between the frequency of voivodeship appointments to the city and the situation on the Russian-Lithuanian border. The author indicates the growth of “status” and the demand for governors appointed to the city during periods of exacerbation of diplomatic relations and the conduct of active hostilities. Suggestions are also made about the influence of other reasons on the dynamics of the “honor status” of the city. The author analyzes the influence of city appointments in Velikiye Luki on the careers of a number of representatives of the Russian military-political elite. The article also emphasizes the need to take into account the “informal” status of the city at a particular moment when doing biographical studies of representatives of the Russian military-political elite of the late fifteenth - early seventeenth centuries.