Editing Veche (section)

=== Russia ===
Most of the information about the ''veche'' concerns the 13th to 15th centuries.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2017|p=429}} For ''veche'' proceedings, the ''veche'' had to be convoked first, often by the prince, but the main topic of the meeting usually was about a conflict between the prince and the population.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2017|p=429}} As a result, there was no regular procedure to be followed, which often led to violence among the participants.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=157}} There are several mentions of the prince being deposed and the crowd pillaging the residence of the prince.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=157}} Not much is known about actual proceedings except that the bishop could function as the chairman, while in other instances, the prince could assume this role.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2017|p=429}} The chronicles also mention the existence of a ''veche'' bell in not only Novgorod and Pskov, but also in [[Vladimir, Russia|Vladimir]].{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=157}} Almost all that is known about treaty-making activities of towns concerns Novgorod, and to a lesser extent, Pskov.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2017|p=432}}

During the Mongol domination of Rus', there was little room for ''veche'' independence.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}} The cities in the northwest were less affected by Tatar overlordship, and so the institution survived longer there.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=159}} In 1262, ''veche'' meetings were held in [[Rostov, Yaroslavl Oblast|Rostov]], [[Suzdal]], Vladimir and [[Yaroslavl]], in which it was decided to throw out the tax collectors sent by the Tatars.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}} In 1304, the citizens of [[Kostroma]] and [[Nizhny Novgorod]] rebelled against the local aristocracy at the ''veche'' meetings.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}} There is also a final mention of a ''veche'' meeting in [[Moscow]] in 1382, when [[Tokhtamysh]] had launched a campaign against [[Dmitry Donskoy]].{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}} The latter had fled to Kostroma while the former had captured [[Serpukhov]] near the city of Moscow.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}} [[Nikolay Karamzin]] said that the people of Moscow "at the sound of the bells assembled for a ''veche'', remembering the ancient right of the Russian citizens to decide their own fate in important situations by a majority of votes".{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=158}}

==== Vladimir-Suzdal ====
A semi-legendary account of [[Aleksandr of Suzdal]] ({{reigned|1309|1331}}) moving the ''veche'' bell from Vladimir to his appanage center Suzdal during his reign as grand prince is found in chronicles:<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pudalov |first1=B. M. |title=Русские земли Среднего Поволжья (вторая треть XIII – первая треть XIV в.) |trans-title=Russian lands of the Middle Volga region (second third of the 13th to first third of the 14th centuries) |date=2004 |publisher=Комитет по делам архивов Нижегородской области |location=Nizhny Novgorod |isbn=5-93413-023-4 |language=ru}}</ref><ref name="Tikhomirov"/>

{{Blockquote|text=
This Prince Alexander from Vladimir took the ''veche'' bell from the Church of the Holy Mother of God to Suzdal and the bell ceased to ring as in Vladimir. And Prince Alexander thought he had been rude to the Holy Mother of God, and he ordered it taken back to Vladimir. And when the bell was brought back and installed in its place, its peal once again became acceptable to God.<ref name="Tikhomirov">{{cite book |last1=Tikhomirov |first1=Mikhail N. |authorlink1=Mikhail Tikhomirov |title=The Towns of Ancient Rus |date=1959 |publisher=Foreign Languages Publishing House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bmdpAAAAMAAJ |language=en |page=227}}</ref>
|source=''Novgorod First Chronicle''}}

==== Novgorod Republic ====
{{Main|Novgorod veche}} 
[[File:Kolokol_uvoz.jpg|thumb|Removal of the ''veche'' bell from Novgorod to Moscow in 1478, miniature from the [[Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible]] (16th century)]]
The [[Veliky Novgorod|Novgorod]] ''veche'' was the highest [[Legislature|legislative]] and [[Judiciary|judicial authority]] in the city until 1478, after Novgorod was formally annexed by [[Ivan III of Russia|Ivan&nbsp;III]].{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|pp=147–165}} Each of the ''[[kontsy]]'' (boroughs or "ends") of Novgorod also had their own ''veche'' to elect borough officials.<ref name="Langer"/> The ''veche'' for the city selected the prince, ''[[posadnik]]'' and archbishop.<ref name="Langer"/>

Historians debate whether the Novgorod ''veche'' consisted of entirely free males or was instead dominated by a small group of nobles known as [[boyar]]s.<ref name="Langer"/> The Novgorod ''veche'' grew to become more structured in a way that it could be compared to similar bodies in Italian and Flemish towns during the same period.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=160}} Traditional scholarship argues that a series of reforms in 1410 transformed the ''veche'' into something similar to the public assembly (''[[Concio]]'') of the [[Republic of Venice]]; it became the lower chamber of the parliament. An upper chamber knowns as the [[Sovet gospod|Council of Lords]] (''sovet gospod'') was also created which oversaw the ''veche'',<ref name="Langer"/> with title membership for all former city magistrates (''[[posadnik]]i'' and ''[[tysiatskii|tysyatskiye]]''). Some sources indicate that ''veche'' membership may have become full-time, and parliament deputies were now called ''vechniki''. Some recent scholars call this interpretation into question.

The Novgorod ''veche'' could be presumably summoned by anyone who rang the ''veche'' [[bell]], although it is more likely that the common procedure was more complex. The whole population of the city, including boyars, merchants, and common citizens, then gathered in front of the [[Cathedral of St. Sophia, Novgorod|Cathedral of Saint Sophia]] or at [[Yaroslav's Court]] on the [[Trade Side]].<ref name="Langer"/>

Of all other towns of [[Novgorod Land]], the chronicles only mention a ''veche'' in [[Torzhok]]; however they possibly existed in all other towns as well.<ref>{{cite book |script-title=ru:Русская республика (Севернорусские народоправства во времена удельно-вечевого уклада. История Новгорода, Пскова и Вятки)|last= Kostomarov|first= Nikolay|title= Russkaya Respublika|author-link= Nikolay Kostomarov|year= 2013|publisher= Pubmix.com|isbn= 9785424117350|pages= 213|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |script-title=ru:Россия под властью царей|last= Stepnyak-Kravchinsky|first= Sergey|author-link= Sergey Stepnyak-Kravchinsky|year= 2013|publisher=Pubmix.com|isbn= 9785424119651|pages= 18|language=ru}}</ref>

==== Pskov Republic ====
{{Further|Pskov Republic#Internal organization}}
The ''veche'' of the [[Pskov Republic]] had legislative powers; it could appoint military commanders and hear ambassadors' reports. It also approved expenses such as grants to princes and payments to builders of walls, towers and bridges.<ref>{{cite book |title= Древний Псков. Очерки по истории феодальной республики|last= Kafengauz|first= Berngardt|year= 1969|publisher= Nauka|language=ru|pages= 98–105}}</ref> The ''veche'' gathered at the court of the [[Trinity Cathedral, Pskov|Trinity Cathedral]], which held the archives of the ''veche'' and important private papers and state documents. The ''veche'' assembly included ''posadniki'' (mayors), "middle" and common people.<ref>{{cite book |title= Древний Псков. Очерки по истории феодальной республики|last= Kafengauz|first= Berngardt|year= 1969|publisher= Nauka|language=ru|pages= 111}}</ref> Historians differ on the extent to which the ''veche'' was dominated by the elites, with some saying that real power was held in the hands of boyars, with others considering the ''veche'' to be a democratic institution.<ref>{{cite book |title= Древний Псков. Очерки по истории феодальной республики|last= Kafengauz|first= Berngardt|year= 1969|publisher= Nauka|language=ru|pages= 85–90,110}}</ref> Conflicts were common and the confrontation between the ''veche'' and the ''posadniki'' in 1483–1484 led to the execution of one ''posadnik'' and the confiscation of the property of three other ''posadniki'' who fled to Moscow.<ref>{{cite book |title= Древний Псков. Очерки по истории феодальной республики|last= Kafengauz|first= Berngardt|year= 1969|publisher= Nauka|language=ru|pages= 74}}</ref> The most significant achievement of the Pskov ''veche'' was the adoption of the [[Pskov Judicial Charter]], likely after 1462, which was the most comprehensive Russian legislation enacted until the [[Sudebnik of 1497]] under Ivan&nbsp;III, the first collection of laws of the unified state.{{sfn|Feldbrugge|2009|p=160}}

The unification of Russia gave rise to a new political system characterized by the dominance of the grand prince, who viewed the country as his personal patrimony and dismantled traditional institutions like the ''veche''.{{sfn|Riasanovsky|Steinberg|2019|page=85}} In the autumn of 1509, Grand Prince [[Vasili III of Russia|Vasily III]] visited Novgorod, where he received complaints from the Pskov ''veche'' against the Muscovite governor of the city.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=92}} At first, Vasily encouraged complaints against the governor, but soon demanded that the city abolish its traditional institutions, including the removal of the ''veche'' bell.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=92}} From that point on, Pskov was to be ruled exclusively by his governors and officials, and on 13 January 1510, the ''veche'' bell was removed and transported to Moscow.{{sfn|Crummey|2014|page=92}}