The Prince of Novgorod () was the title of the ruler of
Novgorod
Veliky Novgorod ( ; , ; ), also known simply as Novgorod (), is the largest city and administrative centre of Novgorod Oblast, Russia. It is one of the oldest cities in Russia, being first mentioned in the 9th century. The city lies along the V ...
in present-day Russia. From 1136, it was the title of the figurehead leader of the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...
.
The position was originally an appointed one until the late 11th or early 12th century, then became something of an elective one until the early 14th century, after which the
grand prince of Vladimir
The Prince of Vladimir, from 1186 Grand Prince of Vladimir (), also translated as Grand Duke of Vladimir, was the title of the monarch of Vladimir-Suzdal. The title was passed to the prince of Moscow in 1389.
Overview
The monarch of Vladimir-Su ...
(who was almost always the prince of Moscow) was almost invariably the prince of Novgorod as well.
The title originates sometime in the 9th century when, according to tradition, the
Varangian
The Varangians ( ; ; ; , or )Varangian ," Online Etymology Dictionary were
Rurik
Rurik (also spelled Rorik, Riurik or Ryurik; ; ; died 879) was a Varangians, Varangian chieftain of the Rus' people, Rus' who, according to tradition, was invited to reign in Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod in the year 862. The ''Primary Chronicle' ...
and his brothers were invited to rule over the East Slavic and Finnic tribes of
northwest Russia
Northwest Russia, or the Russian North is the northern part of European Russia, western Russia. It is bounded by Norway, Finland, the Arctic Ocean, the Ural Mountains and the east-flowing part of the Volga. The area is roughly coterminous with th ...
, but reliable information about it dates only to the late 10th century when Vladimir, the youngest son of Sviatoslav I, was made the prince of Novgorod.
During the reign of Ivan III, the title was restored and Novgorod was included in the title of the Russian monarch, which lasted until the abdication of
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...
in 1917. After Novgorod was formally annexed by Moscow in 1478, Ivan assumed the title of sovereign of all Russia.
History
From the early 12th century, the prince's power in the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...
was more nominal. Imperial and Soviet-era scholars often argued that the office was ineffectual after 1136, when Prince Vsevolod Mstislavich was dismissed by the Novgorodians, and that Novgorod could invite and dismiss its princes at will. In this way, the prince of Novgorod was no longer the "ruler" of Novgorod but became an elective or appointed official of the city-state.
That being said, the traditional view of the prince being invited in or dismissed at will is an oversimplification of a long and complex history of the office. In fact, from the late 10th century until its formal annexation in 1478, the princes of Novgorod were dismissed and invited only about half the time, and the vast majority of these cases occurred between 1095 and 1293, and not consistently so during that period. That is, the office was elective for perhaps two centuries and even then it was not always elective. Even during this period, the nadir of princely power in the city, more powerful princes could assert their power independently over the city, as did
Mstislav the Bold
Mstislav Mstislavich, also called the Daring, the Bold or the Able (died ), was a prince of Tmutarakan and Chernigov, one of the princes from Kievan Rus' in the decades preceding the Mongol invasions.
Biography
Mstislav Mstislavich was the ...
in the early 13th century,
Alexander Nevsky
Alexander Yaroslavich Nevsky (; ; monastic name: ''Aleksiy''; 13 May 1221 – 14 November 1263) was Prince of Novgorod (1236–1240; 1241–1256; 1258–1259), Grand Prince of Kiev (1249–1263), and Grand Prince of Vladimir (1252–1263).
...
in the 1240s and 1250s, his brother Iaroslav in the 1260s and 1270s, and others.
According to a remark in the chronicles, Novgorod had the right, after 1196, to pick their prince of their own free will, but again, evidence suggests that even after that, princes were chosen and dismissed only about half the time, and Novgorod often chose the most powerful prince in Rus' as their prince. That usually meant that the prince in Kiev, Vladimir or Moscow (who retained the title of grand prince of Vladimir from about the 1320s onward, although there were several interruptions), either took the title himself or appointed his son or other relative to be prince of Novgorod. At times other princes, from
Tver
Tver (, ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is situated at the confluence of the Volga and Tvertsa rivers. Tver is located northwest of Moscow. Population:
The city is ...
, the
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was a sovereign state in northeastern Europe that existed from the 13th century, succeeding the Kingdom of Lithuania, to the late 18th century, when the territory was suppressed during the 1795 Partitions of Poland, ...
, and elsewhere, also vied for the Novgorodian throne. Thus, Novgorod did not really choose its prince, but considering the political climate, they often very prudently went with the most senior or most powerful prince in the land if he did not impose himself (or his candidate) upon them.
What was different about Novgorod, then, was not so much that Novgorod could freely choose its princes – it could not. Rather, what was unique was that no princely dynasty managed to establish itself within the city and take permanent control over the city. Rather, while other Rus' cities had established dynasties, the more powerful princes vied for control of Novgorod the Great, a most-desirable city to control given the vast wealth (from trade in furs) that flowed into the city in the medieval period.
In the absence of firmer princely control the local elites, the
boyars
A boyar or bolyar was a member of the highest rank of the Feudalism, feudal nobility in many Eastern European states, including First Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russian nobility, Russia), Boyars of Moldavia and Wallach ...
, took control of the city and the offices of posadnik and tysyatsky became elective.See Yanin, ''Novgoroskie Posadniki''. The
veche
A ''veche'' was a popular assembly during the Middle Ages. The ''veche'' is mentioned during the times of Kievan Rus' and it later became a powerful institution in Russian cities such as Veliky Novgorod, Novgorod and Pskov, where the ''veche'' a ...
(public assembly) played a not insignificant role in public life, although the precise makeup of the veche and its powers is uncertain and still contested among historians. The posadnik, tysiatsky, and even the local bishop or archbishop (after 1165) were elected at the veche, and it is said the veche invited and dismissed the prince as well.
List of princes
List based on Michael C. Paul (2008).
First princes
Dominance of Grand Prince of Kiev (970–1088)
From 970 to 1088, the Grand Prince of Kiev was the patron of the Prince of Novgorod.
Contested control (1088–1230)
From 1088 to 1230, control over Novgorod was contested between various princely houses, and between them and the city itself. In 1136, the citizenry of Novgorod established the
Novgorod Republic
The Novgorod Republic () was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries in northern Russia, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east. Its capital was the city of Novgorod. The ...
, and henceforth – in theory, though not always in practice – elected and dismissed its city officials, including the prince.
Dominance of Grand Prince of Vladimir (1230–1478)
From 1230 to 1478, the
Grand Prince of Vladimir
The Prince of Vladimir, from 1186 Grand Prince of Vladimir (), also translated as Grand Duke of Vladimir, was the title of the monarch of Vladimir-Suzdal. The title was passed to the prince of Moscow in 1389.
Overview
The monarch of Vladimir-Su ...
was either himself the Prince of Novgorod, or the patron of the Prince of Novgorod. There was fierce competition between the
princes of Tver
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fe ...
,
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
Grand Prince of Vladimir
The Prince of Vladimir, from 1186 Grand Prince of Vladimir (), also translated as Grand Duke of Vladimir, was the title of the monarch of Vladimir-Suzdal. The title was passed to the prince of Moscow in 1389.
Overview
The monarch of Vladimir-Su ...
, after 1400 increasingly granted by '' yarlik'' (patent) of the khan of the
Golden Horde
The Golden Horde, self-designated as ''Ulug Ulus'' ( in Turkic) was originally a Mongols, Mongol and later Turkicized khanate established in the 13th century and originating as the northwestern sector of the Mongol Empire. With the division of ...
by winning his favour, which eventually the Daniilovichi of Moscow did.