Savchenko, D.A. "To wish the Tsar good in everything": the pledge of the nationals to the Moscow Tsar (early XVII century)

Abstract: The article is devoted to the studies of the legal system of the Moscow kingdom in early XVII century. The author studies legal nature of the religious pledge to the tsar of the people of the Moscow kingdom. Based upon the analysis of the text of cross-kissing writs of late XVI — early XVII centuries, the author defines their types and functions. The cross-kissing writs are regarded as public legal means of influence on will and conscience of the people of the state. The author provides characteristic features of state legal means, criminal legal means and procedural means, as provided for in the cross-kissing writs, as well as consequences for non-compliance with the obligations (loss of mercy of God, church damnation, capital punishments and other types of punishment by the king). The article singles out the types of «cross» crimes, which included violations of the «cross-kissing» pledge. The author provides most detailed analysis of the obligation «not to wish evil» to the king, and the obligation to inform against the crime, of which one got to know. The author evaluates the «cross-kissing» as means of prevention of encroachments upon the bases of political regime of the Moscow state and king himself

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