Zemshchina

The Zemshchina was a historical administrative division of Russia that existed during the Tsardom of Russia. It represented the territory of the Grand Duchy of Moscow that was not included in the Oprichnina, a separate domain established by Tsar Ivan the Terrible in the 16th century. Essentially, the Zemshchina was the land that remained under the traditional governance of the boyars, while the Oprichnina was directly controlled by the Tsar.

Ivan the Terrible created the Oprichnina in 1565 as a means to consolidate his power and suppress perceived opposition from the boyar aristocracy. The Oprichnina was carved out of existing lands, and its inhabitants and administration were separate from the rest of the country. The Zemshchina, therefore, comprised the remaining territories and continued to be governed by the Boyar Duma and other established institutions. This division created a dualistic system of governance within Russia for several years.

The Zemshchina was characterized by its established legal and administrative structures, which predated the Oprichnina. While the Oprichnina was marked by terror and confiscation of lands, the Zemshchina represented the more traditional, albeit diminished, power of the old aristocracy. The Oprichnina was eventually abolished by Ivan the Terrible in 1572, and the lands were reintegrated into the Zemshchina. Following the abolition of the Oprichnina, the Zemshchina became the sole administrative division of the Tsardom of Russia, effectively ending this period of division. The term "Zemshchina" itself comes from the Old East Slavic word "zemlya," meaning "land" or "earth," highlighting its status as the primary domain of the realm.