Savchenko, D.A. Legal means for the guarantees of the foreign security of the North-Western Russia in XVI -XV centuries.

Abstract: The article concerns legal aspects of the foreign security guarantees of the medieval city-states in the North Western Russia, which were often object of foreign aggression due to their situation in the bordering regions of Russia. It is noted that legal means played an important role within the system of guarantees of foreign security. This is proven by the provisions of the Pskov Judicial Charter, which was one of the most important legislative acts in the Russian law of XIV — XV centuries. The article studies the norms of the Charter regarding responsibility for the assistance to enemies treason(perevet), and special documents given to the residents, when they were going abroad. The author analyzes the text of the Pskov Judicial Charter and provides comparative analysis of the norms in the Ancient Russian, Byzantine and Roman law. The provisions of the Pskov Judicial Charger are studied in the relation with the provisions of the Book of the Helmsman ( Kormchaya Kniga) and the Books of Law. The author analyzes the chronicles, which contain references on punishment of traitors (perevetnik). The author makes a conclusion that the legal means of foreign security guarantees in the North-Western Russia in XIV — XV centures were measures of personal and proprietary responsibility for assisting enemies (perevet), as well as the regime measures defining the procedures for travelling abroad. The capital punishment for the traitors was provided by the “Laws of the Greek Kings” adapted to the conditions of the Ancient Russia. The same law provided for the right to kill traitors when intercepting their attempts to run to the enemy. The Pskov Judicial Charter defined the proprietary consequences of treason (perevet). It required confiscation of the property of traitors in favor of the city community. In order to prevent reason the residents planning to go abroad had to inform the government on their intentions and to get a certain document (charter).

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