Streltsy Households in the Town of Kola in the 17th Century

Abstract

One of the topical problems of the historiography of the Streltsy troops is the allocation of land and households to the town Streltsy. In modern historiography this issue is considered on the material of the southern towns of Russia; certain aspects have been described for Vologda, Olonets and Kargopol. However, Streltsy households in the towns and fortified outposts of the Russian North have not been studied in detail. No research has specifically addressed the households of the Kola garrison Streltsy in the 17th century. Unlike in South Russia, in Kola the Streltsy did not own land, but homestead-type households. In the early 17th century, the majority of the households were located in a special neighbourhood of Kola, namely, in Streletskaya Sloboda. They occupied the so-called white land and were therefore not taxed, while the households of the posad people were on the “black” land, which was taxed. As a result of the conflicts between the Russian state and the Kingdom of Denmark and Sweden in the late 16th – early 17th centuries, Streltsy garrisons in the Far North had to be reinforced. In the 17th century, the number of Streltsy households increased sharply, while the number of posad people’s households decreased. This growth was also due to the fact that some posad people got recruited as Streltsy, which blurred the distinction between the households on the “black” and “white” lands. As a result, conflicts between the Streltsy and the posad people became more frequent. The article covers the main reasons behind the changes in the number of households as well as their tax status. In addition, it describes the conflicts between the posad people, the clergy and the Streltsy caused by the tax burden and illegal building. The results of the research can form the basis for a comprehensive study of the Kola garrison Streltsy and the social conflicts in the 17th century.