page_title: Economy of the Pskov Republic
section_title: Relations with Novgorod Republic
hierarchical_section_title: Economy of the Pskov Republic / Relations with Novgorod Republic
context_page_description: Pskov has always played a special role in Russian trade with the West. Archaeological data shows the presence of imported goods in Pskov in the 10th and 11th centuries. This was due to the extensive trade contacts of Russian cities with Scandinavia, which was the source of Russian military elite since the 10th century. Archaeological excavation of Pskov necropolis in 2003 - 2004 revealed a high social status and Scandinavian origin of the buried. Large variety of around 60 found articles, among them Byzantine coins, bronze and copper items, confirms that Pskov was not an economically isolated region and shows extensive military and trade contacts with both the West and the East.
  Pskov republic started to be recognized as a sovereign state after Treaty of Bolotovo was concluded in 1348, which granted political independence from the Novgorod Republic. This happened just ten years before the establishment of the Hanseatic League - commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns, which played a major part in Pskov economic development.
context_section_description: Pskov republic emerged in the course of a tough struggle for independence from Novgorod. After Pskov gained its independence, Novgorod had greater advantages in trade with the Hanse. First of all, it was caused by enormous Novgorod resources, which had in its possession vast territories of the Russian North – stretching from the Baltic Sea to the northern Ural Mountains. From its northern colonies Novgorod market received huge quantities of fur, and only part of it was reaching Pskov. Pskov land compared to Novgorod represented small border territories with poor resource base. Thus, Pskov market partially played a transit role that resulted in smaller trade volume, comparing to Novgorod market.
  Trade between Pskov and Novgorod in the 11th to 15th centuries was quite intensive. Main trade route between the two cities was along the Cheryokha and Shelon rivers. Two-cities trade affairs can be witnessed in birch bark manuscripts from the 13th century where Pskov merchants asking their Novgorod counterparts to bring squirrel fur skins to Pskov to cover the high demand. These birch bark commercial correspondence is the evidence of well-established trade communication between the two republics, and merchants from both Novgorod and Pskov conducting joint trade operations.
  With gaining its independence from Novgorod, Pskov merchants lost their right to trade at Novgorod Torg (market) and were treated as foreign tradesmen. As any other merchants from the Hanseatic League, Pskov businessman could only trade from within their own gostiny dvor (“guest court”) – collections of small shops where merchants from other cities could, at designated times, come to sell their wares: “And Pskovians and Germans with their goods shall trade from their dvors “(«А псковичи и немцы с своим товаром ставятся на своих дворех»). This meant that in Novgorod Republic Pskov traders were equal in the trade rights with the German merchants.
  Pskov gostiny dvor in Novgorod was noted by its large size. Its length was 60 meters, it had 4 living houses and 41 storehouse. Beside the “guest court” there was set up the “Linen ryad” - row of merchant stalls where linen and hemp brought from Pskov lands were sold in large quantities. Administration of gostiny dvor provided order and adjudicated legal disputes between Russian and foreign merchants. There was a pier on the Volkhov River where merchants could sell their goods without unloading their boats.
  The establishment of Pskov gostiny dvor in Novgorod was an important condition for establishing trade relations with eastern territories. Pskov merchant caravans reached Upper Volga cities: Rzhev, Tver, Yaroslavl, but preferred to not venture further east as long journeys and high logistic expenses – duties paid when crossing multiple administrative border made such voyages economically unviable.
caption: The marketplace in Novgorod, by Apollinary Vasnetsov.
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