Articles about Kobrin: As a part of VKL and RP

Free city of Kobrin

In August, 1516, being in Vilna, the king Sigismund I Stary promised Václav Kostevich a Kobrin ancestral lands with all princely manors in lifelong possession. And it is valid, that became the owner of the former principality, "derzhavets". But to this rank royal privily, given in Krakow on June 7, 1519, added one more — the I head. Kobrin with the adjoining lands became from now on the starostvo which was administratively submitting to the king. From his name now derzhavets Kostevich also governed. This date can be considered conditionally as the beginning of the new period of history of the city.

Pang Kostevich got keys from the Kobrin lock which turned into the central estate "grodovy" of a starostvo now. The king, having caught the faithful ally — the magnate, had political, but not material benefit from this act of transfer. And his prudent spouse did not fail to point Bon Sforts D'Aragon to imperfection of this transaction to it.

The queen and the grand duchess the Lithuanian Bond (1518 — 1556), the daughter of the Milan duke, had huge influence on the king. Perfectly educated, grown in that part of Europe where treated work of the farmer and handicraftsman more rationalistically, she sought to make the absolute monarch of Sigismund. And not only in political, but also financially. And it was for this purpose necessary to press, in her opinion, magnates from those lands which belonged or could belong to a ruling dynasty. Increase in personal property of the yard became one of the main cares of the queen Bona. Of course, the king had to be limited first to amending the privile given earlier. For example, the right for Kobrinom Kostevichu's possession was kept, but it was specified that with his death Bona becomes the owner of the Kobrin starostvo. And in 1532, hardly former

the royal marshal died as the queen dexterously disposed of all personal and real estate on Kobrin lands. She redeemed manors which belonged to other feudal lords, and brought together these separate possession, having created thus monolithic administrative and economic unit. So the Kobrin starostvo became full property of the king (more precisely than Bona) and as a povit was at first Podlyashsky's part, and then in 1566 — the Beresteysky voivodeship.

The queen quite often visited the manors. Several times it came also to Kobrin. Here town-planning works were sped up, the castle service was put in order. Caring for increase in the income. The bond encouraged development of agriculture, trade, crafts. About concrete occupations of Kobrin inhabitants those years there is only fractional information. It is known, for example, that the jeweler Pyotr Neapolitanets to whom allocated a ground (parade-ground) for construction of own house from a workshop located in the city. Probably, then also the first meliorative works nearby of Kobrin began. Still the channel proceeding through southwest % the suburb of the city carries the name "Bond" (in the past the channel of the queen Bona).

And one more valuable undertaking is connected with a name of this vigorous queen. At it practice included carrying out the state inventory (statistical) inspections — so-called audits. Data which were collected by auditors and commissioners had to play an important role in streamlining of economy in royal possession. In Kobrin and a starostvo the first audit was carried out in 1549, the subsequent — in 1563 and 1597. Documents of these inspections draw quite detailed picture of social and economic life of the city in the second half of the XVI century.

In 1563 to the next audit there arrived to Kobrin the royal auditor Dmitry Sapega. Under its management the description of all "economy" as began to call this extensive possession of its majesty subsequently was formed. Here for the first time names of streets, structures and names of their owners, occupations of some inhabitants appeared. Of course, the auditor not always personally penetrated into business, more relying on assistants-clerks and testimonies of locals. Therefore did not do without mistakes and some confusion.

The business center of the city was the market that in general is characteristic of the Middle Ages — the spacious area near which occupied malls and taverns. The area was surrounded from all directions by various buildings, mainly two-storey. The top floor was usually allocated under housing, lower — served as a bench or a craft workshop. Almost rectangular market square in the plan was originally created by four main streets: Ratnensky, Pinsky, Beresteysky and Ostrometsky. In their names communication with the directions of the ways going from distant or near settlements — three cities and the village Ostromech is easily guessed. Poslednyaya Street, however, made the way because of the river here, losing the straightforwardness and even the name (on Kobrin's plan of the end of the 18th century it is called as Slushna). Each of these streets came to own corner of the square. Today on the market place — Liberty Square, Ratnenskaya Street received the name International, Pinskaya became May Day, Beresteyskaya — Soviet, and Ostrometskaya — Communistic.

On Ratnenskaya Street going in the southern direction there lived in the basic handicraftsmen and merchants. In audit of 1563 such names as Bogdan Kravets appear (kravets — means, the tailor), Matvei Kravets, Trophîme Rymar (shornik), Jan Strelets, Yatsyna Kapustich (gardener), Panas Kodenets, Radets Mateykovich, Stepan Moskvitin (allegedly merchants or dealers). All of them had three rods would sit down or selidba (inhabited and utility rooms) and four rods of a kitchen garden.

Pinskaya Street went east along the river Mukhavets, beginning an ancient trade way across Polesia. On it handicraftsmen from whom Ivanets Yurkovich Koval was distinguished also lodged, then — Grits Rybar and to ten gardeners. There were sites belonging to the abbot of the Spassky monastery and a kostelny plebaniya (parson). And at the very end of the street took place kagat (houses of Jews, a synagogue).

From Pinskaya Street Bolotskaya Street (part of the present street of Kirov and Krasnoarmeyskaya Street) branched off. A major activity of locals was truck farming, here made various container, in particular barrels why later the street received other name: Bochkarskaya. Each parade-ground consisted of three rods of a sadiba and three rods of a kitchen garden. The street passed into a gift to the village of the Bog.

Beresteyskaya Street began with a southwest corner of the market. On it more prosperous yards consisting of five rods of a sadiba and eight — fifteen rods of kitchen gardens were placed. As if in the accord to the name of the street somebody lived Mikhno Berestyanin here.

On the left coast of Mukhavts the main part of the city, behind the river — another, smaller — "the Zamukhavetsky place" as it is specified in audit settled down. Except Ostrometskaya Street in the western direction almost parallel to a right bank Cherevachitskaya Street (at Sapegi it for some reason appeared on the left coast) extended. From it almost near the coast there was a gift on the village of Cherevachitsa. The Zamukhavetsky part of the city was the real kingdom of kitchen gardens — sites from 13 rods and more. However here went in also for potter's craft why (probably, in the 17th century) Cherevachitskaya Street will begin to be called Potter's. And further to the North there will be several brick-works subsequently.

Of course, the royal auditor was interested first of all the main streets on which the citizens who had real estate and more or less reliably paying taxes lived. Possibly, there were in the city ten more - another of small small streets and lanes where the poor huddled. On Kobrin's plan of the 18th century they are visible, specified also some of their names, very - typical: Small, Small from the Market, Small Swinish (though it is not visible Big anywhere), River, Slushnaya and others. Some small streets received names from churches, settling down there: Nikolskaya, Prechistensky.

In general the city occupied quite big space on which 377 yards with houses were placed. Except homestead kitchen gardens inhabitants processed the arable plots which were outside the city limits. The area of this field earth reached then 130 dragged from which 10 belonged to orthodox churches: Spassky (monastic), Virgin's Christmas (Prechistenska), Nikolska and Peter and Paul (castle).

The local administration was located in the lock which contained not one hundred years. In the beginning it served as a reliable shelter for feudal lords — however, there are no certificates that at least an attempt of its storm was made once. Without having a reason for capital repairs, the lock gradually decayed in itself. With the advent of artillery strengthening lost former reliability and turned into the residence of the next governors, into control center of administrative and economic affairs of the city and a starostvo.

The Kobrin lock consisted of two parts — Top (High) and Nizhny Novgorod of the lock. Its territory began at once for left protowhich Kobrinki. Channels are not present this any more, and then, in the middle of the 16th century, it was adjoined by backyards and kitchen gardens of the houses entering facades the market. Kobrinka falls into Mukhavets now the former right sleeve which at that time was a natural boundary of east part of Nizhny Novgorod of the lock. There is no sandy height with the bulk hill on which there was the Top lock also. The lower lock occupied the most part of the territory of present Komsomoltsev Square, including also the yard of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. As conditional border between both parts of the lock it is possible to consider an embankment of the modern bridge. To the West from this line the Castle mountain towered, being limited to Slushnoy Street (later — Klyashtornaya, or Bazilianov, now — the street on September 17). Today there is a low and flat place where the building of the House of pioneers and the small square were placed. From North side the lock surrounded a deep ditch which traces are still noticeable and until now, and further to Mukhavtsu the meadows which were coming to an end with the boggy floodplain went down.

The entrance to Nizhny Novgorod the lock began with the lifting bridge through Kobrinka near which separately there was a watchtower. The lifting device was at the bottom of the main tower, near gate that conducted in the castle yard. The impressive sizes the two-story main tower was used under housing of guards and for some services. In total in Nizhny Novgorod the lock there were five towers connected by a paling and earth shaft. Inside they were adjoined by inhabited constructions. In the yard the big house — the real tower with front rooms on the second floor, kamor and closets below dominated. Windows in front rooms had tin frames and iron lattices, the furniture consisted of oak tables, benches and chests. Heating was carried out by the furnaces which are laid out decorative kaflyam (tiles). Behind this structure the garden was stretched. In the tower which was above the right sleeve of Kobrinki the water-mill was placed.

From a back tower of Nizhny Novgorod of the lock there was a course to the Top lock. There it was possible to get on a drawbridge which conducted in gate of the main tower. The bridge was thrown at considerable height over the ditch dividing two of these parts of the lock. Main and four more towers of the Top lock connected the stone walls strengthened outside by an earth parapet. On top of walls there were galleries with fighting platforms covered by a shingle. All castle towers were wooden, with peaked gontovy roofs. In the Top lock several buildings about which audit of 1597 said that they are "empty" were placed. Most likely, it is the old prince mansion which came to an uninhabited state.

The defensive arsenal of the Kobrin lock consisted of two guns of big caliber ("affairs lyany", i.e. cast from bronze), five "snakes", or "serpentine", sixteen "gakovnitsa" (all — guns of smaller calibers), seventeen "rushnitsa" (manual arquebuses) and, the supplies corresponding to them. Two gunners and the smith whose workshop was here examined castle arms. Three carpenters were engaged in repair affairs, and the general leaving (cleaning of ditches, correction of mill dams) — attributed to the lock "to a vodla is older than a duty" citizens and residents of near villages.

The territory of the Spassky monastery began with West side of the Top lock through Slushnuyu Street. At the time of the prince Ivan Semenovich and his wife Fedora the monastic church and other buildings were put from a tree here. But soon, at the beginning of the XVI century, they were replaced by stone structures — the main case with church St. Saviour, occupying the central part, and also a wall with the decorated gate. From the river fish ponds and a big garden appeared. The various income allowed monastic attendants of a message comfortable life, and the monastery had solid reputation among the highest church ranks.

On the basis of the inventory description made in 1549 by the boyar Semyon Eskovich on an order of the queen Bona it is possible to judge that in monastic church St. Saviour big cultural values were stored. Except various cult objects of ancient work, in particular icons, written on a gold background, with suspension brackets from silver twisted hryvnias and jewels, on church choirs the library from the most rare books was placed. The boyar paid attention to the Gospel of the ancient letter fettered in silver and to other hand-written books, size in the father-in-law (the biggest of the formats existing then). Were here and the first books, pechatanny Cyrillics — "starodruk" "Oktoikh" and 'Triodions" published in 1491 by Fiol Shvaypolt in Krakow.

In those days the church came to the forefront in formation of spiritual outlook not only Kobrin's inhabitants (in which, by the way, there were four churches and two churches), but also all population of Belarus. Liberation movement of the Belarusian and Ukrainian people against the Polish and Lithuanian feudal lords who were Catholics contacted orthodox religion substantially. But fathers of orthodox church, being guided by more terrestrial interests, than heavenly aspirations, changed the flock, having signed the Brest union in 1596. The last orthodox abbot of the Kobrin Spassky monastery archimandrite Ivan Gogol became the uniatsky bishop in Pinsk. And the monastery turned into submission to an award of bazilian which monks, keeping orthodox ceremonies, administratively submitted to Catholic church. Thereof also Slushnaya Street began to be called as Klyashtorna (a klyashtor — the monastery) or Bazilianskoy.

The vast majority of the population opposed to the union, feudal lords whose names serf oppression specifically contacted became uniats first of all. Only part of priests of the lowest rank and some of small nobility - a shlyakhta kept commitment "old Russian religions". Quite often there were slaughters during church service. When all churches in Kobrin passed to uniats, supporters of Orthodoxy founded the new monastery alternative to former Spassky in the next village of Lepesa. Fundator his boyar Prishifostsky from Grushova addressed for support in the Vilensky brotherhood of the Svyatodukhovsky monastery, one of Orthodoxy strongholds on the Belarusian lands. It is quite probable that at the lepesovsky monastery there was also the brotherly school. Such schools were then almost only organizations defending national culture of the people. Having existed till 1691, this monastery in easter day was taken by storm and plundered by uniats.

In the second half of the 16th century Kobrin completely becomes royal property, and Kobrin economy — an extensive table manor of the king — his largest possession having nearly 800 hectares of the pashenny earth and about 100 hectares of haying meadows.

In 1586 the Queen mother Anna Yagellonka got Kobrin, the daughter Bona and Sigismund Stary. She quite inherited from mother activity in political and economic cases and also was engaged in innovations. To stimulate development of crafts and trade, to increase profitability of municipal economy, the queen decided to grant to Kobrin the Magdebourg right (self-government). In 1589 Anna Yagellonka personally arrived to the city and solemnly handed to inhabitants privily, signed by recently elected king Sigismund III Vazoy (1587 — 1632).

So, Kobrin became the self-governed, free city. It agrees privileyu, Kobrin inhabitants (house owners) from now on could have own administrative authority — magistrate. In it they chose ratman (radets), from among which burgomasters were chosen. However above all there was Voight elected only from the shlyakhetsky environment and oblakavshiya power to approve the elected members of magistrate. He presided in local city court where it was assisted by lavnik (assessors).

Citizens were allowed to go in freely for craft or trade, to slice, i.e. to contain shanks or tavern (the last was not slow to affect: the number of pubs sharply increased — up to forty units; soon it will become the real disaster, will even be one of the reasons of future decline of the city). Kobrin's inhabitants acquired the right to use the general, state measures and weight, to arrange weekly the bargaining on Mondays in the market, and twice a year — in the fall and in the winter — to hold fairs. Also some privileges for use of part of the city income for social needs, on the cabin of the wood and fishing were given.

Kobrin was granted the coat of arms and the press. In the territory of Nizhny Novgorod of the lock the town hall was constructed.

Introduction of the Magdebourg right considerably recovered economic life of the city. Handicraftsmen and merchants united in shops. Barter between Kobrin amplified and neighboring villages, merchant ships on Mukhavtsa began to appear more often. Already then there was an idea to connect it the channel to Pina or Pripyat to create the convenient waterway, but its realization will begin only one and a half centuries later.

Everyday life of medieval Kobrin did not abound with outstanding events, except for rare visits of kings or queens yet. The most part of the time citizens were engaged in economic affairs, in a leisure hours many males went to shanks and taverns, and on religious holidays and Sundays most of the population visited church service. Among this mass of people were, of course, and such which tried to think differently, sought to change something, but about them only deafs and often the distorted echoes of data reach. In various assembly documents which are contained in a metrics of Grand Duchy of Lithuania, in books of judgment affairs most of all facts about land lawsuits, personal insults on sacrilege and sorcery. The whole scale of the various punishments which were defined more not by the official legislation, but local customs was applied to guilty persons. Among them the most popular was public flogging by traces (a belt or a rope — part of a horse harness) and birches, a vystaivaniye in "kuna" (the iron collar chained to a town hall wall) and as final repentance — "a vylezhivaniye kryzhy" (cross) during a mass in one or in all churches of the city. Especially serious crimes were punished by exile from the city (banition) or execution.

After Anna Yagellonka who died in 1596, Sigismund III, Constantius's wife, the daughter of the Austrian archduke was Kobrin's owner. She owned the city and economy from 1605 to 1635. These times are characteristic increase of Catholic reaction which embodiment were Jesuits. Strengthening of the feudal oppression aggravated with national and religious oppressions led to a grandiose liberating war of the Ukrainian and Belarusian people. It began in 1648 Bogdan Khmelnytsky's revolt in Ukraine. In October of the same year also many peasants of Kobrin economy rebelled. But the Polish-Lithuanian feudal lords by means of mercenaries managed to suppress the centers of national war to Polesia.

In 1654, after reunion of Ukraine with Russia, the Russian troops, having begun military operations against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, entered on the territory of Belarus. It gave hope at local population for release again. In November, 1655 near Brest there was a voivode S. Urusov who hurt here the hetman Pavel Sapegu. The second time military operations happened in this southwest part of the Belarusian lands in 1660 when the Russian voivode Khovansky occupied Brest. But events soon turned to other course because of intervention of the Swedes seeking to profit at the expense of belligerent parties. Kobrin underwent the Swedish occupation. And in 1662 the rebelled Lithuanian army which was ordered by a marshalok Zheromsky rushed here. Without having waited from the king of the payment relying for service, to "rokoshena" (the shlyakhta which left from under obedience) rushed to plunder his manors. This "rokosh" ruined the city more, than the previous visit of Swedes.

New troubles expected Kobrin inhabitants at the beginning of the XVIII century. Due to the Northern war in which the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia in common opposed Sweden military events captured Belarus again. In 1706 Karl XII with the main forces intruded on its territory. Aggressors and their local helpers rushed into the peace cities, plundered, imposed contributions. Also Kobrin underwent the same fate. Marauders did not manage to profit especially at the become impoverished citizens. Then they drove all not numerous population on the market. There were already gallows, there were preparations for execution. Among hostages there were also three burgomasters. People gave all remained savings, saving lives of fellow countrymen.

After 1709 when Karl XII got beaten by Peter I near Poltava, Swedes were expelled from Belarus. But it did not mean that there came peace. The royalty in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth weakened, revelry of "a shlyakhetsky liberty" began. The previous wars led to ruin and falling of economic production. The general situation which developed these decades in the country was directly reflected also in affairs in Kobrin. The city only nominally kept the Magdebourg right, there were almost no candidates for elections to magistrate. Because of "svavolstvo" of a shlyakhta and sharp reduction of consumers the craft and trade came to a low condition. Hardly two shops — kravetsky and furrier's functioned.

Contradictions and between local feudal lords became aggravated. Shlyakhta zaritsya on magnate and royal possession for a long time. Also the church did not stand aside. In July, 1710 the Brest head Jan Friederich Sapega wrote the abbot of the uniatsky Spassky monastery Pakhomy Olszewski and his monks, reproaching with money-making: "... unfairly you appropriate property, you take away houses, you force citizens, bees smoked".

All these disasters undermining productive work of citizens and depriving of their income were aggravated with the extended alcoholism. Demoralization of local society became so obvious that in the same 1710 the authorities had to adopt the special resolution limiting activity of shinok and pursuing drunkards. But the most awful consequences had epidemics. The morovy craze raging in 1711 carried away more than a half of inhabitants of Kobrin. Occasionally carried out audits gave unfavourable evidences, in the 60th years in the city there were only 690 male souls.

Proceeding from the fact that Kobrin as the Magdebourg city absolutely ceased to bring in incomes in 1766 according to instructions of the king Stanislav Augustus Ponyatovsky (1764 — 1795) it were deprived of the right of self-government. The Kobrin magdeburgiya existed 177 years. But the Kobrin economy as a table manor of the king remained, though needed considerable reorganization. Anthony Tizengauz (1733 — 1785), podskarby outdoor Lithuanian (treasurer) knowing royal manors in the territory of the Grand duchy was engaged in it. As a result of very business assessment of the situation Kobrin was reduced to position of the rural settlement. The administration of economy from the lock which was in absolutely unsuitable state passed into the estate built near the southern suburb of the city. Its construction was conducted under direct supervision of Tizengauz. Here the big park in regular style was put, and from it to Kobrin carried out the direct road avenue surrounded with lindens. It lasted, having turned into the street, to the market. Then on it stood only several houses belonging to shlyakhticha. To the estate it was assigned (and for a long time — till the 20th century) the name "Province". From it and the street Gubernianskaya began to be called (now she as well as park, bears a name of Suvorov).

Emergence of a toponym "Province" is directly connected with administrative transformations which were carried out in the middle of the XVIII century. To Tizengauz Hedgehogs Fleming was derzhavets of Kobrin economy. In 1757 for the sake of reduction of administrative personnel he merged together Kobrin and Brest economy, abolished voytovstvo and volosts (village), and instead of them entered new territorial unit — a key. In the key headed by the house-keeper about ten villages and folvarok (separate manors) united on average. So there was a Kobrin Key in which except Kobrin with the adjoining lands and kitchen gardens there were villages of Patrika, Sukhovchitsa, Legates, Dubova, Flat, Lakhchitsa, Hidra, Rukhovichi, Polyatichi and Zalesye's folvarka with Gorizdrichami. In the territory of the former economy more than twenty keys were formed. Similar division seemed to Anthony Tizengauz nevertheless fractional and incoherent therefore he included in this structure one more intermediate link — the province. Here then, in 1768, there was also a Kobrin province which administratively subordinated the next keys: Cherevachitsky, Vezhitsky, Litvinkovsky, Zakrosnitsky, Tevelsky, Ilovsky, Gorodetsky, actually Kobrin and number of folvarok. The province as is once the lock, it was identified by local population with a residence of the leading administrative person — the managing director of the province. From here and the name of the estate which was placed more than two hundred years ago among existing and until now park.

Tizengauz found in all ways opportunities to raise the income - royal manors. He thought out new duties for peasants subject to the yard, built manufactories. But his enterprise encountered invincible barriers soon enough, including also feudal conservatism. In villages there were not enough working hands, consequences of wars, epidemics and shlyakhetsky disorders were felt. In addition many inhabitants of Kobrin district were forcibly mobilized for digging of the channel which Mukhavets had to connect to Pina.

In the middle of the 18th century on a number of cards of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth there was a straight line of the channel which project was offered by the royal cartographer F. Chaki. It was supposed that it will be a convenient way for sale of grain, the wood and other goods from Polesia to the Baltic ports. At the same time F. Chaki designed his route from Mukhavts to the Pripyat with Pina's crossing. But when in 1775 started works, the essential difference between the cartographical image and reality right there was found. Strongly boggy district forced builders to refuse absolutely straight line and to actually repeat a route of an ancient volok that began with small inflow of Mukhavts Voloki. From the coastal villages of Mukhovloka and Vorotynichi is approximately in twenty kilometers to the northeast from Kobrin — the channel originated.

After nearly nine years of hard, forced labor of thousands of serfs it was succeeded to reach Pina at last. The name which was wanted to be given to the channel — a name of the Republic or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth — did not get accustomed, the neighboring population began to call him Mukhavetsky.

Opening of this new waterway prepared solemn, in the presence of the king. By an example of the empress Catherine II who made in the spring of 1780 a trip to "the land which are again acquired" — voyage from the category of those that enjoyed popularity among the educated monarchs — Stanislav Augustus visited Bialowieza Forest at the end of August, 1784. Through Shereshovo, Shcherchevo and Kobrin he reached Gorodts who as the fates decree appeared on the bank of the freshly exposed channel. In Gorodtsa the king was waited by beforehand delivered vessel decorated with a canopy and flags. The show attracted a set of the people, the local shlyakhta ahead flaunted. The gun volley sounded, and Stanislav Augustus stepped into the deck. Having floated about a quarter of mile (to 2 kilometers), he landed at the village the Stone Shlyakhetsky from where he went to a way back. The channel, thus, "was most highly approved". It is possible therefore it then began to be called Royal. And the first successful navigation on the new waterway to Gdansk was made soon by the pinsky shlyakhtich-negotiator Matvei Butrimovich. Probably, believed in economic value of the Royal channel as in 1786 in honor of it beat out a medal.

On September 3, 1784 after opening of the channel Stanislav Augustus Ponyatovsky was journey again in Kobrin where he was met by deputation of inhabitants. In the history of the city it was the last visit of the crowned person. Royal time of Kobrin came to an end also.

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