Svatoslav Shelomentsov-Ters'kyi, Tetiana Bilushchak L'viv DEFENSE
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UDC 930.25(477) Svatoslav Shelomentsov-Ters’kyi, Tetiana Bilushchak L’VIV DEFENSE CAPACITY ON ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTS OF THE ROYAL CHANCELLERY IN MID XIV–XVII CENTURIES In the article the documents of the Royal Chancellery, obtained from Central State Historical Archives in L’viv, have been analysed, and on this basis the state of the defensive capacity of L’viv City in mid. XIV – mid. XVII has been studied. Key words: archival documents, the Royal Chancellery, decrees, urban privileges, the defence of the city. A wide range of sources on the history of the city has already been published, due to the constant interest taken in it by many generations of both domestic and foreign researchers. As a result, the issue of military affairs in Ukraine in the second half of the XVII-XVIII centuries has been covered by a large number of published documents. Despite a large number of scientific publications, there still is the question of complex city defence research using the documents of the Royal Chancellery (Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine in L’viv), which funds have not yet been systematically and comprehensively studied. This brings about the topicality of the current paper. Maintaining proper defence of the city was an important function of city governments and royalty. Thus, information about the city fortifications can be found in a number of documents of the L’viv City Council in XIV-XVIII centuries. The first monographic studies by B. Zimorovych and T. Yuzefovych in XVII- XVIII centuries are already devoted to the analysis of the oldest sources of the city’s history, including its fortifications. L’viv historians of the XIX century D. Zubritskiy and A. Cholovskyy studied city fortifications on the basis of documents. The result of the use of these documents was a series of works by Polish researcher V. Tomkevych, the most important of which is “Dzieje obwarowań miejskich Lwowa”. Archivist J. Hronskyy expressed his vision of city fortifications on the basis of medieval L’viv place names and archival sources analysys. One of the basic documents on the history of L’viv is the city privileges. By giving the city the Magdeburg Rights, various exemptions from taxes, the right to store and collect trade duty and organize trade fairs, as well as judicial prerogatives and land grants, kings thus enhanced the development of the city, which was one of the pillars of royal power. In addition, cities were the centres of state power, important defence and strategic points. Thus, rich and developed city became not only an important economic centre, but also a strategic centre, which had to be adequately protected and fortified against possible enemy aggression. So, royal power had to see to it that the city was well fortified and the attack of the enemy could withstand a siege. City privileges, granted by monarchs at different times, are the main source of royal policy to strengthen the defence of the city research. 1 The publication of city privileges has been prepared by M. Kapral, J. Dashkevych and R. Shust1. Privilege is a document that creates a new legal relationship for certain individuals or entities. In Latin terminology it is a privilege (privilegium), granting or donation (donatio), liberation (libertas), immunity (immunitas), assignment (cessio) and so on. In fact, the category of privilege can include any document issued by head of the city (Polish king, the Austrian emperor, etc.), concerning all the city or its authorities, which introduces a new legal regulation for certain or unlimited time2. Records of L’viv after the conquest of the city by Casimir III are closely connected with its fortifications and military objects. As the main defense point in 1340 historians name L’viv castle, which held the first attack of the Polish army3. From the first privileges of Casimir III to the city, we see an already re-built city, although some military facilities are not yet recorded in these documents. The merit of the King is also restructuring the High Castle, which has since become a stone castle. Measures taken by the kings to address defence issues are documented in the city privileges, the vast majority of which are already published, as well as in various decrees. Since the city was an important outpost of national importance, the royal government had to maintain fortifications in good condition, as well as make sure that the city maintained an efficient military garrison. In this regard, royal administration issued many decrees establishing the defence of the city, building city walls. The decrees often concerned issues related to the defence of the city. Such is, for example, the decree of King Jan III Sobieski 1682 on the evaluation and purchase of land designated for strengthening the Galician suburbs. In connection with the building of the city, the line of city walls had to move into private areas of the middle class citizens. That is why this decree was intended to provide citizens with the right to receive compensation4. The form of this type of document consisted of royal intitulations and inscriptions – the decree addressed the L’viv city council members. The main part contained disposition, which described the measures which had to be taken by magistrate, on execution of the King’s orders to strengthen and build defensive structures or ensure the defense of the city. It was emphasised that appropriate measures were carried out not only to improve the safety of the middle class, but were of national significance. Finally, the ending (eskhatokolus) of royal decrees included date, time and place of issue of the document. Jagiellos reign (1386-1434) was favorable for the development of the city, and for the significant improvement of city walls. Some privileges granted to its inhabitants – the right of storage, land grant, enhanced the city’s enrichment. During this period the city tower was built, high city walls were rising, spending on defense of the city increased. Even at that time the city had become a strong defensive center, taking into account the fact that Svidrigailo, who at that time devastated Galician land, not even tried to capture it5. City privileges are only an auxiliary source in the study of the city fortifications, because information about them in these documents is given sparingly and chaotic and except the fact of mentioning city walls, no details about 2 their condition and features are provided. However royal privileges allow following the formation of the city as an important military-strategic center. Fortifications are first mentioned in privileges of Wladyslaw Jagiello. Jagiello privileges of September 29, 1388 stated that every third denarius from income of L’viv vogts had to be given to improve the city walls6. One of the main reasons of providing land was to enhance the defense of the city. In view of this, in certain privileges, such as privileges of Jagiello of September 18, 1415 the King, on the one hand, allowed the middle class to expand land holdings, and on the other hand – ordered them to repair the walls and fortifications, and constantly enhance them “for benefit of the state”7. This condition was stated in the final part of the document, after the presentation of the content of the privilege itself. Similarly, the King sought to provide ways of financing the fortifications of the city by exempting the citizens from customs duties. So in 1425, Wladyslaw Jagiello, exempting the citizens of L’viv from paying duties within the whole Kingdom of Poland, put the condition that the money that should have gone to the payment of fees, had to be stored in the town hall, and then the citizens had to spend all the collected amount on the construction and repair of walls and fortifications of the city8. During the reign of Wladyslaw Jagiello’s successors – Casimir IV and Jan Olbracht large-scale construction of new fortifications, walls and towers had been accomplished9. Their privileges were similar in type and were provided with this same purpose as the most of Jagiello’s. For example, the privilege of August 29, 1447 L’viv annually allocated 20 hryvnyas of L’viv royal duties for maintaining city fortifications10. In the middle of the XV century the city’s role as a defensive center grew dramatically. In 1453 the Turks took Constantinople, and their vassals Tatars came close to the city. As a result of these events the Polish-Turkish confrontation started, and the city was under direct threat of Turkish-Tatar aggression. In this regard, King Casimir IV August 21, 1471, given its location near hostile countries, exempted the city for eight years from all taxes and contributions so that the citizens were able to allocate funds to strengthen defense walls and ramparts. His next privilege of July 2, 1479, states that the measures taken by the citizens to raise the defense of the city have shown positive effects – extensive repairs of walls and fortifications were carried out, which, however, failed to be accomplished, thus the King issued a new privilege which extended the previous for two more years. For the same purpose in 1484 the King exempted the citizens from taxes for another six years, due to the labor and money invested by L’viv citizens into the construction of the walls and ditches, and to encourage them to end the work. In order to complete the construction of ditches and external wall Casimir IV issued a privilege under which exempted the city from tsyza tax. Similar privileges on tax exemptions in order to ensure the construction of fortifications came out from the Chancellery of Casimir IV in 1487, 1489 and 149011.