CHAPTER 20. - The Judicial Process for Slaves. In It Are 119 Articles.

1. Concerning deti boiarskie who were never initiated into service, never appeared at a review, are not on any service lists, nowhere were in the sovereign's service, and have no grants of service landholdings or hereditary estates; and now they are [slaves] in masters' houses on the basis of limited service slavery contracts, and they petitioned [to be slaves] in masters' houses in years past, prior to this present decree of the sovereign: those uninitiated deti boiarskie henceforth shall remain in masters' houses as previously.

2. Henceforth no one shall receive initiated or uninitiated deti boiarskie as slaves. Do not issue limited service slavery contracts on them in the Slavery Chancellery without a special decree in the sovereign's name.

3. If any deti boiarskie after this decree of the sovereign petition to become someone's slaves; and by the sovereign's decree and the boyars' decision they have been freed from slavery, and they have been ordered to render the sovereign's service in the provincial towns; and they, desiring not to render service to the sovereign, feloniously proceed to petition to be [slaves] in other masters' houses and [to be the slaves] of people of various ranks: return those deti boiarskie as slaves to those people with whom they were enslaved previously.

4. Concerning slaves who, having fled from people of various ranks, are living under boyars, and okol'nichie, and counselors, and stol'niki, and striapchie, and Moscow dvoriane, and state secretaries, and zhil'tsy, and provincial dvoriane and deti boiarskie, and palace officials, and foreigners, and scribes, and servicemen of various ranks; and, coming to [the houses of] those people from whom they fled, are inciting their other slaves and peasants, and wrecking, and plundering, and setting fire to their houses: those people whom they are ruining shall sue those people with whom they [their former slaves] are living as fugitives in the [Moscow and Vladimir] Judicial Chancelleries for the destruction.

Concerning fugitive slaves who, after trial and investigation, have to be returned as slaves to someone: return those fugitive slaves on the basis of full slavery documents and other documents as slaves [together] with [their] wives and with [their] children, those children who are inscribed in the same document with their fathers and [those] who were born into slavery in someone's possession.

5. Concerning children who were born prior to [their parents'] enslavement and who proceed to live [as slaves] with someone else, or proceed to live by themselves: those children of slaves do not belong to those people whom their fathers and mothers are serving.

6. If peasants, or landless peasants, and the children of peasants and landless peasants flee from someone; and, having fled, petition [to be slaves] in [other] masters' houses; and they give limited service slavery contracts on themselves; but prior to the flight they were registered as peasants or landless peasants under those from whom they are fleeing in the cadastral or census books and in extracts from such books: after trial and investigation and on the basis of the books and the extracts, return such fugitive peasants, and landless peasants, and children of peasants and landless peasants to those service landholders and hereditary estate owners from whom they are fleeing.

Annually send the sovereign's communiqués about such fugitive peasants and landless peasants from the Slavery Chancellery to the governors and chancellery officials in the provincial towns so that in the provincial towns the governors and chancellery officials will not approve limited service slavery contracts on peasants and peasants' children for anyone.

7. If any people approach someone and proceed to petition to be [his] slaves, and they say about themselves that they are free people: those people, whom they approach, shall interrogate them, what kind of free people they are, and where they were born, and with whom they lived heretofore, and whether they are not the children of fathers in government service, and whether they have been in the sovereign's service and on the tax rolls, and whether they are not someone's fugitive slaves, or whether they are peasants and landless peasants.

If those people who have approached them say under interrogation that they are not the children of fathers in government service, and were nowhere in the sovereign's service and never were on the tax rolls, and were never anyone's slave, and peasant, and landless peasant: those people, to whom such people petitioned to be their slaves, shall bring them to the Slavery Chancellery accordingly. Interrogate those people in the Slavery Chancellery.

If those people in the Slavery Chancellery repeat under interrogation those same testimonies that they told those people who bring them to the Slavery Chancellery: having written down those testimonies of theirs, order limited service slavery contracts issued on them.

Concerning those who are literate: order those [people] to sign those limited service slavery contracts and the [record] books.[1]

8. Concerning slaves who proceed to approach someone and petition to be [his] slaves after the death [of their previous owners], and they bring with them manumission documents issued by the deceased or their bailiffs: bring such slaves with those manumission documents to the Slavery Chancellery. In the Slavery Chancellery, having interrogated those slaves and having obtained copies of the manumission documents, order that those people to whom they proceed to petition to be their slaves be granted limited service slavery contracts on them. Order the manumission documents glued to the limited service slavery contracts and [the entire transaction] certified by a state secretary's signature. Leave copies of those manumission documents, initialed by a state secretary, in the Slavery Chancellery; register those limited service slavery contracts, the manumission documents, and the slaves' features and identifying marks in the books.[2]

9. Concerning people who have limited service slavery contracts on slaves; and those people, desiring to register those slaves of theirs as slaves for their children, send [someone] to the Slavery Chancellery to obtain new limited service slavery contracts on those slaves of theirs in the name of their children; but they do not give those slaves of theirs manumission documents: do not give their children limited service slavery contracts on those slaves without manumission documents.

10. Concerning slaves who are set free on the death of their former lords; and they are granted manumission documents; and they, having come with those manumission documents to someone, petition to be slaves; and they give their manumission documents to him; and later on, abandoning those manumission documents of theirs to that person to whom they gave them, they, having left them, petition to be the slaves of someone else; and they proceed to give limited service slavery contracts on themselves: do not give limited service slavery contracts on them to those people to whom they came without manumission documents. Give limited service slavery contracts on them to those people to whom they earlier had come with the manumission documents.

11. [If] someone says that he heretofore had been someone's slave, and was manumitted, but does not present a manumission document: interrogate him on that subject accordingly, why he has no manumission document; and with whom he served previously, and whether that [person] is still living; and if [he is still] living, why he freed him but did not give him a manumission document, or, if that [person] whom he served previously died, and if he died, whether a wife and children survived him; and on what basis he served him, whether he was an hereditary slave, or a limited service contract slave; and if it was as a limited service contract slave, where the limited service slavery contract was taken on him, and why he was not given a manumission document upon the death of that former lord of his.

If the slave who has no manumission document says under interrogation that his former master who manumitted him is still living, but that master of his did not give him a manumission document: no one shall issue a limited service slavery contract on him without a manumission document.

12. If such a slave under interrogation says that his former master died; and that he served him on the basis of a limited service slavery contract, and where and in what year the limited service slavery contract was taken on him, and he testifies about that explicitly: on the basis of those testimonies of his examine the limited service slavery contract record books, whether there is a record of the limited service slavery contract on him.

If a limited service slavery contract is registered on him in the slavery registration books; and it is established conclusively about his former master that he died; and no one has a dispute with anyone about that slave: issue a limited service slavery contract on him without a manumission document to that [person] whom he petitioned to be [his] slave after [the death] of his first master on the basis of the limited service slavery contract record books.

13. If the first master of that slave died, and children survived him; and no limited service slavery contract for that slave is evident in registration form in the limited service slavery contract registration books; and the children of his first master petition the sovereign about him on the basis of hereditary slavery, not on the basis of limited service contract slavery, and they present hereditary slavery documents on him: return that slave into slavery to those children of his former master on terms of hereditary slavery and on the basis of the hereditary slavery documents.

Reject that [person] to whom he petitioned anew to be a slave and do not issue a limited service slavery contract on him.

14. If someone commands his own children, or brothers, or stewards to set free his own limited service contract slaves on his death; and those children of his, or brothers, or stewards do not set free those slaves of his, and they desire to keep them for themselves: those slaves whom the children, or brothers, or stewards did not set free after [the passing of] the deceased shall petition against them to the sovereign and submit petitions on that matter to the Slavery Chancellery. The directors shall send out bailiffs from the Slavery Chancellery after those people against whom those slaves are petitioning and order them, while conducting the investigation, to arrange an eye-to-eye confrontation with the petitioners. Having conducted the investigation, order [the heirs] to give those slaves manumission documents without any delay.

15. If someone by God's judgment dies a sudden death; and limited service contract slaves survive him; and the wife and children, or brothers, of that deceased do not wish to set free those limited service contract slaves from themselves and will not give them manumission documents, and those slaves proceed to petition the sovereign against them about this matter: in response to their petition, having investigated about that rigorously, [and ascertained] that they served their master under terms of limited service contract slavery, and not hereditary slavery: liberate them from the wife and children and from the brothers of that deceased master, and grant them freedom.[3]

Concerning the people to whom they, as free men, petition to be their slaves: issue those people limited service slavery contracts on them, after investigation, without manumission documents.

16. If any free people in Moscow and in the provincial towns voluntarily petition to be someone's slaves, and having petitioned, proceed to live with those people to whom they are petitioning to be their slaves without entering slavery contracts for a month, or two, or three months; and those people to whom they petition to be their slaves bring them to the Slavery Chancellery and proceed to petition the sovereign against them, [stating] that they have been serving them for a long time, but have not given limited service slavery contracts on themselves, and [requesting] the sovereign to order limited service slavery contracts issued them on those people; and if the people who have been brought in do not wish to give limited service slavery contracts on themselves, and they have lived with those people for less than three months: set those people free. Do not issue limited service slavery contracts on them because they lived with them without entering slavery contracts for [only] a short time.

But if it is established that they lived [with them] for more than three months: issue limited service slavery contracts on those people against their will, even though they do not desire to be the slaves of those [people].

17. If such people, having lived voluntarily as slaves with someone, without documentation, leave them with a discharge, or without a discharge; and those people from whom they leave proceed to sue them for stolen property, desiring thereby to retain them in their possession: do not grant them a trial for stolen property against those people who left them because he trusted the slave and kept him at his house without documentation.

18. If someone lives at someone's house without a limited service slavery contract; and he is literate, and that person in various letters proceeds to describe himself as the slave of that person at whose house he is living without a limited service slavery contract; and subsequently he desires not to live with that person, and having left him, gives someone else a limited service slavery contract: that person is enslaved to that one to whom he gives the limited service slavery contract on himself.

If that person with whom he lived without a limited service slavery contract prior to that limited service slavery contract proceeds to petition against him and proceeds to expose him on the basis of the letters in his handwriting: reject him on the grounds that it has been ordered that no one should keep [someone] without a limited service slavery contract. Concerning the fact that he described himself in letters as the slave of that person at whose house he lived without a limited service slavery service contract: such people shall not present those letters as a basis for slavery contracts.

19. Public square scribes shall write limited service slavery contracts in the amount of 3 rubles for one person, not more or less. Collect the fees for the sovereign's treasury at the rate of .03 ruble per ruble.

20. Issue limited service slavery contracts on slaves who are 15 years of age. But if they are less than 15 years of age: do not issue limited service slavery contracts on those [people].

If someone contests a limited service slavery contract: resolve [the legitimacy of] that limited service slavery contract at trial.

21. If someone, without checking, takes a limited service slavery contract on a full slave, or a reported slave, or an hereditary slave, without a manumission document, return that slave after investigation to that person whose document is older.

22. Concerning that slave who, fleeing from his old master, petitioned [to be a slave] in the house of another, and thereby caused a dispute: beat him mercilessly for that with the knout on the rack in front of the Slavery Chancellery so that others looking on will learn not to commit such a felony.

23. If people begin to get limited service slavery contracts on someone feloniously in his absence with a substitute, investigate such [matters] in the Slavery Chancellery in the limited service slavery contract registration books: examine the features and identifying marks of the disputed slaves in the Chancellery.

If people do not coincide in features and identifying marks with the limited service slavery contract registration books: do not turn over those people as slaves to anyone. Reject the plaintiffs on the basis of those limited service slavery contracts.

If someone obtains a limited service slavery contract by substitution, and that is established conclusively: inflict a punishment on those people for that, beat them with the knout.

If someone changes a given name: do not believe that [person].

24. If a slave, or a peasant, flees from someone, abandoning his father or mother, and gives a limited service slavery contract on himself to someone else anew: conduct an investigation with the help of their fathers and mothers of such fugitive hereditary slaves and limited service contract slaves and peasant children in response to the petition of those people from whom they are fleeing, and arrange an eye-to-eye confrontation of them with their fathers and mothers.

If it is established accurately that those disputed slaves and peasants were born in someone's house as hereditary slaves, or as peasants: return those slaves on the basis of the hereditary slavery and the documentation, and after the visual confrontation, to those people who own their fathers and mothers. Reject [any claims based on] new limited service slavery contracts.

Return the peasants and the peasant children to their fathers and mothers according to that same sovereign decree.

25. If any slaves during inquiry at trial and at the visual confrontation proceed to deny their fathers and mothers, or brothers, or sisters, or uncles, or aunts; and their fathers and mothers, or brothers, or sisters, or uncles, or aunts proceed to say against them that they are perjurously denying them, not desiring to be with them in slavery: torture those slaves who proceed to deny their fathers and mothers, and brothers, and sisters, and uncles, and aunts.

If they do not confess after the first torture: torture them in a second [torture]. If they do not confess during a second torture: return them to those people who have limited service slavery contracts on them.

20. If slave[s], or peasant[s], abandoning [their] wives, flee from someone, and in flight they marry other women; and they proceed to deny their first wives; or if any slave woman, or peasant woman, abandoning their husband[s], marry other men, and criminally proceed to deny their first husbands: compile for them a decree like the one written above this in the slavery article.

27. If young limited service contract slave women and widows, and other slave young women and widows, and peasant daughters flee from someone and marry servicemen of the southern frontier towns: collect a severance fee for those fugitive household widows and young women from those people whom they marry of 50 rubles per person for a slave widow or a young woman, but 10 rubles per person for a young woman or a widow who is a peasant's daughter.

28. If someone apprehends a slave in another's house, and he presents a limited service slavery contract written in a provincial town on the slave; and he says that that limited service slavery contract is registered in the books in a provincial town; and on the limited service slavery contract it is noted that the limited service slavery contract was registered in the books; but in the books that limited service slavery contract is not evident in a registration in the particular book he cites; but the signature of a governor, chancellery official, or senior official of the felony control administration is on that limited service slavery contract: do not direct the verdict on the basis of that limited service slavery contract against that person who presents such a limited service slavery contract at the trial. Order him granted a new limited service slavery contract on that male or female slave in the stead of that limited service slavery contract.

As for that person who noted on that limited service slavery contract that the limited service slavery contract is registered in a book, but did not register it in a book: inflict for that a punishment that the sovereign decrees.

29. Concerning people who lost their hereditary slavery documents on hereditary slaves in the destruction of Moscow, in years past, prior to 1613; and by the decree of the great Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Mikhail Fedorovich of blessed memory those people were ordered given declarations on those hereditary slavery documents in the past years 1613 and 1614; and if any people proceed to sue someone as hereditary slaves, but at trial do not present hereditary slavery documents on those people, but testify that the hereditary slavery documents on those slaves were lost in the destruction of Moscow, and in that matter they proceed to cite the declarations which were issued in the statutory years 1613 and 1614; and if those declarations are established to exist: on the basis of those declarations return those hereditary slaves to those people who have submitted those declarations on them.

If someone proceeds to sue [to enforce his claims that some people are his] hereditary slaves, but at trial presents no documents on the disputed slaves; and testifies that the documents in his possession on those hereditary slaves were lost during the destruction [of Moscow in 1611]; but he did not submit declarations for [copies of] those documents in the statutory years; and he proceeds to claim that an investigation [would prove that] those slaves are hereditary slaves: in response to that citation conduct a rigorous investigation about the hereditary slavery of those people using all methods of inquiry. After the investigation, return those hereditary slaves to those people with whom the people questioned in the investigation knew them to have lived as hereditary slaves.[4]

30. Concerning slaves who were born in certain peoples' houses to limited service contract slaves of' theirs, and they have been living in their houses for many years without being registered as limited service contract slaves: those people with whom they are living without documentation shall acquire limited service contracts on such slaves.

If those slaves do not want to give limited service slavery contracts [on themselves] of [their own] free will: issue limited service contracts on them against [their] free will because they have lived in their houses for many years without having gotten limited service slavery contracts.

31. If someone is registered in any document as a slave: if those people [marry, a free man becomes] a slave by [marrying] a slave woman, and a [free woman becomes] a slave by [marrying] a slave man.

Concerning hereditary slaves designated for someone in a will and in a marriage contract as a dowry: [the same rule applies] to those slaves listed in a will and in a marriage contract: a [free man becomes] a slave by [marrying] a slave woman, and a [free woman becomes] a slave by [marrying] a slave man.

32. If [litigating slaveowners] present two full slavery documents or two reported slavery documents on one slave, and if one document is older: after investigation turn that slave over to that [person who owns that older document].

33. If someone commits treason, departs from the Muscovite state into another state; and after his [departure] his slaves are granted freedom by a decree of the sovereign and a decision of the boyars; and as free men those slaves of his petition to be someone's slaves; and subsequently that traitor returns [from the state to which he defected], and the sovereign favors him, bestows a kindness on him, and orders him not to be put to death for that treason of his: he may again acquire slaves for himself, whoever desires to be enslaved at his house. He has, however, no claim to those slaves of his who were granted freedom during his absence.

34. If someone's slave is taken into captivity into another land, and subsequently that slave returns from captivity: he is not the slave of his old master. Return his wife and children to him for his suffering in captivity.

If that slave wishes [to return] to his old master: the old master shall bring the slave for registration in the Slavery Chancellery. Having interrogated him, enter a notation on the old document that he is going to him of his own free will. Collect a fee of .03 ruble per head.

35. If a slave commits treason, flees to another state, and subsequently returns from that state to the Muscovite state by himself: he is [still] the slave of his old master on the basis of his prior slavery status because he was in another land as a fugitive, and was not taken a captive.

36. If a male slave, or a female slave flees from someone; and petitions to be the slave of someone else; and while in the possession of that person to whom he or she petitions to be a slave when a fugitive is taken into captivity; and subsequently he or she returns from captivity; return them to their former masters on the basis of the first documents. Do not return them as slaves to those people who owned them when they were taken into captivity.

37. Concerning military captives of any lands, children of foreign servicemen, who convert to the Orthodox Christian faith, but prove unsuitable for service to the sovereign; and who have rendered the sovereign's service, and have been discharged from service; and they desire to petition to serve someone and want to enter into a limited service slavery contract on themselves: that person [who was petitioned] shall get a [slavery] document on that newly baptized person and register it in the books.

38. If someone receives a newly baptized person in his personal service and gets a [slavery] document on him, but fails to register that document in the [Slavery] Chancellery; and subsequently that newly baptized person flees from him, and he proceeds to sue him for stolen property on the basis of that unregistered slavery document: do not believe such documents. Do not grant anyone a trial for stolen property against those newly baptized persons because that document was obtained not in accord with the sovereign's decree.

39. If someone sues someone for loaned money on the basis of limited service slavery contracts or on the basis of notes [promising] to serve for interest, and also for stolen property; and the borrowers against whom the plaintiffs are suing concede liability under the limited service slavery contracts and the promissory notes and plead guilty in the matter of the stolen property; or [if] in plaintiffs' suits someone is found guilty at trial; and if it is impossible to exact the plaintiffs' awards from those slaves, and no one will post bond or agree to pay the plaintiffs' awards in their stead: turn over those defendants in the suits as slaves to the plaintiffs until they are redeemed.

40. Calculate the value of the slave labor of those slaves in redeeming a plaintiff's suit at the rate of 5.00 rubles per year for males, and one-half that for wives and mature women; 2.00 rubles per year for their children who are with them and over ten years of age. If they have any minors under ten years of age, do not calculate any value for those minors in the redemption of the plaintiff's suit because such minors at those ages do not perform slave labor.

When such people have worked off the suits of their plaintiffs in full: set them free from those plaintiffs.

If their plaintiffs die, and children survive them, and they [the debtors] have not fully worked off the [plaintiffs'] claims at that point: they shall live out that term which they have not worked off at the homes of the children of those deceased plaintiffs. When they have worked off [what they owe] those children of the plaintiffs: set them free accordingly.

41. Concerning people of all ranks who at times of famine, or any other time, not desiring to feed their slaves, evict them from their houses, but do not grant them manumission documents and will not give them back [their original enslavement] documents; and, with the intention of keeping them in the future, they order them to feed themselves; and for that reason no other people will receive those slaves of theirs in [their] house[s], because they have no manumission documents; and if there is a petition in that matter against them from those slaves of theirs: in response to that slave petition the directors of the Slavery Chancellery shall send for their masters who are evicting them from their houses. Interrogate those masters of theirs, whether they really have evicted them from their houses.

If those masters of theirs testify in the interrogation that they have released those slaves of theirs from their houses: henceforth they shall have no claim to those slaves. Order them to affix their signatures to that testimony of theirs. Concerning those who are illiterate: they shall order someone whom they trust to sign that testimony of theirs in their stead.

Concerning those who will not proceed to sign that testimony because of their obstinacy: order them to sign that testimony against their free will.

When they have signed the testimony: having registered those slaves of theirs in the Slavery Chancellery in the books, grant them freedom. Issue them manumission documents from the Slavery Chancellery.

If as free men they petition to be someone's slaves, they are the slaves of that [person].

Without interrogating those people against whom those slaves proceed to petition about those slaves, do not grant them freedom.

42. If their masters, against whom they petition, testify about those slaves, that those slaves of theirs are petitioning against them falsely, that they did not evict them from their houses: give back those slaves to those masters of theirs. Order those masters of theirs to feed them in times of famine, not to starve them with hunger. Moreover, they shall not commit any bad deed against them because they petitioned against them.

43. If someone in a time of famine gives himself and his wife, or his son or a daughter, to someone as a slave in exchange for food; and he gives a note on himself to that effect; or he writes down borrowed money in the note on himself and on his children: on the basis of that note they shall live with that person to whom they gave themselves as slaves until that time when they have redeemed themselves or worked off [the debt].

They shall calculate the working off of that debt according to the decree, as is written about that above this.

44. Concerning slaves who proceed to live in the houses of people on the basis of notes, and in the note is written the given name of that one person to whom the note was given; and they are to live with them until their death or for a specified number of years, but they do not live out the specified number of years: take a forfeit note from them on the basis of the note.

But if the wives and children of those to whom they gave such notes on themselves are not written down in such notes, and they are not bound on the basis of such notes to the wives and children of those to whom they give such notes on themselves: they shall live on the basis of such notes with those people to whom they give such notes on themselves, for the duration of their lives. On their death, their wives and children shall have no claim on them.

45. If a father or mother gives to someone a son or daughter as a slave for a specified term; and they sign guarantee notes on those children of theirs, and they give on themselves notes over [their] signatures in which they guarantee that their children will not flee from those people to whom they are turning them over, and will commit no offense; and if those notes are registered in the books in the Slavery Chancellery; or if someone, a third person, guarantees someone for that period of residence in a household; and those people, whom they guarantee, not living out the specified years, flee from those people to whom they were given [to live] in the household; and subsequently those people from whom they are fleeing find them and bring them back to their houses; and, on the basis of the notes, they proceed to sue their guarantors for the forfeit or stolen property; and the guarantors testify that those fugitive slaves stole nothing from them, and there is no evidence on which to base an investigation: arrange a taking of an oath, a kissing of the cross, between them and the guarantors over the issue of the stolen property.

Order that the forfeit not be exacted on the basis of the note from those guarantors. Confirm the slave status of those slaves whom they guaranteed to live out the specified years with those people to whom they were given as slaves according to the notes.

Concerning indentures which are not registered in the books in the Slavery Chancellery: reject [any claims] by plaintiffs [made] on the basis of those notes.

46. Concerning people who proceed to sue someone on the basis of notes, and in those notes it is written that they bought up those slaves [whom they sued] for debts from the righter, and [that] those slaves are to live with them, and they are to serve their children in the household and are to marry; and having married, they are to serve on the same terms in the household; but it is not written in the note how many years they are to serve: on the basis of such notes return those slaves to the household of those people to whom they gave such indentures on themselves because they gave that note on themselves of [their own] free will.

47. If someone, a father with [his] son, or a brother with [his] brother, or an uncle with [his] nephew together take a limited service slavery contract on a slave, and they proceed to sue those slaves on the basis of those limited service slavery contracts [to enforce their] slavery status: reject those plaintiffs on the basis of such limited service slavery contracts. Set free such slaves on whom they present such limited service slavery contracts at trial because, by the sovereign's decree, it was ordered that all people must take limited service slavery contracts individually. It was ordered that two people together, a father with a son, a brother with a brother, and an uncle with a nephew, could not take limited service slavery contracts on one slave.

48. If someone has such limited service slavery contracts which were taken on slaves prior to this royal decree: they shall bring those limited service slavery contracts and the slaves in Moscow to the Slavery Chancellery, and in the provincial towns to the governors, and chancellery officials, and senior officials of the felony control administration in the town halls. They shall get new limited service slavery contracts on those slaves according to this decree of the sovereign. Take the old limited service-slavery contracts from them to the [Slavery Chancellery]. But do not grant freedom on the basis of those old limited service slavery contracts to those slaves of theirs.

49. If someone proceeds to sue someone for fugitive slaves, but the defendant denies having those slaves, and testifies that those slaves are not in his possession; and that defendant denied under oath that he had those slaves, but subsequently those slaves appear in his possession; and the plaintiff takes those slaves of his from him: because the defendant falsely took an oath, compile for such a person a decree like the one written above this in [chapter 11] on the judicial process for peasants.

50. If in his defense a defendant testifies about another's slave that he had that slave who belongs to someone else, but that [the slave] fled prior to the plaintiff's petition, and he is living in another town: order that defendant to find that fugitive slave who belongs to someone else, and give him a date to find him based on the distance, according to statute.

When he finds that other person's slave, he shall present him in the Slavery Chancellery. From the Slavery Chancellery return him to that [person] who has the older document on him.

51. Concerning defendants who do not deny [having had] others' fugitive slaves, but testify that those slaves also fled from them, and that they do not know where they are living: such people shall find those fugitive slaves. Give them at first a time limit of two months, then a second after two months of four months If in half a year they do not find them, give them a third time limit of another half year.

Give such long time limits to those defendants who testify [that] the fugitive slaves are in distant towns.

If someone fails to present the fugitive slaves in all three deadlines: in accord with the sovereign's decree, exact from them 50 rubles in cash for each slave and give [the money] to the plaintiff.

If the defendant finds that slave: return that slave to the plaintiff, and having taken the 50 rubles in cash from the plaintiff, return it to the defendant.

52. Concerning people who proceed to keep slaves for themselves on the basis of their fathers' limited service slavery contracts, and their fathers have died: set free from them those slaves of their fathers. If as free men those [manumitted] slaves give limited service slavery contracts on themselves to someone, they shall be the slaves of that [person].

53. If someone manumits his own hereditary male slave or female slave during his lifetime, or on his death his stewards manumit such hereditary slaves at his command: henceforth his children, and brothers, and kinsmen shall have no claim to those slaves.[5]

54. If someone apprehends a slave from someone and brings that slave for interrogation to the Slavery Chancellery; and after the interrogation submits a petition for a trial against that slave; and that person from whom he apprehended that slave proceeds to testify that he does not trust that slave to defend himself, and proceeds himself to respond for the slave: let it be his choice in that matter, but the slave also shall be present at trial.

But if that defendant testifies that the slave shall answer for himself: order the slave to respond to the plaintiff's plea. At trial hold the slave to be innocent or guilty on the basis of whatever the slave testifies at trial.

55. Concerning people who have sent out a bailiff to someone in pursuit of fugitive slaves and have signed a petition [to sue for the recovery of] stolen property, or have signed a bailiff's memorandum, but do not the suit for a week; or defendants who, having posted bond on themselves for a trial, do not proceed to enter a defense for a week: compile a decree for those plaintiffs or defendants accordingly, as is written about that above this in chapter [10] on the judicial process.

56. Concerning people of all ranks who proceed to sue slaves to enforce their enslavement; and they present a limited service slavery contract on that slave dated 1611/12 signed by a state secretary and a registration certificate written by the scribes, even though those limited service slavery contracts and books no longer exist; or if someone has certain limited service slavery contracts taken on slaves older than that, and those limited service slavery contracts are also signed by state secretaries and the registration certificates written by scribes, but the books for those limited service slavery contracts no longer exist: believe those limited service slavery contracts. Return slaves on the basis of those limited service slavery contracts to those people in whose name those limited service slavery contracts are written because those limited service slavery contracts were written prior to the time when the great Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Mikhail Fedorovich of blessed memory began to rule the Muscovite state.

57. Concerning people who proceed to sue someone for fugitive slaves, but at that time they do not proceed to sue for stolen property; and in the plea they write that they will sue for stolen property in the future, after the suit for slavery is resolved: afterward do not grant such plaintiffs a trial for stolen property.

58. Concerning people who, on assignment in the provincial towns as governors and chancellery officials, take limited service slavery contracts on someone in those same towns: those limited service slavery contracts are null and void because governors and chancellery officials, on assignment in the provincial towns, have been ordered not to get limited service slavery contracts or any other documents on anyone.

59. If someone sues someone to enforce slavery status: after trial release those disputed slaves on bond with written notes [provided by people] other than the plaintiff and the defendant.

If no one [will post] bail for someone: a bailiff shall detain those slaves until the verdict is handed down in the judicial case.

60. When a master's male slave or female slave is bound to a plaintiff or a defendant, and [that is] established by trial, return the husband, and if that slave is married: return the wife with him.

And if it becomes necessary to return a woman to someone on the basis of slavery documentation, and if she has a husband: return the husband along with the wife. Collect the capitation fees from them.

61. Give full slaves, and reported slaves, and purchased slaves, and war captives of other lands in dowries and write them down in shares in wills, and gift documents, and marriage contracts for wives, and children, and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Do not give away limited service contract slaves in dowries and do not write them down in wills, and marriage contracts, and gift documents.

If someone gives a limited service contract male or female slave to someone in a dowry, or writes them in a will, or in a marriage contract, or in a gift document: grant freedom to such limited service contract male slaves and female slaves.

62. If someone gives his own hereditary or purchased slaves in a dowry to his sister or daughter; and by God's judgment that sister or daughter of his dies; and no children survive them: the husbands of the deceased shall return such dowry slaves on the basis of the marriage contracts to those people who gave them in the dowry, even if the dowered slave women or mature girls got married, and the slave men got married. Return them completely according to that canon of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers in which it has been ordered that wives shall not be divorced from husbands: where the husband is, there the wife shall be; to whom the wife [belongs], to that same person the husband also [shall belong].

63. Concerning people who, while departing from this world, write in a will that their limited service contract slaves on their death will belong to their wives and children; but those limited service contract slaves of his do not want to live at his wife's and children's house; and on [his] death they proceed to petition someone else to be [his] slaves; and they give [new] limited service slavery contracts on themselves: those slaves are bound to that person to whom they give limited service slavery contracts on themselves after the death of their first master.

Do not believe the wills of their former masters because slaves are bound to people of various ranks on the basis of limited service slavery contracts only until the death of their masters. Those slaves are not bound to their wives and children on the basis of the previous limited service slavery contracts. Manumit such slaves on the passing of the deceased.

64. If people, while departing from this world, in a will write down their slaves as hereditary slaves, or any other type of slaves except limited service contract slaves, and pass on their slaves to a wife or their children in an allotment; and that will is witnessed; and at the witnessing that will is not contested; and subsequently a dispute arises with someone about those slaves, or between those slaves of the deceased and the wife and children, but no one presents documents besides the will demonstrating that those slaves are hereditary slaves; and the slaves proceed to show that they served as limited service contract slaves with that person who wrote them as an allotment in his will to his wife or children: interrogate those slaves [to discover] whether they had served as limited service contract slaves, where and in what year the limited service slavery contracts were taken on them.

If those contested slaves testify about where and in what year the limited service slavery contracts were taken on them, conduct an investigation about them to check that testimony of theirs, in the limited service slavery contract registration books.

If the limited service slavery contracts in summary registration form appear on those contested slaves in the limited service slavery contract registration books; and those limited service slavery contracts were taken on them in the name of that person who wrote them in the will for his wife and children: liberate those slaves of that deceased from the wife and from the children and grant them freedom. But if limited service slavery contracts on those slaves in registration form are not discovered in the limited service slavery contract registration books: return those slaves on the basis of the will to that person to whom they were transmitted in the will of the deceased after his passing.

65. If slaves after the passing of their masters are manumitted, and as free men they proceed to initiate a suit against the wives and children of their deceased masters [to recover] property and plunder because they were manumitted without property: do not grant those slaves a trial in that matter.

66. Concerning slaves who in the past years 1632/33 and 1633/34 were with their masters in the sovereign's service at Smolensk; and in battles and on raids they were taken into captivity into the Rzeczpospolita, and they have left captivity: such slaves have been granted freedom for their suffering in captivity, and their wives have been returned to them; but their children who were born at someone's house in slavery, and on whom there are limited service slavery contracts and other documents, were ordered to remain as slaves in that household as they were earlier.

Concerning slaves who fled from their masters at Smolensk and from other of the sovereign's services to the cossacks, or to any other felonious status, and while in that felonious status they were taken into captivity, and [subsequently] they left captivity: those slaves have been ordered to be in the households of their former masters.

Concerning slaves who fled from service; and they served with other dvoriane and deti boiarskie and various people, and they also were in captivity: it has been ordered that those slaves are to be returned to their former masters on the basis of the old documents.

Now and in the future compile a decree about such slaves on the same basis as it was decreed before this time.

67. When male or female slaves, having fled from someone, take monastic vows; or when slaves become priests or deacons while they are fugitives; and those people from whom they are fleeing proceed to initiate claims to them and desire to sue them for stolen property and to enforce their slavery status: grant a trial in the Slavery Chancellery to their masters against such fugitive slaves for stolen property and to enforce their slavery status.

If at trial and investigation [the plaintiffs] win their suit against such fugitive slaves for the stolen property and in the matter of their enslaved status: having exacted the stolen property from them, return it to the plaintiffs, but send them to the patriarch, or if in any provincial town, to the higher ecclesiastical authorities. The patriarch and the other higher ecclesiastical authorities will compile a decree about them according to the canons of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers.

68. If such fugitive slaves have put monkly vestments or skull caps on themselves, and that is established accurately: after an investigation, having removed the monkly vestments and the skull caps from them, return them as slaves to those people from whom they fled.

69. Concerning [Polish-] Lithuanian war captives who have been married in masters' houses to documented and hereditary Russian slave women; or women or mature girls, [Polish-] Lithuanian war captives, who have been married in masters' houses to documented or limited service contract male slaves; and in a show-up before the boyars those [Polish-] Lithuanian male and female war captives testified under interrogation that they [wished] to go [back] to the Rzeczpospolita, and they did not wish to live in the houses of those masters of theirs, where the [male captives] married Russians and the female captives were married to Russians: those [Polish-] Lithuanian male war captives with their wives, Russian women, and the female war captives with their husbands, Russian men, were freed from their masters' houses and from people of various ranks and they were ordered to live in freedom, wherever each wanted.

Concerning the [Polish-] Lithuanian war captives who at the registration before the boyars [testified] that they desired to live in the houses of those with whom they were living previously: those were returned to those same people with whom they were living.

If in the future, however, those male and female war captives proceed to petition that they be granted freedom: those [Polish-] Lithuanian war captives have been ordered returned on the basis of those registrations to those people with whom they lived.

Now issue a decree about such [Polish-] Lithuanian male and female war captives like the one decreed about them before this.

70. Unbaptized foreigners in Moscow and in the provincial towns shall keep in their houses [only] foreigners of various different creeds as slaves.

Russians shall not be enslaved, either on the basis of documents or voluntarily to unbaptized foreigners because in the past, in the year 1627/28, it became known to the great Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Mikhail Fedorovich of blessed memory, and his royal father of blessed memory, the great Sovereign, most holy Filaret Nikitich, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, that in Moscow and in the provincial towns Orthodox Christians were serving under unbaptized foreigners of other faiths, and those Orthodox Christians were suffering oppression and profanation at the hands of the foreigners, and many were dying without confession and without spiritual fathers, and during the great fast [Lent; February 2/March 8 to March 21/April 24] and other fasts they were involuntarily eating meat and various forbidden foods.

The great Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Mikhail Fedorovich of blessed memory and his royal father of blessed memory, the great Sovereign, most holy Filaret Nikitich, Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia ordered Orthodox Christians taken out of the houses of unbaptized foreigners. They ordered such Orthodox Christians henceforth not to be in the houses of unbaptized foreigners of other faiths so that there would be thereby no profanation of Christian souls in that and that they would not die without confession

And accordingly now Russians shall not be in the houses of unbaptized foreigners for any reason whatsoever.

If any Russians proceed to serve in the houses of unbaptized foreigners on the basis of documents, or voluntarily: having conducted an investigation of those [people], inflict a severe punishment on them so that they and others like them will learn not to do that.

71. Concerning unbaptized foreigners of various faiths who are living in Moscow and in the provincial towns under similarly unbaptized foreigners of similarly various faiths on the basis of purchase documents, or because they are war captives; and those foreigners desire to be baptized in the Orthodox Christian faith; and they proceed to petition about that to the sovereign, would the sovereign bestow favor upon them, order them, after being taken away from those foreigners in whose houses they are living, baptized into the Orthodox Christian faith: in response to that petition, baptize those foreigners in the Orthodox Christian faith.

Give the foreigners a redemption payment of 15 rubles per slave for them, and they [the slaves] shall pay that money themselves.

If the foreigners have in their possession purchase documents in which it was written when they purchased them for sums greater than 15 rubles: do not believe those purchase documents because the sums written in purchase documents are exaggerated.

72. In the provincial towns the governors, all chancellery officials, and the senior officials of the felony control administration shall issue limited service slavery contracts on slaves signed by their own hands, and not over seals.

Select as senior officials of the felony control administration those who are literate. Do not elect as senior officials of the felony control administration those who are illiterate.

If a governor or a chancellery official in a provincial town is illiterate, and there is no senior official of the felony control administration in that town: those governors and chancellery officials shall not issue anyone limited service slavery contracts on slaves. People of all ranks of those provincial towns shall get limited service slavery contracts on slaves in other provincial towns, in which provincial towns there are governors and chancellery officials who are literate and where there are senior officials of the felony control administration.

73. The governors, chancellery officials, and senior officials of the felony control administration shall send the limited service slavery contract registration books from the provincial towns to Moscow annually signed by their own hands, and not over a seal.

Concerning the limited service slavery contract registration books which governors, and chancellery officials, and senior officials of the felony control administration proceed to send to Moscow from the provincial towns over their own seals, and their signatures are not on those books: do not believe those books and limited service slavery contracts which are over seals, and not signed. Believe those books and limited service slavery contracts which have the signatures of governors, and chancellery officials, and senior officials of the felony control administration.

74. Concerning people who in the Slavery Chancellery present purchase documents on Tatars, and petition that those purchase documents be registered in the books in the Slavery Chancellery; and the Tatars about whom those purchase documents are written by name do not deny those purchase documents: register those purchase documents in the books.

If any dispute arises over those purchase documents: after investigation, register those purchase documents, if it is necessary; but if in the investigation it is discovered that those documents are counterfeit, or written in absentia: do not register those purchase documents in the books in the Slavery Chancellery. Compile the decree about them that is necessary.

75. Concerning people who present at a trial two limited service slavery contracts [issued in] Moscow on one slave; and both of those limited service slavery contracts are written in the books; and that slave corresponds in features and identifying marks with the books according to one limited service slavery contract, but does not correspond with the other: return that contested slave as a slave on the basis of that limited service slavery contract in which he corresponds with the books in features and marks, even if that limited service slavery contract was gotten after that limited service slavery contract on whose basis that slave does not correspond with the books in identification marks.

76. Henceforth from the time of this Law Code describe slaves' identifying marks in the limited service slavery contracts precisely [to prepare] for such disputes so that any person will know the identifying marks of his own slave; when slaves' identifying marks are described precisely in the limited service slavery contracts, henceforth there will be no such disputes about slaves with anyone.

77. If someone bequeaths his hereditary slaves or purchased slaves to someone as an allotment in his will; and the will is witnessed and sealed; and those slaves, desiring not to live with those people to whom they were bequeathed in the will, after fleeing from them, give limited service slavery contracts on themselves to someone else: return those hereditary and purchased slaves to those people to whom they are bequeathed in the will.

Concerning [those people] to whom they give the new limited service slavery contracts on themselves after the wills: those limited service slavery contracts are null and void.

78. If a slave petitions to be someone's slave; and he writes a limited service slavery contract on himself; and that person to whom he petitions to be a slave brings him with that limited service slavery contract for registration into the Slavery Chancellery; and another person at that same time proceeds to petition against that slave [alleging] that that slave previously had petitioned to be his slave and had desired to give him a limited service slavery contract on himself, and he had given him a payment: reject such petitioners. Give limited service slavery contracts on such slaves to those people who bring them to the Slavery Chancellery with a limited service slavery contract.

Concerning the person who gave a payment to a slave without taking a limited service slavery contract: he himself lost [the money] because of his own doing. [Remember the rule:] without getting a limited service slavery contract, do not give a payment.

79. If a plaintiff, or a defendant, at a trial for a slave fails to present any document, and testifies nothing about a document; but after trial declares a document on that contested slave: do not receive documents from such people after trial [to add] to the court records. Resolve those judicial cases on the basis of what was presented at trial.

80. If someone proceeds to commit an illicit act at his house with a slave woman or a mature slave girl; and begets children with her; and that slave woman proceeds to petition the sovereign against him in that [matter]: send such women and mature girls and that person against they petition the sovereign in Moscow to the patriarch's chancellery officials in the Patriarch's Court, and in the provincial towns to the chancellery officials of the metropolitans and archbishops. Order a trial concerning them to be held by an ecclesiastical court. Order a decree compiled for them according to the canons of the Holy Apostles and the Holy Fathers and after interrogation of both of their spiritual fathers.

81. If someone is issued a judgment document on a limited service contract slave after trial; and that person to whom that judgment document is issued dies: after he is dead, liberate that limited service contract slave from slavery under his wife and children.

If the wife and children of that deceased desire to retain that limited service contract slave of his in their house as a slave on the basis of that judgment document, the document which was issued to that deceased while he was living: that judgment document on that slave is null and void for them because he was bound on the basis of a limited service slavery contract and judgment document. His wife and children have no claim to that slave on the basis of that limited service slavery contract and that judgment document.

82. If a judgment document is issued to someone on an hereditary or on a purchased slave: on the basis of that judgment document that hereditary or purchased slave is bound to his wife and children.

83. Concerning slaves who are born at someone’s house in limited service contract slavery; and when they are of age, abandoning their fathers and mothers, they flee from those people in whose houses they were born in limited service contract slavery and give limited service slavery contracts to someone else: return those people who are born in someone’s house in limited service contract slavery and flee to those people in whose house they were born and in whose houses their father, or mother, are serving. Reject those people to whom they give new limited service slaver contracts.

84. Concerning the hereditary slave, or documented slave, who, having married in someone’s house, flees, abandoning the wife; and while a fugitive he marries another wife, and conceals the first wife; and subsequently he returns to his former master, and to his first wife, or his former master apprehends him as a fugitive: on the basis of the hereditary slavery and on the basis of the document he shall live at the house of that former master of his with his first wife. His second wife shall be a slave in the house of that person in whose house he married her.

If during the time when he was a fugitive his first wife died: return him to his first master with his second wife whom he married while he was a fugitive.

Similarly if a female slave, abandoning the husband, flees from someone, and while a fugitive marries a second husband; and subsequently she returns from flight to her first master, or she is apprehended: that same decree [applies] to her as [applies] to a husband.

85. If someone marries his own limited service contract slave in his house to a free woman; and subsequently that limited service contract slave dies at his house; and that woman who was married to that slave of his flees from him; and she petitions someone else and gives a limited service slavery contract on herself, and her former master, in whose house she was married to the limited service contract slave, claims her: return that woman to that former master of hers on the basis of her first husband.

If while a fugitive from that master of hers she gave a limited service slavery contract on herself, that limited service slavery contract is null and void.

If while a fugitive that woman gets married in someone's house: return her to the old master with the husband.

86. If someone has a limited service contract slave, and his wife or son has a limited service contract slave woman who is unmarried, or a widow; and the husband of that wife, or the father of those children, marries that limited service contract slave of his to the unmarried or older limited service contract slave woman of his wife or his children: when the husband of the wife or the father of the children dies, that male slave is bound in slavery to his wife and children because of the limited service contract slave woman. If the wife or son dies, that limited service contract male slave is bound to the husband after [the death] or the wife and is bound to the father after [the death] of the son.

87. Concerning an hereditary slave, or a limited service contract slave who, having fled from someone, marries a free young woman or an older woman while a fugitive; and he begets children with that wife of his; and subsequently while [still] a fugitive he petitions to be the slave of someone else; and he names those children of his whom he begat while a fugitive in the limited service slavery contract along with himself; and subsequently his former master claims that fugitive slave on the grounds that he is an hereditary slave, or on the basis of the limited service slavery contract ; and after trial it becomes necessary to return him to that former master of his: return that slave as a slave to his former master with the wife and with the children.

88. Concerning the person who apprehends his own fugitive slave without a bailiff: he shall bring that fugitive slave of his for arraignment to the [Slavery] Chancellery with everything that was in his possession when he apprehended him. He shall sue at trial that person in whose house that fugitive slave or his has been living.

If after trial and investigation it is necessary to return that slave who was brought in for arraignment to that person who brought him into the [Slavery] Chancellery for arraignment, but the property with the slave who was brought in for arraignment belongs to that person with whom he lived as a fugitive: return that fugitive slave to his former master without the property, and return the property to that person to whom that property belongs

If the wife and children of that fugitive slave are in the house of that person with whom he lived as a fugitive: order that person in whose house they lived as fugitives to return that wife and children of his to the former master with all the property with which they came to him.

If a dispute arises among them about something: grant them a trial in that matter, and, after trial, compile for them the decree that is necessary.

89. If hereditary slaves, or limited service contract slaves, or purchased slaves, or war captives of other lands flee from someone; and that person from whom those slaves are fleeing proceeds to prepare a declaration and to prom ise a reward: and if in response to that declaration of his someone apprehends those slaves of his: he shall pay the reward for those fugitive slaves of his in full to that person who apprehended them according to the agreement, without the slightest change.

He shall also pay him for feeding those slaves of his at the rate of .01 ruble per day per slave.

90. If someone, having apprehended such fugitive slaves, does not return them to that person from whom they are fleeing, and proceeds to keep them at his house for [their] labor; and that person, to whom those slaves belong, proceeds to petition the sovereign against him about that; and it is established about that conclusively at trial that he is keeping another's slaves at his house for their labor: after taking such slaves from him, return them to that person whose slaves they are. Moreover, order him [the plaintiff] to exact from him for the labor of such slaves .07 ruble per week for each week that those slaves were living in his house, and give that money to the plaintiff as well.

91. If someone commits [his] slave [to work] in someone's house, and he signs a guarantee on that slave that that slave is honest and will not commit any crimes, and he gives a note on himself to that effect; but that slave whom he is guaranteeing, after committing some crime, flees; and, on the basis of that note, that person from whom that slave flees proceeds to sue at trial that guarantor of that slave of his, both for stolen property and for his losses; and that guarantor does not deny the note: order him to find that slave whom he guaranteed.

Prepare for him a deadline when he, after finding that slave, must present [him] in the chancellery. If he fails to present that fugitive slave by the first deadline: grant him a second and a third deadline [to find] that slave, according to statute.

If he fails to present that slave by the third deadline: he shall pay the plaintiff 50 rubles for that slave, and [compensation] for the stolen property and losses after trial and investigation.

92. If a fugitive slave is returned to someone from the [Slavery] Chancellery as a slave as previously: sternly order that person to whom that fugitive slave is returned that he is not to beat that fugitive slave of his to death, nor is he to maim him or to starve him.

93. If someone claims a slave at someone's house and the clothing on that slave, and he brings him to the Slavery Chancellery, and testifies that that slave, along with that stolen clothing, also stole from him much of his property; and the slave who is arraigned admits under interrogation at the arraignment that the clothing on him belongs to that person who claimed him, but that he stole no other property from him; and that person at whose house the slave was seized testifies that that slave petitioned to be a slave in his house for the first time and said that he was a free man; and that he brought the contested clothing to him on his person, and that he is not claiming that clothing; but that slave brought nothing else besides that clothing to him: on the basis of the defendant's and the slave's testimony, return to the plaintiff that clothing which was seized red-handed. Grant them a trial for the remainder of the suit, for that [portion of the suit for which] no evidence is present. After trial and investigation compile the decree for them that is necessary.

94. When people proceed to litigate about a slave; and the contested slave is placed in custody of a bailiff until the conclusion of the judicial case; and when the judicial case on that contested slave is resolved, and the contested slave is returned to the rightful owner: order the bailiff to exact the chaining fee and the cost of feeding that slave from the wrongful holder.

Order the chaining fee collected at the rate of .015 ruble per day, and the cost of feeding at the rate of .02 ruble per day, or .035 ruble pet day for both the chaining fee and the cost of feeding.

95. If people proceed to invoke a general investigation [to prove the ownership] of a contested slave in an area 1.3, 2, 3.3, 4, and 6.6 miles around a service landholding; and if it is necessary to send out an investigation team; and in the investigations few people testify, 20 or 30 people; and the investigators, the plaintiff, and the defendant [all] testify that there are no people to interrogate besides those within the given radius: that investigation shall be considered a general investigation. Believe the investigation testimony of those few people.

96. Concerning people who proceed to litigate among themselves about slaves and stolen property, and the trial in that case requires an oath; and at trial the plaintiff or the defendant takes the cross for his slave to kiss; and he mentions the name of that slave at trial, but subsequently proceeds to petition that that slave of his who was to kiss the cross has fled, or died: he shall present another slave of his to kiss the cross in the stead of that fugitive or deceased slave.

But if that person [the opposing litigant] against whom [the other litigant has brought the slave for] cross kissing proceeds to say that he does not believe that slave; but he believes another of his [the other litigant's] slaves, and he mentions the name of that other slave: reject him in that. Order that slave to kiss the cross who is presented for the cross kissing.

97. Concerning people who baptize purchased Tatars, and proceed to sell those newly baptized slaves and to bring them in for registration: do not issue anyone limited service slavery contracts on such newly baptized slaves in the Slavery Chancellery.

Manumit [them] from those people who bring them for registration because it has been ordered by the sovereign's decree that no one shall sell baptized people.

98. If any people proceed to cede their purchased slaves of Tatar captivity to anyone as a good deed without payment, and they proceed to give gift documents on them; and those people to whom those purchased slaves are given bring them with those gift documents for registration in the Slavery Chancellery: register those gift slaves and the gift documents on them in the books in the Slavery Chancellery.

99. If someone brings Tatars for registration on the basis of purchase documents or gift documents, and testifies that those Tatars were purchased in the Don [River region], or in the provincial towns, or that someone himself took them captive: register those Tatar war captives in the books accordingly on the basis of the purchase documents and the gift documents.

100. Concerning purchased newly baptized Tatar slaves who survive after [their owners'] death; and the deceased have left no wills, or they have left wills, but if those newly baptized [slaves] have not been written down in anyone's portion in those wills; and when they were purchased, if it was not written about them in the purchase documents that the person whom they survived purchased them for himself, his wife, and his children; and the wives or children of those deceased do not set them free because they are purchased slaves; and those purchased slaves proceed to petition the sovereign about their freedom, because they are not written down for them in the wills and in the purchase documents: those purchased slaves on the death of those people who purchased them shall remain with their wives and children because many people buy such slaves prior to their marriage. Some people buy such slaves and, having gotten married, they list those purchased slaves of theirs for themselves in purchase documents. Moreover, it is not customary to write down in purchase documents that such purchased slaves are for oneself, one's wife, and the children.

101. If someone proceeds to sue someone [to enforce] slavery status on the basis of his grandfather's full slavery document, but in his grandfather's full slavery document it is written that his grandfather purchased that slave for himself and his children, but if nothing is written in that full slavery document about grandchildren and great grandchildren, and at trial a defendant presents a new limited service slavery contract on that same slave: on the basis of that limited service slavery contract order that slave henceforth to be the slave of the defendant. Reject the plaintiff in [his claims for] that slave because he is petitioning about that slave on the basis of his grandfather's full slavery document, and that slave is not listed for him in his grandfather's full slavery document.

102. Concerning the person who, having claimed a slave [to enforce] slavery status, and having lodged him with a bailiff, does not proceed to sue [to enforce] slavery status, and who drops his claim to him: order the bailiff to exact the chaining fee and the feeding fee for that slave from that person who, having lodged him in his house, dropped his claim.

103. If at trial a plaintiff presents an old limited service slavery contract on a slave signed by a state secretary, or by senior officials of the felony control administration, or by fortifications officials; and that limited service slavery contract was written prior to the destruction of Moscow [in 1611], and there are no limited service slavery contract books of those years, and the scribe and the witnesses have died; and the defendant proceeds to deny that limited service slavery contract: conduct an investigation of that limited service slavery contract [by comparing it] with other such limited service slavery contracts.

If similar limited service slavery contracts are discovered in someone's possession, and the chancellery official listed in those limited service slavery contracts is the same one who is listed in that contested limited service slavery contract, and the handwriting [of the one] corresponds to the handwriting [of the other]: believe that limited service slavery contract.

104. Concerning free people who wish to live at the houses of archpriests, and archdeacons, and priests, and deacons, and other church officials, or monastery servitors: issue limited service slavery contracts on those slaves to archpriests and archdeacons. Those free people shall live voluntarily at the houses of priests, and deacons, and other church officials, and monastery servitors under indentures for specified terms. Do not issue limited service slavery contracts on such free people to priests, and deacons, and other church officials, and monastery servitors.

105. Also on the matter of free people who desire to live at the houses of slaves: those people shall live voluntarily at the houses of slaves under similar indentures for specified terms. Do not issue limited service slavery contracts on such free people to slaves.

If limited service slavery contracts were issued on such people to slaves in years past: those limited service slavery contracts are null and void because in the past year 1634/35 such limited service slavery contracts were ordered cancelled.

106. If someone, departing this world, writes in his will that the limited service contract slaves of his son[s] shall be set free: manumit those limited service contract slaves of his sons in accord with the father's will. Issue them manumission documents. Order them not to serve his sons on the basis of the limited service slavery contracts.

107. Concerning limited service slavery contracts and limited service slavery contract record books written in the provincial towns, and sent from the provincial towns to Moscow in years past, through August 26, 1640; and there are no signatures of chancellery officials on those limited service slavery contracts and on the limited service slavery contract books; and there has been no petition against those books prior to this royal decree, and in no manner have those books and limited service slavery contracts been contested: believe those limited service slavery contracts and limited service slavery contract books. Confirm those books with the signature of a state secretary.

108. Concerning people who proceed to litigate about a slave; one of them proceeds to call that slave an hereditary slave, and the other a limited service contract slave, and they proceed to call him by different given names and nick-names; and the plaintiff or the defendant proceeds to invoke a general investigation [to prove] that that slave was known as an hereditary slave at his house, and [one litigant requests] that the contested slave be placed [for inspection] in front of the people testifying in the general investigation: place that contested slave in front of those being interrogated in the general investigation.

If those testifying in the general investigation testify that they knew him as an hereditary slave in the house [of one of the litigants] for many years: return that contested slave after that investigation to that person in whose house the people testifying in the general investigation knew him as an hereditary slave.

If in the general investigation about such a contested slave those people summoned for the general investigation testify that they know that slave [to have lived] in someone's house as a slave for ten or twenty years, but they do not know whether he is an hereditary slave of that person in whose house they know him [to have lived]; and of those people who are litigating about that slave, one calls him his own hereditary slave, and the other presents a limited service slavery contract on him; and the people testifying in the general investigation knew that slave before [the date of] that limited service slavery contract at the house of that person who is contesting that limited service slavery contract: after that investigation return that contested slave to that person in whose house the people testifying in the general investigation knew him [to have lived] as a slave prior to that limited service slavery contract.

If the general investigation shows that that limited service slavery contract is older: return that slave on the basis of that limited service slavery contract to that person who has presented that limited service slavery contract on him.

109. If a plaintiff or a defendant in litigation over slaves proceeds to name a mutual witness, but the mutual witness is in distant towns in Siberia or in Astrakhan'; or [a litigant proceeds to claim that] a general investigation in those same distant towns [would prove his case]; and one of them proceeds to petition against such motions [and alleges] that [his opponent's aim in] extending [the proceedings] to such distant towns is to delay the case: do not send the sovereign's documents to those distant towns for an interrogation of the mutual witness and for a general investigation. Resolve the case on the basis of the trial, however it turns out, so that no one will suffer excessive delay in that [matter].

110. If slaves proceed to enter into limited service slavery contracts on themselves and on their children [with someone]; and the children in their household at that time are 15 or 20 and more years of age: and those slaves proceed to write down those children of theirs in the limited service slavery contracts with themselves, [although the children] are not present: do not register those slave children in limited service slavery contracts and in the limited service slavery contract books in absentia. Order them to be present for the limited service contract slavery registration in person. Register all of their features and identifying marks in the limited service slavery contract books. Do not issue limited service slavery contracts in absentia on such grown-up slave children.

But if slaves have children who are minors, less than 15 years of age, at that time when they proceed to give limited service slavery contracts on themselves: register those children of theirs with them in absentia, on the basis of their testimony, in the limited service slavery contracts and in the limited service slavery contract books.

111. If prior to this royal decree someone seized a slave at someone's house, and having brought that slave to the [Slavery] Chancellery, did not sue him [to prove] slavery status for a long time; and thereby he lost his claim to that slave; and that slave of his was returned to that person in whose house he was seized: that slave henceforth shall be the slave of that person to whom he was returned from the [Slavery] Chancellery by the previous royal decree because he himself lost that slave through his own action because he did not sue him [to prove] slavery status for a long time.

But henceforth, from the time of this royal decree, do not give a verdict against anyone in slavery cases without trial.

112. If slaves seize others' slaves in someone's house, and bring those slaves to the [Slavery] Chancellery: and those people to whom the slaves belong are in the sovereign's service in distant towns in Siberia, or in Astrakhan', or in other towns at that time, and those slaves who have brought those arraigned slaves to the [Slavery] Chancellery testify that the documents on them are with their masters in those distant towns, and those slaves who have seized those slaves do not proceed to bring suit against those arraigned slaves to prove their slavery status without their master: return such arraigned slaves to those people in whose houses they were seized until that time when their plaintiffs have returned from the distant towns. Order such people to whom they are given to sign the arraignment document.

When they demand that those slaves in their possession [be presented] in the [Slavery] Chancellery: order them to present those slaves.

If they do not want to keep those slaves in their houses: put those arraigned slaves on bond until their plaintiffs [return].

If no one will post bond for them: place them in the custody of the bailiffs. Order those slaves who claimed them and those in whose house they were seized to feed them at the bailiffs' houses.

If that [person] who claimed them and that [person] in whose house they were seized do not proceed to feed them: order the bailiffs to feed them. Order the bailiff in the future to extract the feeding costs and chaining fee for those slaves from the loser [of the case].

113. If a service landholder or an hereditary estate owner takes a limited service slavery contract on his peasant, or on a peasant's son, or on his own peasant woman, or on a peasant's unmarried daughter; and that peasant, or peasant's son, or peasant woman, or peasant's daughter, having lived with him as a slave, flees from him; and as a fugitive gives a second limited service slavery contract to someone else on himself or herself; and his former master claims him; and the defendant proceeds to petition against him and points out that he took a limited service slavery contract on his own peasant, or peasant's son, or peasant woman, or peasant's daughter; and on that basis that defendant proceeds to litigate with him over that slave, and desires to have the verdict given to him because of his limited service slavery contract: return such fugitive slaves from slavery to their former masters as peasants.

Concerning the fact that their former master took limited service slavery contracts on them: [inflict] on him [the punishment] the sovereign decrees because by the sovereign's decree it has been ordered that no one shall take limited service slavery contracts on his peasants and peasants' children.

114. Concerning the documented slave who flees from someone; and while a fugitive gives someone a limited service slavery contract on himself; and having given that limited service slavery contract, returns from flight to his former master: and he proceeds to serve his former master until his death; and on the death of his former master he petitions [a third person] to be his slave, and gives a limited service slavery contract to someone other than that person to whom he gave that limited service slavery contract on himself before while he was fleeing from his former master: that slave is bound to that person to whom he gives a limited service slavery contract on himself on the death of his first master.

Concerning the fact that before that he had given a limited service slavery contract on himself while a fugitive during the life of his first master: that limited service slavery contract is null and void because he feloniously gave that limited service slavery contract on himself while fleeing from his first master.

115. Concerning the male slave who flees from [his] master, and a slave widow or unmarried young woman flees from another master; and both, the male slave and the female slave, are limited service contract slaves, or hereditary slaves; or one is a limited service contract slave, and the other is an hereditary slave; and the fugitive male slave marries that fugitive widow or unmarried young woman slave; and later on those people from whom they are fleeing claim them; and they proceed to petition, one about the male slave, and the other about the older woman or the young unmarried woman slave: they shall cast lots.

Whoever's lot comes up, he shall give that person whose lot did not cone up 10 rubles for the male or the female slave. He shall take the male and the female slave for himself. Those slaves shall serve him on the basis of [the previous] documents. He shall not call those slaves [his] purchased slaves.

116. Concerning taxpayers who proceed to bring to the Slavery Chancellery indentures on their children, or on brothers and kinsmen, to tax-exempt people of various ranks, for a specified term of many years: do not register indentures for many years on such taxpayers for tax-exempt people. Register such indentures for only five years, and do not register them for more than five years.

117. In the past year 1623/24 a decree of the great Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Mikhail Fedorovich of blessed memory, was sent to Siberia and Astrakhan' ordering all people not to buy adult and child Tatars of the male and female gender, not to take them as presents from anyone and baptize them, and not to send them with anyone to Rus'.

Now the Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince of all Russia Aleksei Mikhailovich has decreed that all people -- except for governors and all chancellery officials, those governors and all chancellery officials who are tending the sovereign's affairs in Siberia and Astrakhan' -- may buy such adult and child Tatars in Astrakhan' and in Siberia as previously.

If someone brings in such purchased Tatars for registration as limited service contract slaves, or on the basis of a purchase document or a gift document: register those purchased Tatars [and their] features and identifying marks in the books. Give those people who bring them for registration extracts from the books signed by a state secretary.

118. If someone in Astrakhan' and in Siberia proceeds to steal or carry off by force adult and child Tatars from someone: after an investigation, inflict a severe punishment on those people for that. Having taken away from them those adult and child Tatars whom they have stolen or taken away by force, if they are not baptized, return them to those people from whom they have been stolen or taken away by force.

If they baptized those adult and child Tatars: extract from them a large sum for those adult and child Tatars corresponding to the local sale price, and give [the money] to those people from whom they have stolen or taken away those adult and child Tatars. Those newly baptized Tatars shall remain their property.

119. Concerning those judicial cases on slaves which were resolved by a decree of the sovereign and a decision of the boyars prior to this Law Code in all the chancelleries: those cases shall remain as those cases were already resolved. Henceforth do not revive or reconsider those cases.

---

[1] An example of, the limited service slavery contract to explain limited service contract slavery is:

January 10, 1600. The public square scribes Semeika, son of Iakov Naumov, and Mikhalko, son of Afonasii Lyskov, brought to State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev for registration a limited service slavery contract, and in the contract is written:

Be it known that I, Leontei, son of Aleksei, by birth a Latvian, have borrowed 4 Moscow rubles in cash from Tret'iak, son of Mikhail Nazimov, from January 10 until that same day a year hence.

I, Leva, shall serve my lord, Tret'iak, every day in the household for the interest.

When the money comes due on the date, I, Leva, shall serve my lord, Tret'iak, on the same basis every day in the household for the interest.

Mikhulka, son of Afonasii Lyskov, served as witness to that.

Semeika, son of Iakov Naumov, wrote the contract on January 10, 1600.

Levka is about 15 years old, has light brown hair, a swarthy face, and gray eyes.

In the interrogation he testified: heretofore he served no one, but lived in Vyborskii district. He does not remember his father and mother, was orphaned when he was small, and was born a Latvian. He came from Vyborskii district to Korela to beg for bread. In Korela he petitioned Tret'iak Nazimov to be [in his] service of his own free will.

The fees of 0.12 ruble for the contract have been collected from Tret'iak Nazimov.

The contract was given to Tret'iak, son of Mikhail Nazimov.

The contract scribe Semeiko Naumov affixed his signature to this contract note. The contract witness Mikhalko Lyskov affixed his signature.

[2] An example of a limited service slavery contract to explain the fact that slaves, after manumission from their former lords, could remain free, not entering private service again on the basis of contracts.

October 17, 1599. The public square scribes Zhdan, son of Ivan Pupynin, and Tret'iak Zakhar'ev brought a service contract for registration to State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev, and in the contract is written:

Be it known that I, Kornil, son of Vasilii, called Sukhoi ["Dessicated"], a tailor, have borrowed 5 Moscow rubles in cash from Mikifor, son of Fedor Obukhov, from the day of the Holy Prophet Hosea [October 17] until that same day a year hence.

I, Kornil, shall serve my lord, Mikifor Obukhov, every day in the household for the interest.

When the money comes due on the date, I shall serve my lord, Mikifor, on the same basis every day in the household for the interest.

Tret'iak Zakhar'ev served as a witness to that.

Zhdanko, son of Ivan Pupynin, wrote the contract on October 17, 1599.

In stature Kornilko is not small, his hair is light brown, going gray, his eyes are gray, his face is wrinkled, he is about 70 years old.

Heretofore he served voluntarily with syn boiarskii Mikifor Rumiantsov of Shelonskaia district for about 5 years. After that [he served] in Votskaia district with Kuz'ma Vorkasov for about 10 years on the basis of a contract. When he [Vorkasov] died, they returned that contract to him. After Kuz'ma['s death] , he lived in Soltsy, in a wheelwrights' settlement, [where] he plied the trade of tailor. Now he has petitioned [to serve] Mikifor son of Fedor Obukhov.

The fees of 0.15 ruble for that limited service slavery contract have been collected from Mikifor son of Fedor Obhkhov for that limited service slavery contract.

The contract was given to Mikifor son of Fedor Obukhov,

The contract scribe Zhdanko affixed his signature to this note. The witness Tret'iachko affixed his signature.

[3] An example of a manumission document granted after a trial to show that limited service contract slaves on the death of the lords had to be freed by their heirs is:

On January 26, the slave of Petr Ansin, Nechaiko Trufanov, submitted a petition to Boiarin Prince VasiIii Ivanovich Shuiskii and the State Secretaries Dmitrii Aliab'ev and Vtoroi Pozdeev, and testified: he, Nechaiko, with [his] wife and with [his] children had served the scribe Petr Ansin during his lifetime on the basis of a limited service slavery contract with a report. Petr died prior to the year 1600, but Petr's wife Anna, after Petr's [death] would not give him, Nechaiko, anything to drink, she would not feed him, she would not clothe him, and would not give him any footwear. She starved them with hunger and would not manumit them.

Boiarin Prince Vasilii Ivanovich Shuiskii, and the State Secretaries Dmitrii Aliab'ev and Vtoroi Pozdeev ordered the bailiff Lev Tret'iakov to present that wife of Petr Ansin, the widow Anna, in front of them with Nechaiko for an eye-to-eye confrontation.

That very same day the bailiff Lev Tret'iakov told Boiarin Prince Vasilii Ivanovich Shuiskii, and the State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev, and Vtoroi Pozdeev, that that wife of Petr Ansin, the widow Anna, was lying ill, and there is no one to write a manumission document in her place. She, Anna, had given Nechaiko and his wife a limited service slavery contract, over the signature of State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev, instead of a manumission document.

In the contract is written: Be it known that I, Naum, called Nechai Trufanov, with my wife Anna, daughter of Tit, and with my young daughter, a widow, have borrowed 3 Moscow rubles in cash from the scribe of the Service Land Chancellery District Office, Petr, son of Ivan Ansin, from the day of our saintly father Xenofont [January 26] until that same day a year hence.

We shall serve our lord, Petr, every day in the household for the interest.

When the money comes due on the date, we shall serve our lord, Petr Ansin, on the same basis every day for the interest.

Gavrilo Artem'ev served as witness to that.

Kirilko, son of Ivan Trizlov, wrote the contract. January 26, 1598.

On the contract is the signature and the sealing signature of State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev, and the signature of the witness Gavrilko.

Boiarin Prince Vasilii Ivanovich Shuiskii, and the State Secretaries Dmitrii Aliab'ev and Vtoroi Pozdeev, having heard the contract, ordered that limited service slavery contract, instead of a manumission document, registered in the books. Having registered [it], they ordered the contract returned to Nechaiko Trufanov. [Signed by] State Secretary Vtoroi Pozdeev.

At the command of Boiarin Prince Vasilii Ivanov[ich] Shuiskii and the State Secretaries Dmitrii Aliab'ev and Vtoroi Pozdeev, instead of a manumission document, the limited service slavery contract, having been registered in the books, was returned to Petr Ansin's slave Nechaiko Trufanov.

According to the sovereign's decree, fees of 0.09 ruble per head, or a total of 0.27 ruble, have been collected from Nechaiko, his wife, and his daughter.

[4]

Two examples of a limited service slavery contract to explain hereditary slavery are:

November 23, 1599. The public square scribes Tret'iachko Zakhar'ev and Grisha, son of Vasilii Ushakov, brought to State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev a limited service slavery contract for registration, and in the contract is written:

Be it known that I, Omel'ian, son of Timofei, called Kubyshka, have borrowed 2 Moscow rubles in cash from Voin, son of Ivan Zavalishin, and from his son Gorchako, from the day of St. Amfilokhii, Bishop of Ikoniisk [November 23] until that same day a year hence.

I, Kubyshka, shall serve my lords, Voin and his son Gorchko, every day in the household for the interest.

When the money comes due on the date, I, Kubyshka, shall serve my lords, Voin and his son Gorchak, on the same basis every day in the household for the interest.

Grigorii son of Vasilii Ushakov, served as witness to that.

Tret'iachko Zakhar'ev wrote the contract on November 23, 1599.

Omel'ianko is about 15 years old, [his] hair is dark brown, [his] eyes are black, there is a scar on [his] forehead.

In the interrogation Omel'ianko testified: heretofore he had served with that Voin in hereditary slavery.

The fees of 0.06 ruble for the contract have been collected from Voin, son of Ivan Zavalishin, and his son Gorchak.

The contract was given to Voin, son of Ivan Zavalishin, and his son Gorchak.

The contract scribe Tret'iachko affixed his signature to this registration. The witness Grisha affixed his signature to this registration.

December 18, 1599. The public square scribes Mikhalko Vasil'ev and Grisha, son of Vasilii Ushakov, brought to State Secretary Dmitrii Aliab'ev a limited service slavery contract for registration. In the contract is written:

Be it known that I, Mikhalko, son of Gavril, have borrowed 2.00 Moscow rubles in cash from Ivan, son of Grigor'ii Erokhov, from the day of the Holy Martyr Sabastian [December 18] until that same day a year hence.

I, Mikhail, shall serve my lord, Ivan, every day in the household for the interest.

When the money comes due on the date, I, Mikhail, shall serve my lord, Ivan, on the same basis every day in the household for the interest.

Grisha, son of Vasilii Ushakov, served as witness to that.

Mikhalko Vasil'ev wrote the contract on December 18, 1599.

Mikhalko is of average stature, [has] a swarthy face, black hair, red [sic]-gray eyes, [is] about 25 years of age.

In the interrogation he testified that heretofore he had served no one [sic!]; his father, and mother, and he were the hereditary slaves of Ivan Erokhov. Having fled from Ivan, his father is living in Toropets district, and his mother died three years ago.

The fees of 0.06 ruble for the contract have been collected from Ivan, son of Grigorii Erokhov.

The contract was given to Ivan, son of Grigorii Erokhov.

The contract scribe Mikhalko Vasil'ev affixed his signature to this contract registration. The contract witness Grisha affixed his signature.

[5] An example of an emancipation by executors of a will:

March 27, 1600. The servitor Moseiko Dmitriev of the Savior Futyn' Monastery placed before State Secretary Dmitrii Aliabev a manumission document for registration.

A memorandum of the Father Superior Trifon of the Savior Futyn' Monastery is written in the manumission document: he has freed and blessed, by the command and by the oral and written memoranda of his spiritual son Semen Goriainov, known as a monk by the name of Sergei, his slave Mikhail, and his wife Natal'ia, and his daughter lrin'ia, [who are free to go] wherever they want to go in the realm of the Sovereign, Tsar, and Grand Prince, Autocrat of All Rus' Boris Fedorovich, [they are free to live] wherever he wants to live. Semen Goriainov, known as the monk Sergei, his clan, and tribe shall have no claim to that Mikhail, and his wife Natal'ia, and his daughter Irin'ia, and whatever children he may have in the future.

The servitor Moseets Dmitriev wrote the manumission memorandum at the command of our father, the Sovereign Father Superior Trifon of the Savior Futyn' Monastery.

On this manumission memorandum is the signature of our father, the Father Superior Trifon. March 26, 1600.

In the interrogation the servitor Moseiko Dmitriev, having been presented, testified: he, Father Superior Trifon, manumitted those documented slaves Mikhalka, [his] wife and daughter, who had belonged to Semen Goriainov, to go wherever they wanted, according to the oral and written memoranda of his spiritual son. He gave him [Mikhalka] the manumission document. Henceforth his, Semen's clan and tribe shall have no claim to those slaves, His, the Father Superior Trifon's, signature is on the manumission document.

According to the sovereign's decree, the fees for three people, 0.27 ruble, for that manumission document for the documented slave Mikhalko, for his wife Natal'itsa, and for his daughter Irin'itsa, have been collected.

The manumission document was given to Mikhalka Kuzmin.