Veche

thumb|250px|Pskov Veche by [[Apollinary Vasnetsov (1908–1909)]]

A veche was a popular assembly among some Slavic peoples during the Middle Ages. The veche is mentioned during the times of Kievan Rus', and it later became a powerful institution in Russian cities such as Novgorod and Pskov.

The veche is thought to have originated in the tribal assemblies of Eastern Europe, thus predating the state of Kievan Rus'. Medieval chronicles, such as the Primary Chronicle, and the Novgorod First Chronicle for Novgorod especially, are the basic source regarding the veche. The Primary Chronicle remains the main source for the early history of Kievan Rus', but its narrative ends at 1116. The next generation of chronicles, including the Suzdal Chronicle, are also important sources. Following the Mongol invasions, most references concern Novgorod and Pskov.

Russia

Most of the information about the veche concerns the 13th to 15th centuries. For veche proceedings, the veche had to be convoked first, often by the prince, but the main topic of the meeting usually was about a conflict between the prince and the population. As a result, there was no regular procedure to be followed, which often led to violence among the participants. There are several mentions of the prince being deposed and the crowd pillaging the residence of the prince. Not much is known about actual proceedings except that the bishop could function as the chairman, while in other instances, the prince could assume this role. The chronicles also mention the existence of a veche bell in not only Novgorod and Pskov, but also in Vladimir. Almost all that is known about treaty-making activities of towns concerns Novgorod, and to a lesser extent, Pskov.

During the Mongol domination of the Russian principalities, there was little room for veche independence. The cities in the northwest were less affected by Tatar overlordship, and so the institution survived longer there. In 1262, veche meetings were held in Rostov, Suzdal, Vladimir and Yaroslavl, in which it was decided to throw out the tax collectors sent by the Tatars. In 1304, the citizens of Kostroma and Nizhny Novgorod rebelled against the local aristocracy at the veche meetings. There is also a final mention of a veche meeting in Moscow in 1382, when Tokhtamysh had launched a campaign against Dmitry Donskoy. The latter had fled to Kostroma while the former had captured Serpukhov near the city of Moscow. Nikolay Karamzin said that the people of Moscow "at the sound of the bells assembled for a veche, remembering the ancient right of the Russian citizens to decide their own fate in important situations by a majority of votes".

By the 16th century, the veche had been replaced with the zemsky sobor, an advisory body, which would serve as the basis for later representative bodies.

Vladimir-Suzdal

A semi-legendary account of Aleksandr of Suzdal () moving the veche bell from Vladimir to his appanage center Suzdal during his reign as grand prince is found in chronicles:

|source=Novgorod First Chronicle

Novgorod Republic

thumb|Removal of the veche bell from Novgorod to Moscow in 1478, miniature from the [[Illustrated Chronicle of Ivan the Terrible (16th century)]]

The Novgorod veche was the highest legislative and judicial authority in the city until 1478, after Novgorod was formally annexed by Ivan III. Each of the kontsy (boroughs or "ends") of Novgorod also had their own veche to elect borough officials.

Pskov Republic

The veche of the Pskov Republic had legislative powers; it could appoint military commanders and hear ambassadors' reports. It also approved expenses such as grants to princes and payments to builders of walls, towers and bridges. The veche gathered at the court of the Trinity Cathedral, which held the archives of the veche and important private papers and state documents. The veche assembly included posadniki (mayors), "middle" and common people. Historians differ on the extent to which the veche was dominated by the elites, with some saying that real power was held in the hands of boyars, with others considering the veche to be a democratic institution. Conflicts were common and the confrontation between the veche and the posadniki in 1483–1484 led to the execution of one posadnik and the confiscation of the property of three other posadniki who fled to Moscow. The most significant achievement of the Pskov veche was the adoption of the Pskov Judicial Charter, likely after 1462, which was the most comprehensive Russian legislation enacted until the Sudebnik of 1497 under Ivan III, the first collection of laws of the unified state.

The unification of Russia gave rise to a new political system characterized by the dominance of the grand prince, who viewed the country as his personal patrimony and dismantled traditional institutions like the veche. In the autumn of 1509, Grand Prince Vasily III visited Novgorod, where he received complaints from the Pskov veche against the Muscovite governor of the city. At first, Vasily encouraged complaints against the governor, but soon demanded that the city abolish its traditional institutions, including the removal of the veche bell. From that point on, Pskov was to be ruled exclusively by his governors and officials, and on 13 January 1510, the veche bell was removed and transported to Moscow.

Vyatka Land

In the pre-revolutionary period, Russian historians generally viewed Vyatka as a veche republic, similar to Novgorod and Pskov. This view was later rejected by Soviet historians, who only recognized the existence of a form of self-government. However, the issue was raised again in the late 20th century, with some post-Soviet historians suggesting that a veche existed. For instance, following an ultimatum by Ivan III in 1478, the negotiators from Vyatka declared that they could not decide without the consent of the community, which could only be given through a veche meeting. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the veche was a permanent institution, and such meetings were typically held in cities during extraordinary situations. In addition, Vyatka was populated by migrants from various regions, and, as it was located on the frontier, the military character of its leadership suggests that veche meetings may have been primarily convened to resolve military matters.

Poland

thumb|right|A wiec in the time of [[Poland's King Casimir III ()]]

The veche, known in Poland as wiec, were convened even before the beginning of the Polish statehood in the Kingdom of Poland.

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