Posadnik

The term ''posadnik'' was first used in the Primary Chronicle under the year of 997 to denote the most senior official of an Eastern Slavic town. Later on, this term would come to mean the highest government post in Novgorod and Pskov . The most famous of them was the last one, Marfa Boretskaya, a noble lady who opposed Novgorod's alliance with Ivan III . When the city was annexed by Muscovy , she was deported to Moscow and the post of posadnik abolished. Marfa is the subject of Karamzin 's novella (1808).

Novgorod

In Novgorod Republic , the city posadnik was electable out of Boyar s by Veche to be a mediator between the public and the Novgorod knyaz. In 1354 , a statesman Ontsifor Lukinich carried out a Reform , introducing six posadniks instead of one. It meant that this title was retained by the person after his replacement (hence, the term "old posadnik", or ''старый посадник''). They also elected the so-called "stepennyi" posadnik (''степенный посадник'') from among the "old" ones. In accordance with the reform of 1416 - 1417 , the number of posadniks was increased threefold and stepennyi posadniks were to be elected for a six-month period.

Pskov

There were 78 known posadniks in Pskov between 1308 and 1510 .

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Posadnik