Posad

The posad was inhabited by craftsmen and merchants and was its own distinct community, separate from the city it adjoined.

During the 1920s administrative territorial reform in the Soviet Union, posads were converted into urban-type settlements.

Merchants and craftsmen resided there and sold goods such as pottery, armor, glass and copperware, icons, and clothing; as well as food, wax, and salt.

Most large cities were adjoined by a posad, frequently situated below the main citadel and by a river.

Membership in the community became hereditary, and posad residents were expected to pay taxes and perform other duties to the state.