Zemshchina

[1] This term received special meaning in the 16th century, after the departure of Tsar Ivan the Terrible to the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda in December 1564.

[1] Those whom Ivan the Terrible did not want to see as part of the oprichnik court were forcefully evicted on the territory of the zemshchina.

[3][4] When the oprichnina was established, the zemshchina was to pay its head 100 thousand rubles for a trip to the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda (a huge sum for those times).

[5][6][7] In 1572, the oprichnina was abolished and the zemshchina lands merged with the oprichnina lands, but in the fall of 1575 the zemshchina revived again when the tsar retired to the "shire", leaving Khan Simeon Bekbulatovich, who was granted the title of "Grand Duke of All Russia", on the throne.

[3][8] Velikiye Luki, Vladimir, Vyatka Land, Gorodets, Dmitrov, Pechora Region with Pustozerye, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Starodub Ryapolovsky (Starodub-on-Klyazma), Murom, Kolomna, Pronsk, Ryazan, Tula, Serpukhov, Obolensk, Odoev, Novosil, Bryansk, Smolensk, Tver, Torzhok, Kashin, Uglich, Vodskaya, Shelonskaya and Derevskaya pyatinas of Novgorod Land, Sofiyskaya side of the city of Novgorod, Pskov, Izborsk, Ivangorod, Koporye.