The medieval city of the Rus' in national historiography of the nineteenth century

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/1728-2640.2025.161.6

Abstract

Background. The relevance of this research stems from the fact that the 19th century laid the foundational principles of modern Ukrainian urban and medieval studies. Analyzing the scholarly concepts (state-building, democratic, defensive) and methodological approaches of that era allows not only for a reconstruction of the evolution of historical thought but also for the understanding of the origins of contemporary academic debates on state-formation processes and the role of cities in the civilizational development of Ukraine-Rus'. The interest in this topic in the 19th century was itself driven by several factors: first, the development of entrepreneurship and rapid urbanization stimulated interest in the historical roots of urban life; second, a growing fascination with the past required a scientific framework for the origin of Rus' cities; and third, the intensification of archaeological research provided new material sources for studying early urban settlements.

Purpose. The article aims to summarize the views of national scholars of the second half of the 19th century on the origin and functions of medieval cities in Rus', highlighting the evolution of these approaches. Methods. The study employs the principles of the concrete-historical approach, objectivity, and systematicity, as well as the methods of analysis, synthesis, historical-comparative analysis, and problem-chronological analysis.

Results. The results consist of a comprehensive historiographical study of the evolution of the views of 19th-century national scholars (including M. Maksymovych, M. Kostomarov, V. Antonovych, M. Drahomanov, and M. Hrushevsky) on the key problem of the emergence and role of cities in Rus' during the 9th–13th centuries.

The conclusions indicate that 19th-century national historiography shifted from purely descriptive characterizations of urban origins to more analytical approaches, albeit with a partial and one-sided use of archaeological sources. Scholars viewed medieval cities as important centers of socio-political processes in early Rus', around which major historical events were concentrated. They supported the idea of the continuous development of ancient settlements (horodyshche) into significant trade centers. They paid particular attention to the shifts in the systems of power and society during the state's formation. Their research explored how the aristocracy of that time, by leveraging its influence over the princes, assumed administrative and judicial functions, which established the city as a center of political power with far-reaching influence. Although the origin of medieval cities was previously given insufficient attention, it is critically important for understanding the evolution of socio-political and socio-economic relations, as well as defensive and economic transformations.

Keywords: Rus', city, horodyshche (ancient settlement), historiography, crafts, trade.