?
Соборное уложение и социально-политическая эволюция России во второй половине XVII в.
The article presents the results of the study of the socio-political evolution of Russian society in the second half of the XVII century. The author argues against a scholarly interpretation of Council Code, which “reflects first stage of transition of Russia from state-representation monarchy to absolutism”. With the development of the legislation codified earlier in the Council Code, judicial methods of resolving conflicts were replaced by administrative practices. The legislation on the townships of the second half of the XVII century significantly deviated from the course adopted in the Council Code: in the confrontation of the townships with the secular and ecclesiastical patrimony, the state withdrew from the unconditional protection of the interests of the latter. With the legislative formalization of serfdom, the forms of realization of the rights of the ruling elite to serfs have changed. The escalation of consolidation measures in the second half of the XVII century coincided with the improvement of the system of tax collection, which was able to meet the needs of the state in the growing quantitative and qualitatively improved army. Having made it possible to mobilize the material resources of the people to solve foreign policy problems, serfdom for a long time became the main way to meet the growing needs of the ruling class.