Review of the Book: Pechnikov M. V. Kolomenskoye in the 14th — First Third of the 16th Century: The Early History of a Moscow Suburban Princely Patrimony. Moscow: Kvadriga, 2024. 200 pp. (Historian: Direct Speech)

Abstract

This book presents a comprehensive study of the initial history of the Kolomenskoye village, covering the period from the late 13th to the first third of the 16th centuries. The monograph traces the evolution of Kolomenskoye from a princely patrimonial estate (“votchina”) to a sovereign residence, integrating local events associated with the village into the broader context of all-Russian historical processes. This approach allows uncovering little-studied aspects of Kolomenskoye’s history and clarifying the mechanisms of patrimonial land ownership, judicial procedures, and palace infrastructure in late medieval Russia. The book’s structure follows a chronological principle; however, within the chapters, a thematic approach predominates, in line with contemporary academic trends. The first chapter is devoted to the origins of Kolomenskoye and its incorporation into the holdings of the Moscow princely house; the second examines the village’s status in the 15th century and its role in inter-princely relations; and the third one focuses on Kolomenskoye’s emergence as a country resi­dence under Grand Prince Vasily III. Particular attention is given to the analysis of artif­acts: the Dvina Stone, the bell cast in 1487, and the Plashchanitsa (burial shroud) of Metropolitan Photius of Kiev and All Rus’. The author’s conclusions are generally well-argued, although some propositions remain purely hypothetical. M. V. Pechnikov’s monograph constitutes a significant contribution to the study of the early history of both the village of Kolomenskoye and the Grand Duchy of Moscow.