Russkaya Pravda
| Russkaya Pravda | |
|---|---|
| Created | Early 11th century |
| Author(s) | Prince's administration |
| Purpose | Guidance for the princely court |
The Russkaya Pravda (sometimes translated as Rus' Justice, Rus' Truth, or Russian Justice) was the legal code of Kievan Rus' and its principalities during the period of feudal fragmentation. It was written at the beginning of the 12th century and remade during many centuries. The basis of the Russkaya Pravda, the Pravda of Yaroslav, was written at the beginning of the 11th century. The Russkaya Pravda was a main source of the law of Kievan Rus'.
In spite of great influence of Byzantine legislation on the contemporary world, and in spite of great cultural and commercial ties between Byzantium and Kievan Rus', the Russkaya Pravda bore no similarity whatsoever to the law of the Byzantine Empire. The absence of capital and corporal punishment rather reflects Norse jurisprudence.