Legal foundations of administration in Belarusian lands in the 14th-18th centuries

Legal documents in Belarusian lands when the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Rus and Samogitia was part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a confederation with the Kingdom of Poland

• National legal documents
  • Acts of the 1569 Union of Lublin on the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
  • Codes of Law
  • Hig-level government documents
  • Military documents
• Local legal documents
• Documents on the administration of voivodeships (provinces)
• Magdeburg Law and other privileges to towns and boroughs
• Private legal documents
• Privileges of property rights
• Privileges of appointment
• Church legal documents

Map of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 1613. Photocopy. (BGAKFFD, № 0-046510)
Map of popular revolts on Belarusian lands in the mid-17th century. Photocopy. Printed. [1970]. Belarusian. (BGAMLI, f. 444, op. 1, d. 313, l. 1)
Map of administrative and territorial division in Belarus and adjacent areas in the mid-18th century. Photocopy. Printed. 1993. Belarusian. (BGAMLI, f. 444, op. 1, d. 313, l. 3)
Map of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth according to the 1569 Union of Lublin. Author V. Nosevich. Photocopy. Printed. Belarusian. Vialiki gistarychny atlas Belarusi u 3-kh tamakh. Т.1. Minsk, 2009. P. 82. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
National legal documents Acts of the 1569 Union of Lublin on the foundation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Act of Sigismund II Augustus, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, on transfer of inheritance rights of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Polish Crown with the definition of the union of the two states. Warsaw, 13 March 1564. Printed. Polish and Belarusian. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 253-257. (BelNIIDAD, library)
Instruction of the Diet of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to envoys to the Diet of the Polish Crown. Brest, 5 August 1566. Printed. Polish and Belarusian. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 257-261. (BelNIIDAD, library)
Act of the Union issued by the Council and ambassadors of the Polish Crown. Lublin, 1 July 1569. Photocopy. Printed. Polish and Belarusian. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 268-289. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Act of the Union issued by the Council and ambassadors of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Lublin, 1 July 1569. Printed. Polish and Belarusian. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 289-308. (BelNIIDAD, library)
Act of the establishment of the Union of Lublin issued by the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund II Augustus. Lublin, 11 August 1569. Printed. Polish and Belarusian. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 335-340. (BelNIIDAD, library)
Codes of Law
Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1588 (Lithuanian Statute published in Vilna in 1588). Printed. Old Belarusian. (Museum of the History of Mogilev. An electronic version of the Statute on the museum’s website and on the National Legal Portal of the RB http://www.pravo.by/pravovaya-informatsiya/pomniki-gistoryi-prava-belarusi/kanstytutsyynae-prava-belarusi/statuty-vyalikaga-knyastva-lito-skaga/statut-1588-goda/po-naya-versiya-tekstu-pdf/”)
Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1588 (chapters 1-4, 9-14). Photocopy. Printed. Old Belarusian and Belarusian (preface). Gistoryia dzyarzhavy i prava Belarusi u dakumentakh i materyialakh. Minsk, 2003. P. 140-154. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Statute of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania of 1588. Photocopy. Printed. Belarusian. Statut Vyalikaga knyastva Litouskaga. 1588. Minsk, 2010. 207 p. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
First edition of the collection of legislative acts “Volumina Legum”, vol. 1 (Warsaw, 1732). Printed. Title page. Latin. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 375. (BelNIIDAD, library)
First edition of the collection of legislative acts “Volumina Legum”, vol. 2 (Warsaw, 1733). Printed. Title page. Latin. Pomniki prava Belarusi XIV-XVI stst.: agulnazemskiya pryvilei i akty dzyarzhaunykh unii. Minsk, 2015. P. 376. (BelNIIDAD, library)
Constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (excerpt). 3 May 1791. Photocopy. Printed. Gistoryia dzyarzhavy i prava Belarusi u dakumentakh i materyialakh. Minsk, 2003. P. 158-166. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
High-level government documents
Sigismund III Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, guarantees Orthodox believers in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth free confession of their faith. Warsaw, 18 June 1607. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Old Belarusian. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 14, l. 117-117 ob.)
Charter of Wladyslaw IV Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, confirming rights and freedoms to the Jewish people. 15 February 1633. Manuscript. Old Belarusian and Polish. (NIAB, f. 1727, op. 1, d. 3, l. 225-229 ob.)
Charter of John II Casimir Vasa, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, returning the town property which passed into the ownership of the nobility and clergy to the municipality’s jurisdiction (excerpt). 26 July 1662. Photocopy. Printed. Belarusian. Gistoryia dzyarzhavy i prava Belarusi u dakumentakh i materyialakh. Minsk, 2003. P. 157. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Resolution of the General Confederation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to compose all decisions in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Polish language only (excerpt). 29 August 1696. Photocopy. Printed. Belarusian. Istoriya Belarusi v dokumentakh i materialakh. Minsk, 2000. P. 99. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Stanislaw Denhoff, Crown Sword-Bearer and Marshal of the General Confederation of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, informs the nobility of Poland-Lithuania about the convocation of the General Council of the Nobility on 7 February 1707 in Lvov. Cracow, 3 January 1707. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 62-63)
Augustus II, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, informs the nobility of Poland-Lithuania about his return to the throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Dresden, 8 August 1709. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 48)
Diary of the Convocation Diet in Warsaw on 27-29 April 1733 (incomplete). Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 39-41 ob.)
Military documents
Turkish Sultan Murad complains to Stephan Bathory, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, about the Cossack raids on Moldova. Istanbul, 10 March 1578. Early 19th-century. Manuscript. Latin with Russian translation. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 14, l. 89-92 ob.)
“Diary” of Fedor Evlashevsky about the situation in Central Belarus in 1564-1604 – the activities of S. Nalivaiko’s groups in Belarus (excerpt). 1595-1596. Photocopy. Printed. Istoriya Belarusi v dokumentakh i materialakh. Minsk, 2000. P. 83-84. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Lew Sapieha, Voivode of Vilna, Grand Hetman of the GDL, on account of the death of the Polish-Lithuanian monarch and the possible war with Moscow, orders the residents of Mogilev to repair the town fortifications, to conduct a military census of townspeople, and to prepare arms and artillery for the defence of the town. Brest, 15 May 1632. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f 6, op. 1, d. 3, l. 119-119 ob.)
Record in the Magistrate Book of Polotsk of the following document: Yanush Kishka, Voivode of Polotsk, Grand Hetman of the GDL, informs the inhabitants of Polotsk Voivodeship about the supply of provisions for 1000 troops. Krivichi, 5 July 1646. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 3, l. 105-105 ob.)
Resolution of the Diet of Warsaw to give temporary tax benefits to some Belarusian towns due to their destruction in the Russo-Polish war (excerpt). Mogilev, 1661. Photocopy. Printed. Istoriya Belarusi v dokumentakh i materialakh. Minsk, 2000. P. 93-94. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Truce Treaty of Andrusovo between the Moscow state and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth – on establishing new borders and expansion of trade between the two states (excerpt). Andrusovo, 30 January 1667. Photocopy. Printed. Old Belarusian. Istoriya Belarusi v dokumentakh i materialakh. Minsk, 2000. P. 95-98. (BelNITsED, collection of electronic copies of documents on legal foundations in Belarus in the 14th-18th centuries)
Augustus II, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, assembles the nobility’s militia of Mstislavl Voivodeship in view of the capture of Elblag by the Kurfurst of Brandenburg. Warsaw, 15 November 1698. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 24)
Agreement between the GDL nobility («Republicans») and the GDL army on the financing of troops. Field between the villages of Lavno and Puzevichi in Grodno district, 20 December 1698. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 25-27 ob.)
Michael Serwacy Wisniowiecki, Field Hetman of the GDL, calls upon the nobility of Polotsk Voivodeship to repulse the Swedish army. Near Bakshty, 1 June 1702. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 3, l. 15-15 ob.)
Augustus II, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, assembles the nobility’s militia of Mstislavl Voivodeship on 16 March 1703 for the war with Sweden. Warsaw, 25 January 1703. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 22)
Karol Stanislaw Radziwill, Chancellor of the GDL, informs the nobility of Mstislavl Voivodeship about the postponement of the Treasure Tribunal earlier assigned for 15 November 1704 in Grodno and its transfer elsewhere because of military hostilities. Nesvizh Castle, 12 October 1704. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 69)
Augustus II, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, calls the nobility for support in the struggle against Sweden and Stanislaw Leszczynski. Camp at Sandomierz, 10 July 1704. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 3, l. 13-14 ob.)
Michael Serwacy Wisniowiecki, Field Hetman of the GDL, gives information to Andrey Moshkevich, Treasurer of Mstislavl, and Adam Grabovetsky, Tablemaster of Sandomierz, delegates of the nobility of Mstislavl Voivodeship, about the military situation in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. 9 February 1705. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 37-37 ob.)
Tsar Peter I of Russia announces to the nobility of Mstislavl Voivodeship that the Russian troops will not break the established order in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Seal of Peter I. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 3, l. 48)
Instruction of Ludwig Konstantin Pociej, Grand Hetman of the GDL, to the officers Yuri Ilyinich and Mark Zhirkevich, assigned by him to conduct negotiations with the nobility of Mstislavl Voivodeship about the maintenance of troops. Camp at Mariampol, 15 October 1711. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 70-71)
Ludwig Konstantin Pociej, Grand Hetman of the GDL, calls upon the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to prepare for war with the Ottoman Empire. Pinsk, 18 January 1711. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 64)
Augustus II, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, informs the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania about the measures to strengthen state security in conditions of war with Sweden. Warsaw, 20 April 1712. Early 19th-century copy. Manuscript. Polish. (BGAMLI, f. 6, op. 1, d. 6, l. 65-66)

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