The Role of the Sudebnik of 1497 in the Centralization of the Russian State

The paper examines the significance of the 1497 Sudebnik as the most important stage in the process of centralization of the Russian state under Ivan III. The document is analyzed as the first nationwide set of laws aimed at strengthening a unified legal system and limiting feudal fragmentation. The role of the Sudebnik in the formation of the judicial management system, the strengthening of the power of the Grand Duke and the unification of judicial practice is emphasized. Special attention is paid to the introduction of the norm on "St. George's day" as a legal basis for the enslavement of peasants. It is concluded that the Sudebnik of 1497 became the legal foundation for the further development of the centralized Russian state.