Russian customs service as state compulsory service (XVI-XVII)

The article deals with the history of an important phenomenon of Russian local administration in the XVI-XVII centuries called faithful service, which was performed as state compulsory service. The author considers service in inland customs (customs houses) as an example of this, and analyzes organizational and legal basis of faithful service. Special attention is given to the disputable problem of the nature of relationship between customs and the leader of local administration - voevoda. The author analyzes the place and significance of customs houses as important elements of Russian Russian local administration in the XVI-XVII centuries; inasmuch as they were closely connected with establishment of customs clearance procedures. The research work is based on the laws from Complete Laws of Russian Empire and on the material which is stored in the collections of Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts (Moscow).