Within the framework of the traditional society of Ancient Russia, there were two fairly privileged estates, serving in the service of the prince or tsar - the boyars and nobles. Despite some similarities, the position of these two categories of the population was markedly different.
Boyars estate
The boyars led their history from the squad of Russian princes of the XI century. Initially, they received land for serving the prince, but by the time of feudal fragmentation, the boyar estates became an integral and hereditary possession of the boyar clans.
The boyars represented a significant political force, especially during conflicts between princes before the creation of a single centralized state. The boyar could choose the prince whom he wanted to serve, and the support of rich boyars could greatly change the geopolitical balance in a particular region. Since the establishment of the centralized Moscow state, the Boyar Duma appears - this estate-representative body was the prototype of the parliament, however, it played only an advisory role under the tsar - the boyars had the right to advice, but could not challenge the decision of the ruler.
The Boyar Duma was abolished by Peter I and was replaced by a collegial management system.
In some situations, the boyars received exclusive political power. For example, this happened in one of the periods of the Time of Troubles, which was named accordingly - Semiboryashchina. During this period, a group of boyars actually controlled part of the state during the conflict between several candidates for the throne. When Peter I left Russia for a year, he also received actual control of the country by one of the boyars.
