This master’s thesis tries to highlight the significance of Birch Bark Letters for the study of the history of Novgorod, the life of its inhabitants, and the history of the Russian language. The first discovery of the letters busted the myth of illiteracy among common people during this era, and at the same time also provided a new insight into the developments of the Russian language. The discovery of Birch Bark Letters brought about new goals, and a different perspective regarding the research of the history of medieval Novgorod, which exceeded the study of solely written sources. The phenomenon of this historical source also poses the question of what was so special in the development of Novgorod that its people felt the need to communicate in this way. A very important fact that cannot be overlooked in all this is the political development that resulted in a somewhat unique republican organisation of the country. Particularly prominent was the role of the posadnik, first as the deputy of the Grand Prince of Kiev, and later as the elected representative of the people from the boyar class who considerably limited the power of the prince. The most crucial events took place in the 12th century, when the people revolted and expelled the prince, thus taking power into their own hands and urging their demands be heard and respected. Besides the political developments, international trade also played an important role in the developments of Novgorod. After all, the city itself was built on a territory that had strong ties with the neighbouring Baltic region in as early as the 8th century, since this territory was a crossroads of important trade routes leading to all parts of the world.
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