ABSTRACT
On the basis of the mid-seventeenth-century Law Code (Sobornoe Ulozhenie), this chapter examines the notion of “others” in Muscovy and how it affected the attitude of the Muscovite government concerning the legal status of foreigners in oath-taking, property law, as well as rights of worship in towns, especially in Moscow. It also examines the impact of local initiatives on earlier legislative acts, acts that eventually found their way into various relevant clauses of the Law Code. In this regard, the author calls attention to the importance of collective petitions, analysing at length how the 1643 petition of certain Muscovite clergymen affected the life of Germans (nemtsy) living in Moscow in terms of their property rights and places of worship.
