THE SOCIAL VALUE OF PRINCESSES IN THE PERIOD OF KYIVAN RUS

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to determine the content of the social value of women-princesses in the period of Kyivan Rus. It is proven that when determining the content of the social value of women-princesses, the concepts of «purpose» («meaning») and «usefulness» («result of activity») should be analyzed. «Purpose», taking into account the historical and concrete realities of the period of Kyivan Rus, should be considered the provision of the «interests of the Russian land» in several directions, which reflected the internal and external functions of the state. It was determined that the directions that women-princesses took care of were the establishment of diplomatic and trade relations, the organization of dynastic marriages and cultural and educational activities abroad, the management of state affairs, the reconciliation of social contradictions, the implementation of fiscal policy, attempts to Christianize the state. It is substantiated that the «usefulness» of such activity consisted in the establishment of equal relations with a number of European countries and Byzantium, the conclusion of profitable trade agreements, the elimination (for a certain time) of enmity between the princes, the preservation of the independence of the Volyn principality in the first half of the 13th century, the creation of a foundation for centralization of the state, elimination of social contradictions for a while, formation of the foundations of the fiscal system. At various historical stages of the state formation of Ukraine, we observe the socially significant role of women, along with men, this was especially evident in the activities of princesses. Therefore, despite the actual lack of established standards of gender equality during the period of Kyivan Rus, as well as many subsequent ones, the practice of national state-building reflected pan-European and civilizational values, developing in the direction of freedom, equality, national identity etc.