Smerd

Smerds (sing. smerd; in Russian: pl. смерды, sing. смерд ) were feudal-dependent peasants in Russia and some other Slavic countries. Sources from the 11th and 12th centuries mention smerds’ presence in the Kievan Rus (e.g. "Russkaya Pravda") and Poland.

In the Kievan Rus' the "smerds" were peasants who had been gradually losing their freedom (partially or completely) and whose legal status had differed from group to group. Unlike the slaves, the "smerds" had their own property and had to pay fines for their delinquencies. Legally, the "smerds" never possessed full rights; the killing of a "smerd" was punished by the same fine as the killing of a "kholop" (status similar to a slave). The property of the deceased was inherited by the "knyaz" (prince). The "Russkaya Pravda" forbade torturing the "smerds" during court examination without the consent of the "knyaz".

During the 12th and the 13th centuries the "smerds" were mentioned in a number of sources narrating the events in Halych-Volynia and Novgorod. It appears that during this period the term "smerd" encompassed the whole rural population of a given region. Sources of the 14th and 15th centuries refer to the "smerds" of Novgorod and Pskov as peasants-proprietors, who possessed lands collectively (communes) or individually and had the right to freely alienate their own allotments. However, their personal freedom was limited: they were forbidden to seek for a new master or princely patronage. The "knyaz" could not accept complaints from the "smerds" on their master. Also, the "smerds" had to perform certain duties called "dani" (дани), "tributes", or "raboty" (работы), "assignments", to the benefit of the city as a collective feudal master.