The Charters of Ivan IV (the Terrible) to the Hilandar and Rila monasteries

A rare discovery sheds light on the historical privileges granted by Ivan IV (the Terrible) to two prominent monasteries: Hilandar and Rila. The study reveals that letters patent and edict charters, most of which were lost over time, confirm Hilandar's right to establish a metochion in Kitai-gorod near the Kremlin and grant tax-free passage through Russian territory along with the privilege of collecting donations. These findings are based on surviving copies from the Ambassadorial book (1517–71) and 17th-century manuscripts, including a unique 'word-for-word copy' of Ivan IV's letters to Hilandar. The research highlights the significance of these charters in understanding the legal and economic relations between the Russian Tsardom and these Orthodox monasteries.

Dobychina, A. S. (2020). The Charters of Ivan IV (the Terrible) to the Hilandar and Rila monasteries. Materials for the Virtual Museum of Slavic Cultures. Issue II, 106–110. https://doi.org/10.31168/0440-4.17