15 April 1520

The Duma has long been an important institution of the Muscovite state, the council through which the nobles could limit, oppose, or support the Grand Prince as the first among equals. However, as the princely states began to be consolidated, so too did the power of the Grand Prince over his nobles. No longer could they threaten to abandon him for the service of another prince, for there were no more princes left to turn to. As such, the council had slowly morphed into a body of advisors rather than decisionmakers. Regardless, Dmitri’s grandfather Ivan III had made a point of consulting with his boyars and encouraging pushback on decisions they disagreed with. While this had certainly given the boyars greater influence in the realm, the nature of Russian administration prevented them from obtaining threatening powerbases.

Grand Prince Dmitri was also inclined to follow his grandfather’s example when dealing with the governing council, dictated primarily by his humanist approach to life. Of course, his faltering war record also forced him to take a more conciliatory tone, lest his boyars feel the need to relieve him of his duties. Until he could prove himself a capable ruler, he would have to cede the floor to them more than he’d like.

With this in mind, he has issued an updated list of boyars and convened the council to discuss the recovery of the state following the long war with their neighbours.