# Sudebnik of 1497 (1497)

URL: https://history-russia.com/timeline/1497-sudebnik-of-1497
Categories: main-event

Ivan III issued the Sudebnik of 1497, the first general law code of the Muscovite state. It standardised court procedures and limited peasants' right to leave their landlords to the two weeks around St George's Day in autumn. It was the first legal step toward serfdom. The Sudebnik unified justice across the newly gathered lands.

## Why it matters
The Sudebnik unified justice across the newly gathered lands.

Ruler at the time: [Ivan III](https://history-russia.com/rulers/ivan-iii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Sudebnik of 1497](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudebnik_of_1497)
- [Wikipedia — Yuri's Day](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuri's_Day)
- [Wikipedia — Grand Principality of Moscow](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Principality_of_Moscow)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Sudebnik of 1497](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Sudebnik+of+1497)
- [Wikipedia — Timeline of Russian history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Russian_history)