Very often in the history of statehood, the people were faced with disunity in judgments at moments when like-mindedness was vital. Councils helped to make a common decision and convey it to everyone.
To bring together people interested in solving any issue, discuss important aspects and come to a common agreement - these are the goals of cathedrals, common gatherings of people united by territory, deed or idea. The history of the Russian state knows church and rural councils.
Church cathedrals
The need for church councils arose after the spread of Christian teachings outside Israel. The early Christians did not have the opportunity to read the Bible in the form in which it is presented to modern man. The good news was spread orally, through the followers of the doctrine, or in writing - through the rewritten letters of the Apostles.
In such conditions, differences of opinion appeared in matters of faith. A variety of confessions and trends arose. The first Ecumenical Council was convened to preserve the unity of faith and to bring order to Christian teaching. As a result of this work, the Bible appeared - the unification of the Old Testament, the Epistles of the Apostles and the Apocalypse.
Along with the Ecumenical Councils, local councils were also convened. They discussed internal church issues.
Zemsky Cathedrals
The social and political life of Russia was discussed at the Zemsky Councils. The very concept of "zemstvo" was given later by historians. Contemporaries of the same events called such convocations, like the others - cathedrals. They were started in connection with every public action that required public comment. Whether the decisions of such councils were legislative acts or had a lower status - current historians have not come to a consensus.
In some ways, Zemsky Sobors resembled European parliaments. The difference was who initiated the meetings. When the upper classes of Europe did not agree with the actions of the monarch, the parliament was often violently and spontaneously passed. In Russia, on the contrary, the council was needed to strengthen the influence of the sovereign.
Conducting Zemsky Sobors was not only a legislative act, but also an institution for building power throughout the history of Russia.
The Russian tsar did not have to worry about the riot during the councils, unlike the European sovereigns. The participants in the discussion were chosen by the monarch himself, so unity in views was ensured. In addition, the members of the convocation belonged to the upper classes, and their unshakable position depended on the confident position of the monarch's power.