Political Space In The Tsars’ Residences Of The 17th Century: Vertical And Horizontal Dimensions

Abstract

The current growing interest in the concept of “political space” is largely associated with its use within constructivist studies. Adopting this perspective, this article examines the construction of political space in tsarist country residences of the 17th century and identifi es two methods employed in the process. The first led to the creation of a hierarchically (vertically) organized political space, the second — to a horizontal space. In the fi rst case, only representatives of the supreme power were endowed with political subjectivity, while in the second every participant in the political communication process was. Both methods were used simultaneously, which was caused not only by the need to satisfy private interests, but also by the need for empowering interaction, when subjects received certain benefi ts in exchange for recognition of the legitimacy of the supreme power.

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