Norms of the Diplomatic Activity in the Practice of Relationship between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the State of Moscow (in the Late of Fifteenth and Early Sixteenth Centuries)

Dramatic changes at the end of the 15th century that took place in the spaces of the eastern region changed the distribution of forces that had prevailed, and intensified interstate competition. Lithuania’s neighbour – the state of Moscow – which was striving to enter the international policy, sought to change the existing situation and to strengthen its position at the expense of other countries of the region. Interstate competition determined the nature of the tasks set to diplomacy, which at that time was closely related to the concepts of the position, status, superiority or equivalence, and, to some extent, to the state ideology of the countries. The latter connection determined the dependence of the norms of the activity on the contents of political ideas, which also determined the choice of the forms of communication. Diplomatic contacts distinguished themselves by one of the features testifying to the fact that forms of ways whereby an agreement was reached were of no less importance than the very contents of the agreement. A certain system of conduct ethics was followed in the interstate relations, the basis of which was mutually recognised norms and the diplomatic ceremonial and which provided for necessary compulsory forms of the diplomatic activity. We devoted our main attention to this sphere of interstate contacts seeking to reveal the mechanisms of its functioning as a whole. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of the subject under investigation we divided the analysis into several parts. The present article (the first part of the investigation) dealt with the norms establishing the principles of organising and maintaining interstate relations: the conception of the ruler and his diplomatic representative, the principles of hierarchical communication, the act of representation and the importance of the rank, as well as the conception of immunity/security.[...]Vytauto Didžiojo universiteta