In this episode of Working-Class History (Rabochaya Istoriya), Oleg Zhukov and Vadim Bolshakov, creator of the IstProf project, discuss the origins of occupational associations in Rus' from the 11th to the 16th centuries.

How did brotherhoods of builders, merchants, craftsmen, and other workers emerge? How were they organized, who led them, and what benefits did their members enjoy?

Using examples such as the Ivan's Hundred merchant guild in Novgorod, the woodworkers of Kyiv, the builders' brotherhoods of Pskov, and groups of workers engaged in fishing and hunting, the speakers explore the organization of collective labor, internal hierarchies, and relations with princely authorities.

Special attention is paid to historical sources, the difficulties of studying medieval associations, and the question of whether these brotherhoods can be considered predecessors of modern trade unions.