The title of Boyar in the context of the Pontifical Imperial State of Rome-Ruthenia, United Roman-Ruthenian Church, is a title of nobility that can be granted by the Prince-Bishop in his capacity as Grand Duke and titular Karol of Ruthenia. It is thus part of the nobility Pontifical Kingdom of Ruthenia.
The Boyars were the highest-ranking members of the feudal nobility in nations like Bulgaria, Kievan Rus' (and later Russia), Moldavia, Wallachia, Lithuania, and among the Baltic Germans. Comparable to the Dukes and Grand Dukes, the Boyars were second only to the ruling princes, grand princes, or tsars, commanding respect and authority from the 10th to the 17th centuries. Their very titles - Boila, Bolyar, Boyarin - carried grandeur and prestige, rooted in ancient Turkic and Slavic traditions.
These nobles wielded immense power through their military support of the Rus' princes. Their influence extended into the highest echelons of government, as they occupied key state offices and advised the grand dukes through the Boyars' Duma, the major legislative body of Kievan Rus'. Even in the face of the Mongol invasion, the Boyars persevered, with many finding their way into the ranks of the Lithuanian and Polish nobility. Others, refusing to relinquish their status, played a pivotal role in the formation of the formidable Cossack army.
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Pontifical Imperial State
of Rome-Ruthenia
United Roman-Ruthenian Church