Boyar

Definitions

1. A surname.
2. A member of a rank of aristocracy (second only to princes) in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia and Romania.
   historical

Equivalents

Examples

“Boris had abdicated in 889, leaving the throne to his son Vladimir, who had immediately identified himself with the boyar aristocracy which Boris had done his utmost to crush⟳.”

“A long series of wars was fought in the sixteenth century to keep⟳ Polish influence⟳ at bay in the West Russian lands, and prevent⟳ it from seducing Muscovy's restless boyars, the warrior-barons whose independence the grand dukes were determined to crush⟳.”

“some of his family looked to Orthodox Christianity to sustain them, and not only many of his boyars but most of his subjects were Orthodox Christians.”

“To understand⟳ Russia, you have⟳ to dive⟳ deep into its history — boyars and czars, Pushkin and Pasternak, Stalin and Stalingrad.”

CEFR level