Abstract
<jats:p>The article explores the features of social relations in the urban communities of the eastern lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the end of the 16 th century, using a singled-out conflict. The conflict took place in Mahilou in April 1577. This collision attracts attention in all respects – its time, place, participants, and outcome. The violent clash occurred immediately after Easter, the most principal feast of Christianity, on Easter Monday. The events took place in key places of city life – a tavern, monastery, and magistrate. Members of different estates and social groups were involved in the collision – burghers, nobility, and Orthodox clergy. Despite the rather serious level of violence, both sides of the conflict settled all claims peacefully, without bringing the matter to a court decision. In our opinion, it is the very case that provides an opportunity to reflect connections and interactions between various groups of the urban community, their norms and values, mentality and behavior codes. In the second half of the 16th and the first half of the 17th century, Mahilou was one of the most developed cities of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and played an important role in the development of trade and craft activities in the upper basin of the Dnieper. Although the history of Mahilou has a detailed historiography, the local urban community was not considerably examined by historians. The research is based on the first books of Mahilou magistrate that have survived to this day. The methodological basis of the analysis is the case study method. The article emphasizes that investigations of local conflicts provide in-depth research of the social history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.</jats:p>