Administrative institutions were placed in the Dovmont wall in the place of the former buildings of the Mayor who had ruled independant Pskov. After the fire of 1688, a stone building of the Administrative Chamber was erected in 1692-1693. It survived until today. The building had a beautiful tented roof and five vaulted halls. The Mayor himself "with his comrades" used to sit in the chamber which was decorated with murals. The municipal treasury and a coffer with the state seal and the military banner were kept inside. Next to that chamber there was a big chamber for subscribes, where they did their clerical work. On the ground floor there was a passage, a state archives niche and a prison for criminals and for those who fought against the feudal system. The Pskovian population of the 17th century was divided according to social status and wealth. The Mayor's administration worked in close contact with the so-called "important people of Pskov" landowners, rich merchants, higher clergy. "The Middle Class", including mostly tradesmen and artisans, lower clergy and a part of lower clerks were not always satisfied with everything. A social layer of poor people, who had nothing to lose, appeared at the bottom. In 1606-1611 and in 1650, mighty uprisings of poor people took place. They lasted a long time and had a stubborn character and happened against the background of all Russian crises during that time. For a short period, the poor people enjoyed power. But all those uprisings were unsuccessful. After 1510 the Market Place was removed to the Outer town. The Cadastre of 1585-1587 contains a detailed discription of that procedure and lists all 1678 people who had been selling at the Market and paid taxes. Among them were the names of wealthy merchants, townspeople, shooters, gunners, peasants, clergymen, inhabitants of Pskovian outskirts and foreigners. In Pskov there were other markets: The Fishing "Torg" (Market) in the estuary of the Pskova River, trade rows, in Zapskovye and in Zavelitchye.
