Explanation: The Novgorod Republic was a Medieval republic in what-is-now Russia. There is some evidence of a relatively high rate of literacy, and a complex system of governance that included democratic elements. Novgorod merchants were known throughout Europe (and had something of a rivalry with the Germanic Hanseatic League). The republic was eventually conquered by Ivan III of Moscow, and then massacred by his grandson Ivan the Terrible a few decades later.
Explanation: The Novgorod Republic was a Medieval republic in what-is-now Russia. There is some evidence of a relatively high rate of literacy, and a complex system of governance that included democratic elements. Novgorod merchants were known throughout Europe (and had something of a rivalry with the Germanic Hanseatic League). The republic was eventually conquered by Ivan III of Moscow, and then massacred by his grandson Ivan the Terrible a few decades later.