This Drujina was the germ of the future state.

Its members were the faithful servants of the Prince, his guard and his counselors.

He could constitute them a court of justice, or could make them governors of fortresses (_posadniki_) or lieutenants in the larger towns.

The Prince and his Drujina were like a family of soldiers, bound together by a close tie.

The body was divided into three orders of rank: first, the simple guards; second, those corresponding to the French barons; and, third, the _Boyars_, the most illustrious of all, second only to the Prince.