Zemshchina was in the classical sense, according to the definition of the archaeographer Vasily Storozhev, "land, as a concept opposite to the state, to everything state and sovereign in ancient Russia". The division into the oprichnina and zemshchina continued even after the exile of Tsar Simeon to Tver, only the oprichnina was replaced by the word court, so that towns and governors of zemshchina were opposed by cities and governors of the court, and zemshchina – by the court. Zemshchina even had its own separate zemshchina regiments. The center of the zemshchina was the city of Moscow.