The article analyzes the process of the chernososhnye and the dvortsovye lands distributions to the nobility during the first half of the 17th century. The author shows that the boyars and courtiers got very large votchina and pomest’e from the chernososhnye and the dvortsovye lands. The author concludes that just new land grants but not old family lands formed the basis of landownership of the boyar and courtly elites. The article shows that the new grants from the chernososhnye and the dvortsovye lands in new areas of the country accounted for a significant proportion of the land even of the largest owners of the old family lands (Prince F. I. Mstislavskij, I. N. and N. I. Romanovs, F. I. Sheremetev, prince A. Yu. Sitskij, prince S. V. Prozorovskij, and others). The author shows the process of the formation of the largest landowners of the country from among the royal relatives and the favorites (the princes Cherkasskies, princes Suleshevs, princes Lvovs, Streshnevs and other), which landownerships consisted mainly of new grants. Contained in article data indicate major changes in the boyar ’s landownership, which begins to increasingly depend on the service of the Crown.