This book examines the development of Russian law from 1649 (the Council Code of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich) up to the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917. Most of what happened during this eventful period found reflection in legislation and was in fact brought about by legislation. This applies to the fundamental reforms of the Russian state by Peter the Great, the abolition of serfdom and the agricultural reforms of the 1860’s, the creation of a modern system of courts during the same period, and the hesitant introduction of a more democratic system of governance through the Constitution of 1906.

The first part of this volume is devoted to a description of the development of Russian legislation during the 1649-1917 period, against the background of political and socio-economic developments; the second part goes into greater detail in a survey of the evolution of public law, criminal law and private law.

The previous period of Russian legal history has been the subject of vol. 66 of Law in Eastern Europe: “A History of Russian Law. From Ancient Times to the Council Code (Ulozhenie) of Tsar Aleksei Mikhailovich of 1649”, Brill | Nijhoff, 2017.