At the origins of juvenile justice – the life and fate of Valery Mikhailovich Levitsky

Abstract

The article reviews main milestones in the life and creative work of Valery Mikhailovich Levitsky, one of the active members ofthe Kyiv Patronage Society, justice of peace, first judge of the Kyiv Juvenile Court, journalist – in the context of social and politi calprocesses of the first half of the twentieth century. His scientific, political and public positions before and after 1917 are presen ted.The future judge was born on May 12, 1886 in the city of Halych, Kostroma province. In 1909, Valery Mikhailovich graduatedfrom the Law Faculty of St. Volodymyr Kyiv University with a first-class honors degree. While still a student he joined the public acti -vities of the Kyiv Patronage Society. First of all, we note that the Kyiv period of Levitsky’s creative activity was quite fruitful. He mainlydealt with problems of caring for homeless children and children of prisoners. He was elected a justice of peace, and in late 1913and early 1914 a judge of the Kyiv Juvenile Court.By 1916, Levitsky was in charge of all adolescent refugee facilities on the Southwestern Front and organized assistance to childrenaffected by the war. He also remained an active member of the Kyiv Patronage Board, a member of the Board and auditor of theKyiv Correctional Colony Society. Back in 1912, he was left to prepare for a professorship at the Department of Criminal Law of theKyiv University. During this period, he published many articles and reports on the activities of the juvenile court, which were creditedto him as his academic papers.In 1917, many events took place in his life. Valery Mikhailovich takes an active part in the political scene. Thus, in July 1917 hewas included in the electoral list of cadets for the Kyiv City Duma elections. But he did not become a vowel because he did not getenough votes. However, in August he became a member of the Ukrainian Central Council. At the end of the year, Levitsky took part inthe elections to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly.Disappointed in failures and dissatisfied with the German occupation and Hetman P. Skoropadsky, Levitsky was looking for likemindedpeople and found them in the person of the editor of the newspaper «Kievlyanin» – V. Shulgin and his supporters.Valery Mikhailovich can be attributed to those who did not accept the revolution and took an active part in the White Movement.The year of 1917 dramatically changed his life. Then there was emigration. The further work in the specialty was impossible, so Le -vitsky actively proved himself in the field of journalism. Valery Mikhailovich Levitsky died on April 27, 1946 in Paris. Perhaps thisstudy will bring us a little closer to understanding the tragic events of that time.