From Development of the Foundations of Sovereign Democracy Towards the Paradigm of a Unified System of Public Power: Milestones of Scientific Creativity of Valerian A. Lebedev (to the Anniversary of the Scholar)

Abstract

The review article is dedicated to one of the landmark events for the entire legal world and the community of constitutional law scholars: the anniversary of Doctor of Law, Professor Valerian A. Lebedev, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Honorary Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation. Prof. Valerian A. Lebedev started his work during a difficult period of reforms initiated for the development of Russian statehood, a change in the paradigm of constitutional law development and a radical restructuring of the basic principles of ensuring and protecting fundamental rights and freedoms of the man and citizen. The paper highlights the main milestones of Prof. Valerian A. Lebedev’s scientific work related to the study of the problems of genuine democracy and sovereignty of the people, the priority of development in compliance with the Constitution of the Russian Federation and substantiation of the concept of sovereign democracy, functioning on the constitutional mechanism for the protection of individual rights, ensuring the principle of political pluralism, building a unified system of public power and a unified legislative system of the country, implementation of the constitutional reform. The paper highlights critically important role of Prof. Valerian A. Lebedev and his scientific creativity for the transitional and modern path of development of the national statehood, comprehensive, acute, problematic nature of his works, the unique scientific foresight of the scholar, who not only foresaw the constitutional reform, but also revealed its key concepts-novels, pitfalls and prospects for improving specific constitutional law institutions. The possibility of studying modern and past research works by Prof. A. Lebedev is presented as a special value for the modern science of constitutional law, since their subject of research covers the key concepts and categories of the theory of Russian constitutionalism, correct understanding of which depends on the possibility of effective implementation of the constitutional principles of the existence of the state and society.