Legal Historians of Russian Diaspora in 1920s—1930s

Abstract

The article characterizes the activities and legacy of Russian legal historians who found themselves in emigration in European academic centers in the 1920s. Among these researchers are mentioned M. N. Yassinsky, G. V. Demchenko, F. V. Taranovsky, A. V. Soloviev, and M. V. Shakhmatov. It is shown that prior to the revolution, these scholars taught at various universities in Russia, and in emigration they occupied chairs at higher educational institutions in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. The sources of the study include published works by the scholars, memoirs of emigrants, as well as archival materials of various types from storage facilities in Russia and Slovenia, which are being introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time. The analysis of sources revealed that their establishment in emigration was associated with certain difficulties. On the other hand, the experience gained in Russian universities in studying and teaching the history of Russian and Slavic law helped them integrate into the local academic environment. Only Taranovsky and Shakhmatov to some extent adhered to their previous themes in their scholarly activities, while other scholars changed theirs. It is concluded that this was due to a lack of access to sources and the demands of the courses being taught. At the same time, it is emphasized that there was ideological-methodological unity and awareness of belonging to a particular scientific community. The conclusion is drawn that pre-revolutionary schools of legal history continued to exist in the conditions of European emigration.