Space Law Researcher Mikhail Smirnov

Abstract

Based on the new archival documents and literature in English, the paper presents the biography of Mikhail Sergeevich Smirnov, representative of the Russian diaspora in Yugoslavia and researcher of a new branch of international law, which began to develop in 1957 with the launch of the fi rst artifi cial Earth satellite. He was a secondgeneration Russian refugee, who was forced to leave his homeland as a little boy. He settled in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes / Kingdom of Yugoslavia alongside his family. He graduated from Law School in the state capital, Belgrade, then from Paris Law School, where he obtained his doctorate, and then from Paris Law School’s Institute for Higher International Sciences. After the launch of the fi rst satellite in 1957, Mikhail Smirnov, an aviation law expert, started paying more attention to the new aspects of aviation law associated with space exploration: he spoke at a number of international meetings of specialists in this fi eld of law. His works were published in domestic and international journals and his papers were cited by many authors. The scientist became a member of the International Astronautical Academy, the International Astronautical Federation, and the first president of the International Institute of Space Law. Smirnov was even a Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts corresponding member candidate. Nevertheless, he was almost completely forgotten in Serbia.