The Presidential Library invites to follow up a history of constitutional ideas in Russia

10 August 2017

The 10th of August 2017 marks the 250th anniversary of publication of “The Testament” of Empress Catherine II the Great for new draft Code of Laws. The main political and the legal system principles were defined in this document. A digital copy of this important evidence has been recently added to the exposition of the Constitutional Hall of the Presidential Library.

It stands to mention that the admonishment was based on the works of the French thinker Charles Louis de Montesquieu focused on “The Spirit of the Laws” / “De l'esprit des lois” and the Italian public figure Cesare Beccaria “On crimes and punishments” / “Dei delitti e delle pene”. In 1766, Catherine wrote to the philosopher-enlightener Voltaire about the work of Montesquieu: “It has everything that can only be imagined…” To get familiar with the provisions of “The Testament” from anywhere in the world is possible referring to an electronic copy of The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire, which is currently in open access on the Presidential Library website.

On August 11, 1767, — the next day after publication of “The Testament” of Catherine the Great, the Established Committee — a provisional collegiate authority in Russia in XVIII century — began work on a new set of laws instead of the Council Code of 1649. Members of the Commission were the deputies from almost all classes (from noblemen, state peasants, arable soldiers, Cossacks, etc.), with the exception fore serfs (constituting the overwhelming majority of the population of Russia at that time). “The Testament” contained progressive positions distinguishing for the era of so-called enlightened absolutism. Thus, for the first time in Russian practice, the concept of “Civil Society” is introduced: “Civil society, just like any other thing, requires a certain standing order, it has to be the ones to rule and command, and the others to obey.” “The Testament” suggested to separate the judiciary from the executive authorities, prohibited a torture, and limited a use of the death penalty. However, a new set of laws has never been created. The inter- and inner estates contradictions of the members of the Committee disorganized its work, and in January 1769 it ended its work.

More about the place of “The Testament” in the history of our country could be found out at the permanent exposition dedicated to the history of constitutional ideas in Russia and, in particular, to the adoption of the basic law of the country — the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Owing to the cutting edge multimedia equipment, everyone can virtually flip through the pages of an electronic version of the inauguration copy of the Constitution, offered by the Russian President to the library as a gift on the day of institution’s opening — May 27, 2009.