ISSN 2078-9823 (Print), ISSN 2587-7879 (Online)

DOI: 10.24412/2078-9823.071.025.202503.224-235

Danil V. Rybin

St. Petersburg Institute (branch) of the All-Russian State University of Justice (RPA of the Ministry of Justice) (St. Petersburg, Russia), e-mail: danilarybin@rambler.ru

 

Conservative Liberalism and Legalism in Late Soviet Historiography

 

Abstract

Introduction. The article reveals the development of Soviet historical science on the problem of conservative liberalism and legalism in the 1980-1990s. The topic of legalism (right-wing liberal movement of lawyers) has not received detailed consideration in Soviet historiography and is considered in our work for the first time. At the same time, such outstanding figures as

B. N. Chicherin, M. M. Kovalevsky, A. F. Koni, K. K. Arsenyev and others were active participants in this movement. The purpose of the work is to identify the main directions of late Soviet historical science in the field of right-wing liberalism.

Materials and Methods. The methodology is based on the problem approach, that is, each area in which liberal groups acted is considered as a socio-political phenomenon characteristic of that time.

Results. The main attention was paid to such problems as the right-liberal press, the work of moderate liberals in government bodies, political parties and public organizations of legalists, biographies of conservative liberals, zemstvo liberalism, regional organizations of legalists, etc. A number of scientists (V. A. Kitaev, K. F. Shatsillo, V. E. Kelner, V. V. Shelokhaev, etc.) came close to the idea of legalism as part of the right-liberal movement in the late empire. But the decisive step to distinguish this movement as one of the directions of conservative liberalism was not made. Thus, researchers spoke about zemstvo liberalism, “old liberalism”, progressivism and other directions of the “liberation” movement. The legal group, which actively manifested itself in that era, was not noticed by researchers, and organizations in which lawyers dominated were inscribed in the general context of the liberal stream. The lawyers themselves were “assigned” to one or another organization of a liberal persuasion, and the legal component of right-liberalism was almost not considered.

Discussion and Conclusion. It can be concluded that the assessments of conservative liberalism have changed from negative to positive. As they studied the history of moderate liberalism, Soviet scholars moved to balanced characteristics of this phenomenon.

Keywords: Legalists, B. N. Chicherin, M. M. Kovalevsky, K. K. Arsenyev, conservative liberalism, progressives, party of peaceful renewal

For citation: Rybin D. V. Conservative Liberalism and Legalism in Late Soviet Historiography. Gumanitarian: aktual’nye problemy gumanitarnoi nauki i obrazovaniia = Russian Journal of the Humanities. 2025; 25(3): 224–235. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.24412/2078-9823.071.025.202503.224-235.

 

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