DOI: 10.7256/2409-868X.2015.2.14197

Abstract: The subjects of research are the legal rules governing liability for treason in Soviet legislation pre-war and war period. The authors consider the totality of social relations associated with the adoption, the further development and implementation of the enforcement provisions of the criminal legislation in the sphere of protection of security of the USSR. This article discusses the causes and conditions of formation of the Institute responsible for treason, criminal and legal description of the offences with treasonous activities, and are characterized by norms of emergency legislation wartime on the subject. Methodological basis of the study was the principles of historicism and objectivity, which helped the authors to conduct an in-depth study of the documentary sources and historical facts, to establish a causal connection between them. Scientific novelty of the research is determined not only by the comparative-legal analysis of the normative legal acts, regulating the Foundation of the prosecution for treason, but the fact that the authors identified a number of features of the legal Institute in its historical development, and outlined the main directions of law-making and enforcement in this area.

DOI: 10.7256/2409-868X.2015.1.13879

Abstract: This article is devoted to the activity of law enforcing authorities of the USSR before the war and their measures aimed at protection and promotion of socialist property. The author of the article analyzes the legal acts and rules of that period as well as archive materials (including the materials that have been first introduced by the author) in order to describe the main legal provisions forming the legal basis for the activity of NKVD of the USSR, Prosecution Office and the court. In this research the author raises questions whether particular methods of political repressions actually answered the realities of that period and whether the law enforcement activity grew more efficient in the 1930s. The methodological basis of the research involves the main principles of research, i.e. historicism and objectivity. The author tries to analyze as many historical and legal sources as possible and make particular conclusions based on that analysis as well as to stay away from his own ideological preferences and beliefs when analyzing the phenomena and processes under study. The scientific novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author reveals a number of archive materials that have never been studied before and conducts a comparative legal analysis of legal acts and standards regulating one of the main directions of the activity of state security bodies, NKVD of the USSR, in the 1930s.