INSTITUTE OF SUCCESSION UNDER A WILL OF THE PERIOD OF KIEVAN RUS 

Solentsova Inessa Valer'evna, Applicant, sub-department of law, Pedagogical institute, South Federal
University (Rostov-on-Don, 33 Bolshaya Sadovaya str.), nessochka555@mail.ru

34.01(091)

The article analyses historical development of the Old Russian testamentary right by comparison of the contents of its sources of public and private character and also descriptive works of prominent representatives of the doctrine. The Russian- Byzantine pact of 911 from early legal monuments of formation and development of institute of inheritance according to the will indicates possibility of transfer of property by the testator. A certain role of the Byzantine right and church institute in this historical process is traced. It is noted that in modern scientific works on civil law there is actually no description of the specified ancient sources of the right of Russia, having not only historical, but also international legal value. Legal regulation was carried out on the basis of the Kormchaia book in addition. The term «spiritual » reflects character of the will as peculiar spiritual order of the testator which at first rather represented moral manuals, a precept to a family, than property orders. The church positioned itself the quasiobligatory successor who secretly had a certain impact on formation of a free will of the testator. The free will of the testator developed at quite high level in the period of the Old Russian state, restrained extending «circle» of successors from among close relatives and restrictions to volume and types of property which weren't transferred according to the will. Borders of freedom of the will were slightly wider. The will of the testator wasn't limited to a law framework, the testator actually could appoint the successor that influenced formation of hereditary custom and the law for succession without the will. Traditional for historical way of development of the institute of inheritance according to the will, the factors limiting the will of the testator, for example, obligatory successors and an obligatory share, did not exist, being in embryo as so-called apportionment of a part of property» to the wife. The article leads to a conclusion that the destruction of the patriarchal relations formed and strengthened a tendency to development of freedom of testamentary orders, as one of the basic principles of the institute of inheritance according to the will.

Pact between Russia and the Byzantine empire of 911, «Spiritual», source of the testamentary right, Russian Truth, circle of successors, freedom of the will of the testator, borders of freedom of the will.

1. Tsitovich P. Iskhodnye momenty v istorii russkogo prava nasledovaniya [Initial points in history of the Russian right of inheritance]. Kharkov: Univ. tip., 1870, 173 p.
2. Nikol'skiy V. O nachalakh nasledovaniya v drevneyshem russkom prave [The principles of inheritance in the ancient Russian law]. Moscow: Univ. tip., 1859, 412 p.
3. Vladimirskiy-Budanov, M. F. Obzor istorii russkogo prava [Survey of the history of the Russian law]. Moscow: Izdat. dom «Territoriya budushchego», 2005, 800 p.
4. Verblovskiy, G. Entsiklopedicheskiy slovar' (reprintnoe vosproizvedenie izdaniya 1890 goda) [Thesaurus (reprinted reproduction of the publication of 1890)]. Moscow: Terra, 1991, book 60, t. 23.
5. Lyubavskiy A. Ob uproshchenii vneshney formy zaveshchaniy [On the simplification of the exterior form the will]. Saint Petersburg, 1865, 287 p.
6. Rossiyskoe zakonodatel'stvo X–XX vekov. T. 1. Zakonodatel'stvo Drevney Rusi: ed. V. L. Yanina, O. I. Chistyakova [Russian legislation of X-XX centuries. Vol. 1. Legislation of the Ancient Rus: edited by V. L. Yanina, O. I. Chistyakova]. Moscow: Yurid. lit., 1984, 432 p.
7. Momotov V. Pravo i zhizn': Nezavisimyy pravovoy zhurnal [Law and life: independent law journal]. 2003, no. 52 (9), p. 255.