The International Legal Implications of the Fall of the USSR

The consequences of the fall of the Soviet Union for the legal systems of the countries that continued to exist in its stead and for international relations were enormous. The Soviet collapse resulted in new economic patterns, politics, and ideology and significantly affected the legal development of the states that had come into being. Some important consequences of the collapse of the Soviet Union included the emergence of new integration processes and legal systems, a competition between legal cultures, heightened potential for conflict, and at the same time serious motivation to come to an understanding of the real meaning of the Russian state and law. One of the most significant international legal consequences of the Soviet collapse was the impact it had on European security, its very makeup, and new armed conflicts. To understand the changes that have occurred, in large part as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, and their relation to the complex political, economic, and technological configuration of the world as we know it, we must move forward with a scientific discussion capable of influencing the legal forecasting and modelling of Russia’s role in the modern world in the context of its national interests and strategic national priorities, the clear cultural orientation of legal transformations, evaluating the lessons of the past, and learning from them for the sake of the future. What problems has the comparative legal approach employed after the collapse of the Soviet Union created for the Russian legal system? How has the collapse of the Soviet Union affected security in Europe? How has the independence of former Soviet republics, in particular Ukraine, affected new interstate alliances and good relations with Russia? How did the collapse of the Soviet Union affect constitutional reform in the newly independent states and how were the political changes reflected in constitutional regulation? How has civil law developed and how significant is the influence of legal institutions from abroad? What important legal lessons has Russia learnt since the collapse of the Soviet Union for its own national identity and role in ensuring European and Global security?