Korolev S.A. Russia and Byzantine Law: Cancelled Pseudomorphosis?

Abstract: The article discusses the process of reception of Byzantine law in Russia as part of the first Russian pseudomorphosis. Considerable attention is paid to the attempt of legal reforms undertaken by Prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich shortly after the beginning of the Christianization of Russia. In particular, the replacement of the traditional vira (fine) as a punishment for murder and "razboynichestvo" with the death penalty is the subject of analysis. The comparison of the two components of the first Russian pseudomorphosis: religious (Christianization) and legal (transformation of laws and practices, the introduction of the ecclesiastical courts, and so on) was carried out. Methodologically, the author relied on traditional methods of analysis, synthesis, systematization as well as the principle of historicism. In his paper Korolev has widely used the conclusions of domestic and foreign philosophers, historians, legal experts and religious scholars resulting from their work on the matter. The author concludes that the legal norms and principles of Byzantium borrowed and adapted in Russia was extremely fragmented. Byzantine law was taking root primarily through the church and the ecclesiastical court. Pseudomorphosis turned out to be a successfully acting, effective mechanism in some areas, especially in religion, and not completely held in others. As a result, the Russian legal system developed not so much by pseudomorphic borrowing but grew out of the old "barbaric" customary law adopting Byzantine rules only partially. 

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