The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire: An Important Source for Researching the History of Moldova and Bessarabia
The Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire: An Important Source for Researching the History of Moldova and Bessarabia

Summary/Abstract: According to the compilers of the “Complete Collection of Laws of the Russian Empire,” the objective was to assemble a body of laws adopted starting from the mid–17th century, intended to serve as the foundation for the development of legislation within the Russian Empire. The legal materials included in the Collection were also regarded as an important historical source for studying the history of the Russian state through the lens of legal history. The documents pertaining to the history of the political relations between the Principality of Moldavia and Russia—some of which were drafted in the princely chancellery of Iaºi—bear no relation to Russian legislation. However, within the context of the Russian Empire’s expansionist policy in the early 19th century, their inclusion in the Collection served a clearly defined ideological purpose. These documents were meant to “demonstrate” that Moldavia had always aspired to become part of Russia, and that through the annexation of Bessarabia in 1812, the “centuries-old tendencies” of Moldavia to “join” the Russian Empire were partially fulfilled.

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