The Criminal Proceedings in Russia in the Middle of the 18th Century

In Western Europe studies on the history of crime and punishment in different contexts (conceptual field; law, rights, investigation and trial; crime) have a long-standing tradition. Within this framework significant empirical material was accumulated, statistical samples and calculations were made, a set of verifiable hypotheses and explanatory models were formulated. Whereas in Russia such studies were practically absent. The prevailing points of view in historiography were based mainly on the analysis of legislative material, while researches that combine documents of practice and the regulatory framework are occasional and affect only certain aspects of the process. The reforms of Catherine the Great, beginning with the first years of her reign, made drastic changes in the criminal process. This research examines the transformation of the criminal process for property crimes in the mid-18th century in connection with the early reforms of Catherine the Great. This case study is based on the synthesis of criminal cases with legislative material for two periods – 1755 (the reign of Elizabeth and the death penalty moratorium) and 1764 (the implementation of the first decrees of Catherine the Great). The decree of February 10, 1763 made the first changes to the criminal process on property cases. Not only the methods of inquiry changed, but also the subordination of bodies, which transformed the investigation process.