The Institute of Certification of Soviet Militia Officers: Historical and Legal Analysis of Formation

Introduction: this article provides a historical and legal analysis of the formation and evolution of the institution of certification in the Soviet militia. This research is essential for understanding and improving personnel policy in the modern Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. Materials and Methods: as part of the study, the authors examined a wide range of sources related to the stated issues. In addition to published legal acts, they analyzed unpublished documents from the Soviet period, materials on the work of special certification commissions for checking the personnel of the RSFSR militia, as well as periodicals of the workers' and peasants' militia from the first quarter of the 20th century. During the research, the authors followed the principles of objectivity and historicism, using systemic, statistical, historical-legal, and formal-legal research methods. Results: by conducting a systematic analysis of the legal framework of the RSFSR and the USSR in the 20th century, as well as scientific research on the service in the internal affairs bodies (hereinafter referred to as the Internal Affairs Bodies), the key stages of the formation, development, and legal consolidation of the institution of certification for the rank-and-file and senior officers of the Soviet police were reconstructed. Discussion and Conclusions: the study identified the most important stages in the development of the legal institution of certification for employees of the USSR Internal Affairs Department, which determine its effectiveness in terms of the needs of law enforcement practice. The formation and evolution of this institution are due to the development of service-related legal relations in the Soviet militia, particularly the regulation of the procedure for serving in the militia. The authors concluded that before the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the certification of employees of the Internal Affairs Department had a pronounced ideological character. It was aimed at evaluating their political, business, and moral qualities, as well as their loyalty to the Soviet system and the Communist Party. This ideological approach often hindered an objective assessment of the professional qualities and real results of the officers' operational and service activities.