The history of the Soviet bar

The study traced the history of the Soviet bar after the Bolshevik seizure of power in Russia in 1917, considering the principles of historicism and objectivity. The soviets (councils) of worker’s, soldiers’, and peasants’ deputies elected members to the defense and prosecution bars. Personal contacts between lawyers and clients were forbidden; citizens petitioned the bar leaders or the court who or which appointed lawyers. In the early 1920s, the bars were abolished, and the criminal defense became a public duty. The transition to the New Economic Policy (NEP) necessitated the restoration of the professional bar association. Defense bars were established at the provincial departments of justice; the priority was given to the party members. The Sovietization of the bar led to the fact that the defense lawyer was subordinate to the prosecutor.