The legal protection of monuments in pre-revolutionary Russia (a case of the North Caucasus)

The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of the laws and regulations on monument protection in the North Caucasus in the pre-Soviet period. The development of relevant legislation was closely related to the increased number of finds of cultural and historical value. The research reviewed the most significant pre-revolutionary regulations which determined the basic principles of state and local control over the preservation of historical heritage. It was concluded that most laws had a narrow focus and failed to consider the regional aspects. This made it difficult to protect the monuments. However, imperfect legislation of that time prompted many regional public figures to act. Thanks to them, monument protection activities had continuously developed. Having analyzed the pre-revolutionary laws and regulations, the authors concluded that the authorities followed the recommendations of public associations while making them.