Abuse of authority as a manifestation of official crime in the territory of Eastern Siberia in the second half of the XVIII century

Introduction: In modern conditions, attention has naturally increased to the problems of countering crimes committed by officials using their official position. Historical experience is gaining key importance. It is no coincidence that over the past decade, the study of manifestations of various types of illegal acts and ways to counteract them has noticeably intensified. The object of the study is the causes and factors that caused the spread of official crime in the territory of Eastern Siberia as an independent group of illegal acts, the subject is the factors and conditions accompanying this process. The purpose of the study is to determine the causes, content, trends and patterns of the spread of various forms of illegal acts carried out by royal governors - voivodes and officials of the new formation – governors in the course of their official activities.. Methods and Materials: The paper uses the method of historical materialism, as well as methodological tools of comparative legal research, analysis, synthesis, deduction and induction. The Results of the Study: The paper identifies the causes, content, trends and patterns of the spread of various forms of official crime in Eastern Siberia in the second half of the XVIII century. Findings and Conclusions: The significant distance from the decision-making center, the proximity of China's borders, significant reserves of furs and the disenfranchisement of the foreign population, integrated by feeding traditions, predetermined the special features of the illegal activities of the Siberian bureaucracy. The lack of an effective system of control over the activities of the Siberian bureaucracy only aggravated the current situation. Without changing the conditions that contributed to the spread of official crime, and creating a system of legal restrictions and prohibitions, the above methods did not have the desired effect. The illegal activities of provincial officials in Eastern Siberia, when their decisions and actions related to the performance of official duties clearly went beyond the established powers and violated existing laws, became widespread and had a significant impact on the effectiveness of local administration.