One hundred years later: the revolutionary tribunals in Russia (1917-1923)

In this scientific article, a rather brief description of the political, economic and social situation prevailing in Russia after the October Revolution of 1917 is given. A survey characteristic of the corpus of historiographical literature on the topic of scientific research is given. The normative basis for the formation and activities of the revolutionary tribunals of that period is analyzed. An attempt was made to identify the reasons for the elimination of “tribunal” justice in 1923. Within the framework of the topic under discussion, the dictatorship is most clearly manifested in the verdicts of the revolutionary tribunals, in assessing the legality of the decisions taken. Judges of the revolutionary tribunals, if necessary, borrowed the norms of the law of the previous regimes and neglected them when it contradicted the "ideals of the revolution". In the opinion of the author of this scientific publication, the activities of the revolutionary tribunals were determined by a special macro historical period, the conjuncture of the moment, and therefore the tribunals were abolished with its end; however, institutional, regulatory, managerial, value, systemic, historical experience of the formation and functioning of emergency justice must be perceived and is taken into account by the reformers of the judicial system of the post-Soviet Russian Federation. The author of this scientific publication is convinced that the judgment that it is inconceivable to embark on transformations without studying and comprehending the national experience of the formation and reform of the judicial system does not require special proof. After all, courts in modern Russia originate from the courts of past periods and are the prototype of the courts of the future.