The theoretical and legal aspects of developing the institution of testamentary succession in the Russian empire

Introduction: the importance of the institution of testamentary succession is difficult to overestimate. This is due to the freedom to dispose of one’s property in case of death. However, such an opportunity and such a right were not always there. The institution of testamentary succession in Russia has passed a difficult evolutionary path. At the same time, a substantial body of research on testamentary succession in Russia is limited mainly to one branch - civil law. Undoubtedly, it is important to consider the institution of testamentary succession in Russia from different sides, including in the historical and legal aspect. The purpose of the paper is to conduct a temporal analysis of the rules on testamentary succession in the Russian Empire. The purpose of the paper is also to conduct a retrospective analysis of one of the stages of great importance in the history of the formation of the institution of testamentary succession in Russia. And, in particular, the purpose of the paper is to study the features of the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire. Methods: the methodological framework for the study is the main general and special methods of scientific research. Results: as a result of the conducted research, it is found that the systematization of the legislation in the form of the publication of the Code of Laws of the Russian Empire has significantly influenced the development of testamentary legal relations. Conclusions: monitoring the history of the formation and development of the rules on testament is of great importance, and especially within the framework of highlighting a specific period during which such changes took place.