Russia is often portrayed as a regressive even lawless country, and yet the Russian state has played a major role in shaping and experimenting with law as an instrument of power. In Law and the Russian State, Pomeranz and Smith examine Russia’s legal evolution from Peter the Great to Vladimir Putin, addressing the continuities and disruptions of Russian law during the imperial, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods. There will be comprehensive coverage of key themes, including law and empire, law and modernization, the politicization of law, the role of intellectuals and dissidents in mobilizing...