International Law: A Russian Introduction

Originally published in Russian, this highly acclaimed book marks how far Russian doctrine has come since the Soviet era and how it perceives the central challenges of the 21st century for international law and order. It is written by prominent Russian scholars and practitioners in international law. The collective authors are a veritable who’s who of international law in Russia, which lends to this volume an authority and a presence in the discipline. This book represents an alternative approach to teaching and thinking about international law, and is a welcome contribution to comparative approaches to international law. A particular strength of the volume is recourse to Russian and Commonwealth of Independent States (former Soviet Republics) practice, including, on occasion, unpublished sources. There is inevitably a Russian spin on aspects of international law, conscious and unconscious, that permeates the work and is exceedingly interesting to read. Elements of the Russian legal style are no less informative. Russians do see the world differently from Western colleagues in some respects, and they evaluate the forces and processes, globalization, regionalism, integration, secularism, fragmentation, and competition, perhaps more systemically than most others. These considerations greatly enrich the book. This volume is also the product of an era in Russian life during which the leadership of that country has placed more emphasis and reliance on international law than any Russian government since the time of F. F. Martens. It is an authoritative and comprehensive survey, with its detailed references and extensive indices. Each chapter includes a ‘further reading’ section.