“Непременные государственные законы” в России второй половины XVIII в. (опыт Begriffsgeschichte)

In this paper, I attempt to analyze the idea of law as a concept of paramount importance in eighteenth-century Russia. This approach is meant to shed light not only on the mechanism and effects of social control exercised by the throne, but also on the self-identification of the authorities and the priorities governing the values and the daily life of the privileged classes. This project entails clear definitions of both the word law as it is used in official sources, and the social practices associated with it.