Some General Features of Soviet Private International Law

Abstract

The assertion of Marx and Engels that the law, like every other form of civilization and culture, is only a phenomenon of a derivative superstructural character, determined by the economic basis of a given society, has been found sufficient by the Soviet authorities to explain their legal system, which is considered as a practical implementation of Marxist ideology. “From the socialist economic relationships, from the economic basis of the socialist society arises not only civil law, but also every other branch of Soviet law”, explains a modern Soviet legal writer (1). As to the economic basis of the USSR, it is defined by Article 4 of the Soviet Constitution of 1936:

“The economic foundation of the USSR is the socialist system of economy and the socialist ownership of the instruments and means of production, firmly established as a result of the liquidation of the capitalist system of economy, the abolition of private ownership of the instruments and means of production and the elimination of the exploitation of man by man”.