From RSFSR Land Code of 1922 to the theory of environmental law: Oleg Kolbasov’s scientific heritage

Abstract

Development of the contemporary ecological or environmental law roots in the far past of the Soviet law-making period; it goes on creatively borrowing legal concepts, legal mechanisms and methodology of legislative regulation. The Land Code of RSFSR adopted in 1922 has become the first act that played a historical role in the development of natural resources and ecological law. Such evolution was accompanied by theoretical legal research carried out by representatives of the Soviet legal science on nature protection. In the constellation of scholars, a remarkable place belongs to Oleg Kolbasov a famous and talented researcher and lawyer-ecologist. In his works he raises the issues that are still topical both in the legal science and the law-making activities; these are the issues concerning the name of the branch of law dealing with nature and man interrelations, its system and contents. He is also the author of highly demanded fundamental works on Soviet water resources law. The Article provides an analysis of the Land Code of 1922, and Kolbasov’s scientific views on the development of nature protection law in the context of Soviet land use, nature resources and environment protection legal acts.