"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. [This book] examines 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. The book covers key themes, including: law and empire; law and modernization; the politicization of law; the role of intellectuals and dissidents in mobilizing the law; the evolution of Russian legal institutions; the struggle for human rights; the rule-of-law; and the quest to establish the law-based state. It also analyzes legal culture and how Russians understand and use the law."--