Professor Serafim V. Yushkov as the Founder of the Science of the History of State and Law

The article is devoted to the scientific work of Serafim V. Yushkov, the founder of the science of the history of state and law. Based on the study of documents from the archival fund of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, the path of the scientist in life and science, his contribution to the study of the history of the ancient Russian state and law, source work on the study and publication of monuments of domestic law, including the Russkaya Pravda, the creation of a training course on the history of state and law are consistently revealed. Special attention is paid to the influence of the works of S. V. Yushkov on the formation of the history of the state and law of foreign countries. It is emphasized that it was through the efforts of S. V. Yushkov that the prevailing ideas about the subject and method of historical and legal science, the periodization of the history of the national state and law, and the research space characteristic of it were formed. The information on the criticism of S. V. Yushkov's works by other scientists of his time, on the discussion of these works at the meetings of the Academic Council of the All-Union Institute of Legal Sciences are given. The authors came to conclusion that through the efforts of S. V. Yushkov domestic scientists received for further research a thoroughly elaborated publication from a scientific standpoint of the fundamental monuments of ancient Russian law. The scientist's work significantly influenced further research in the field of the history of state and law, not only in our country, but also in foreign countries. Thanks to the students of S. V. Yushkov, who continued his work, an advanced historical and legal science was formed, and today it successfully performs its most important functions.