The Constitutional Law Department was established in 1947 in connection with the need for a systematic study of legal disciplines. In the late 1940s and early 1950s the Department was one of the leading departments at the School of International Law, providing a comprehensive study of the basics of Legal Theory and implementing the basic training of specialists in international affairs. After incorporation of the Institute of Foreign Trade into MGIMO in 1958 several Private Law disciplines were taught by the professors and teachers of the Department.
The disciplines which the Department is responsible are to be studied by the students not only of the International Law School, but also the School of International Relations, the School of International Economic Relations, the School of International Journalism, the School of International Business and Business Administration, the International Institute of Energy Policy and Diplomacy, the School of Governance and Global Affairs. The Department plays a leading role among the analogous legal departments of other universities because of teaching different issues of Constitutional Law subject to specialization of the International Law School.
The Department teaches General courses on the Constitutional Law of Russia and foreign countries, the History of Russian state and law, the History of state and law of foreign countries, the History of political and legal doctrines, the Constitutional Justice, the Constitutional Comparative Law and Constitutional Law of the Russian Federation (in English), the Basics of State and Law. For many years the Department was responsible for teaching the course Theory of State and Law in most departments of the University and was involved in the activity of state examinations commissions at the IV course under the program «jurisprudence». The Department is working on new special courses on major aspects of constitutional law and political systems of foreign countries.
The Constitutional Law Department has traditionally held and continues to hold a leading position in the domestic jurisprudence in areas related to the development problems of comparative political and legal science, the study of the constitutional and legal foundations of the foreign policy state mechanism, the constitutional law and political systems of foreign countries.
The teaching staff of the Department takes an active part in publishing students’ textbooks on constitutional law of Russia and foreign countries, history of state and law. In recent years, the professors and lecturers of the Constitutional Law Department have prepared several new textbooks on constitutional law of foreign countries, history of state and law of foreign countries, two textbooks in English on the constitutional law of Russia, released eight monographs on major institutions of constitutional law of foreign countries, and also published a number of tutorials and individual scientific papers. In addition, the employees of the Department have published dozens of scientific articles in legal journals.
The Department initiated the establishing of the publishing series «Constitutional law of foreign countries». A number of individual and collective monographs and textbooks have been published within the above mentioned series: "Modern Electoral Law«/edited by A.G.Orlov, E.A.Kremyanskaya (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2013), «The Ombudsman in Foreign Countries» / edited by A.G.Orlov, N.A. Slavkina (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2014), «A Deputy of Foreign Parliament»/ edited by A.G.Orlov, E.A.Kremyanskaya (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2014), «The Institution of Citizenship in Foreign Countries»/ edited by A.G.Orlov, N.A.Slavkina (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2015), «Constitutional Control in Foreign Countries» / edited by E.Ya. Pavlov, E.A.Kremyanskaya (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2015), «The Head of State in Foreign Countries» / edited by A.G.Orlov, N.A.Slavkina (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2016), «The Government in Foreign Countries» / edited by K.V.Karpenko (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2016), «Constitutional and Legal Bases of Judicial Power in Foreign Countries» / edited by K.V.Karpenko (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2017), «Constitutional and Legal Bases of Territorial Organization of Foreign Countries» / edited by K.V.Karpenko (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2018), «Constitutional Mechanism of Implementation of Norms of International Law in Foreign Countries» / edited by K.V.Karpenko (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2019), «Constitutional and legal basis of the status of an individual in foreign countries: textbook» / ed. by E.A.Kremyanskaya (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2019).
The Constitutional Law Department published a collection of scientific papers «Actual Problems of Comparative, Foreign and Russian Constitutional Law» / ed. by I. A.Rakitskaya and N. Yu.Molchanov. (Moscow: MGIMO-University, 2017).
In research activities the Department cooperates closely with other organizations and institutions. Members of the Department participate in expert meetings held by the committees of the chambers of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Public Scientific-Methodological Advisory Council under the CEC of the Russian Federation, the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Expert Advisory Council under the Federation Council Committee on Constitutional legislation, and Working group on implementation of the national anti-corruption plan at the Open Government of the Russian Federation.
The professors and lecturers of the Department take part in various Russian and international legal conferences and symposia.
The Department is responsible for postgraduate studies, as well as for preparing scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel in the specialty 12.00.02 (constitutional law; constitutional litigation; municipal law). Postgraduate studies serve as a base for the staff reserve of the Department. Most of the professors and lecturers of the Department have been trained at the Department and successfully defended candidate (PhD) and doctoral dissertations.
The Department encourages and supports actively students’ scientific activities. It organizes and conducts student scientific events, round tables, conferences on different issues of comparative, foreign and Russian constitutional law, promotes the publication of student scientific articles.
The Department is actively engaged in research projects on modern problems of comparative, foreign and Russian constitutional law, intends to keep and support a high level of teaching of constitutional law and historical-legal disciplines and also to keep the tradition of continuity in the development of the scientific school of foreign and comparative constitutional law, to enrich the scientific heritage, which was created by several generations of talented professors, researchers and lecturers of the Constitutional Law Department.
Last updated in August, 2021
Staff
Elena Kremyanskaya
Ph.D. in Law, Associate Professor
Department of Constitutional Law - Associate Professor
Nikita Molchakov
Candidate of Juridical Sciences
Department of Constitutional Law - Associate Professor
Inna Rakitskaya
Ph.D. in Law, Associate Professor
Department of Constitutional Law - Associate Professor
Vladislav Grib
