The Novitsky and Kovsharov case (1922): implications for the professional ethics of lawyers in the context of the establishment of Soviet power

This work is devoted to a comprehensive historical and legal analysis of the 1922 trial of members of the Petrograd Society of Orthodox Parishes, in particular, the persecution of lawyers Yuri Novitsky and Ivan Kov-sharov. The relevance of the topic lies in the need for a deep analysis of the historical processes that had a significant impact on the formation of the legal system and public consciousness at the dawn of the Soviet statehood. The aim of the study is to identify the legal and historical aspects of the case, to assess its significance for the modern memory policy and the formation of professional ethics of a lawyer. Based on the memoirs of contemporaries, legal documents and modern scientific publications, the historical context is reconstructed, the biographies of Novitsky and Kovsharov are analyzed, and violations of procedural norms and principles of law are examined. The conclusion is drawn that the application of the criminal law of the time to the actions of the accused was unlawful, which testifies to the political nature of the process, which became particularly evident when representatives of the legal profession, who were able to assess the depth of the unjust proceedings, found themselves in the dock. This research provides a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of formation and functioning of the legal system in conditions of political instability, determines the role of the Novitsky and Kovsharov case in the contemporary politics of memory, and contributes to the restoration of historical justice.