To the Development of Comparative Legal History (Review: Reflections after Reading D. Yu. Poldnikov's Two-Volume Textbook «Comparative History of Foreign Law» (Moscow, 2024))

The history of state and law serves as a fundamental discipline for shaping legal consciousness and therefore requires continuous updating alongside the evolution of legal scholarship. This need has been addressed in the publication of D.Yu. Poldnikov’s comprehensive two-volume textbook «Comparative History of Foreign Law» (Moscow: Norma, 2024). The work stands out for its original conceptual framework, grounded in civilizational theory and comparative analysis of the world’s legal traditions in their uniqueness, equivalence and diversity. The author employs a unified analytical model of legal tradition (historical context and bearers of tradition, foundations of tradition, characteristic institutions), covering the period from antiquity to modernity while drawing upon rich legal and historical and cultural materials, including examples from literature and art. The textbook’s undeniable merits include its scholarly depth, innovative educational methodology (featuring visual materials and chronological tables), and accessible writing style. However, certain debatable choices include the exclusion of Russian and some other legal traditions from consideration, as well as the predominance of «law in books» analysis over «law in action». Overall, the reviewed textbook makes a significant contribution to developing comparative-historical thinking and interdisciplinary legal research.