Formation of the public consciousness of soviet citizens: based on the materials of the Man and Law magazine, 1985-1991

The relevance of the study is determined by the unresolved problem of changing public consciousness and, in particular, legal consciousness, of Soviet citizens during the years of “perestroika”. In the article, based on the method of content analysis of publications of the journal “Man and the Law” for 1985-1991. some issues of changes in the legal consciousness of Soviet people are reconstructed - issues of family relations, new legal phenomena of the market economy, the sphere of labor relations, and national policy are considered. The author, analyzing the most significant publications of the journal “Man and the Law” during the years of “perestroika”, concludes that both the concept of legal nihilism of Soviet people and the loss of their basic values ​​in the field in Soviet times are inconsistent. The practical significance of the study is expressed in the possibility of using its results when covering the dynamics of changes in mass consciousness in 1985-1991, as well as in works on the history and anthropology of Soviet law. Scientific novelty lies in the application of methods and techniques of legal anthropology in the analysis of public consciousness of the “perestroika” era.