РУАЭСТ (RUAEST)
ON THE APPEARANCE OF I. A. IL’IN’S LEGAL CONSCIOUSNESS: TOWARDS THE HISTORY OF THE PUBLICATION
This essay offers a detailed look at Ivan Aleksandrovich Il’in, an illustrious Russian thinker who has gained global recognition as a result of his philosophical works. The author focuses on Il’in’s role as a legal scholar, the history behind the creation of his monograph “On Legal Consciousness,” and the events that led up to its first publication in the Russian language. The present essay explores new information which the author has obtained from archival sources previously unavailable to the general public. The narrative describes, in great detail, events following the publication of monograph “On Legal Consciousness” and the people who played a significant role in Il’in’s life during that time, including W. A. Bary and V. P. Riabushinskii. Moreover, the author recounts the activities of an informal organization known as the “Ivan Aleksandrovich Il’in Society,” which was founded after Il’in’s death in 1954 for the purpose of preserving, publishing, and disseminating Professor I. A. Il’in’s works. The essay concludes by addressing the intricate fate of Il’in’s archive, which was kept in an American university library before its return to Russia in 2006 (in accordance with Il’in’s last will). The author gives special consideration to those who have worked to carry on Il’in’s legacy: his wife Natalia, E. F. von Baumgarten, R. M. Siehle, and others. The author also discusses the work of Eugene Klimoff, a noted painter, bookplate designer, and art historian, giving special attention to his creation of Il’in’s bookplate.