The article focuses on the state-legal views of the enlightener, political scientist and dissident writer Alexander Radishchev concerning the problems of the Russian state structure formation from its historical origins - the state and law of Kievan Rus. The author emphasizes that Alexander Radishchev even at the end of the 18 th and the beginning of the 19 th century in some of his works criticized the despotic monarchical state-legal system of Russia standing for the overthrow, renewal of the rule of the people, and adoption of the constitution. In his opinion, it would have promoted the dynamic development of society. The author points out that the ideas of the people’s sovereignty, democracy, and constitutional law that were formed by the representatives of the Decembrist revolt were supposed to unite the rationality of the people and its leaders. In the Decembrist revolutionary movement the main attention was paid to the uprising of the insignificant part with no support of large social groups. The author points out that such a mistake of Decembrists has a double origin - the civilized one and the subconscious attitudes towards the distrust of the people.
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