The death penalty in Russia is a particularly difficult form of punishment. In the time of Ancient Russia, and then throughout the history of the Russian Empire, punitive measures were characterized by cruelty, the basis of which was the heavy death penalty.
The death penalty in Ancient Russia could arise and be enshrined in law either as a
blood feud, or due to the influence of Byzantium. It is worth noting that the first official code of laws of Ancient Rus "Russian Truth" did not fix the death penalty, but the Brief version of this document enshrined the right of blood feud. Do you need the death penalty at that time? Of course you need it. It was a time of lawlessness from the point of view of the law, it was not yet a single state without universal rights, therefore everything was regulated by community norms of justice. By the way, Blood vengeance was banned by the True Yaroslavichi.
But in the 14th century, the Dvina charter reintroduced the death penalty for such a crime as theft, but only if it was committed for the third time, but the murder did not provide for such cruel punishment. After about a hundred years, the Pskov letter adds church theft and high treason to the list of crimes . Ivan the Great’s Code of Law is already imposing the death penalty for the murder of individuals such as “his master” and other higher officials, and the death penalty in Russia has also been imposed for libel and various religious crimes.
The following general set of laws of Russia was adopted by Ivan the Terrible. This document also did not bypass the characterization of the death penalty and determined that the death penalty is the most popular form of punishment. It is worth noting that the criminal lawyer Ivan Vasilyevich made the death penalty public, that is, in an open place, plus everything she had to be accompanied by torture.
In the 18th century, this punishment was at its peak, because the list of crimes for which the execution was assigned increased. It is not surprising that the peak of the death penalty fell on the reign of Peter 1. But his daughter temporarily replaced the death penalty with a reference to hard labor. Particularly serious crimes were considered only in the Senate, which passed the verdict. One of the most famous death sentences is the sentence of Emelyan Pugachev and his associates. He was executed in full view of everyone by means of a quartering. It is worth noting that Nicholas 1 was also sentenced to quartering and the participants in the uprising on Senate Square were Decembrists, however, this cruel method was replaced by the gallows.
Does the death penalty in Russia need modern? Opinions on this subject are different. Some believe that for some types of crimes the death penalty is simply necessary. Among the supporters: the Liberal Democratic Party, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Kolokoltsev and the Communist Party. But the opponents of this type of punishment are as follows: Vladimir Putin, the party Just Russia and Dmitry Medvedev.
The death penalty in Russia in our time does not apply. A moratorium has been imposed on it. However, the history of our country shows how tough the rulers were and how literate the law was - it was the same for everyone and both peasants and nobles were sentenced to death.