The problems of the state system in the works of pre-revolutionary Russian scientists of the second half of the 19th century

Background. The relevance of the topic is due to the increased interest in Russian history in general, and the history of the science of public law in particular. This fully applies to the views of Russian scientists of the second half of the nineteenth century on the problems of government, when it separated from other legal sciences and became independent. The most important purpose here is to identify effective solutions, institutions of the past, both theoretically and practically, for their possible, effective application in modern conditions, of course, with appropriate correction. Materials and methods. Three main scientific methods were used in the preparation of the article: dogmatic, historical, and comparative. Results. Considerable attention was primarily paid to the development of terminology in this area. The focus was on such issues as territory as an obligatory element of the state; the choice of a particular form of government; the concept of incorporation, union, union (federal) state, confederation, etc. Special attention was paid to the analysis of the specifics of the annexation of certain territories to Russia. Conclusions. It was emphasized that in comparison with the Western colonization of the countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, which was mainly economic in nature, the annexation to Russia in most cases contradicted its economic interests. The annexations to Russia were purely political in nature and were aimed at ensuring its independence and power. The positions of domestic legal scholars of the second half of the nineteenth century regarding the status of Poland and Finland in the Russian Empire are characterized. The protectorate is characterized in relation to a number of territories of Georgia, the Khanate of Khiva, and the Bukhara Emirates. We would like to emphasize the conclusion that in all scientific works of that time, the unitary nature of the Russian state structure was justified, emphasized, and defended – the basis, the cornerstone principle of its unity.,