In addition to the Association of Lawyers of Russia and the Ural State Law University named after V. F. Yakovlev—the traditional organizers of the Congress—co-organizers of the 17th session may include the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Sverdlovsk Region, and the Russian Academy of Sciences.

This material was prepared by the Media Center

of the V.F. Yakovlev Ural State Law University

Opening of the 17th Session of the Euro-Asian Legal Congress
HYATT REGENCY Ekaterinburg once again welcomed numerous participants to the long-running international congress, the Euro-Asian Legal Congress. On May 23, the 17th session, "Legal Cooperation and Social Progress," opened. The organizers dedicated the event to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sergei Sergeevich Alekseev, Doctor of Law, Professor, Soviet and Russian legal scholar, Corresponding Member of the USSR and Russian Academy of Sciences, State Prize laureate, Chairman of the USSR Constitutional Oversight Committee, founder and first director of the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Ekaterinburg, one of the direct authors of the current Constitution of the Russian Federation, a leading expert in the theory of state and law and civil law, and the first laureate of Russia's highest legal award, "Lawyer of the Year."
Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, addressed the congress participants in a video message, stating that the congress has long been a significant platform for dialogue among legal professionals in the Eurasian region: "This year's congress commemorates the centenary of the renowned scholar, legal scholar, and publicist Sergei Sergeyevich Alekseev. An outstanding citizen of his country, a veteran, and a true patriot, he played a vital role in the development of Russian statehood and co-authored the 1993 Constitution and the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. His contribution to the development of modern legal science is invaluable..." Valery Nikolaevich expressed confidence that during the two-day congress, participants will find answers to the most pressing questions in the field of legal practice, wishing everyone fruitful work and success in achieving their goals. Since 2007, the congress has become a key platform for the exchange of professional and research experience among highly qualified lawyers from the countries of the European Economic Community and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Prominent politicians, managers, and business representatives actively participate in the congress, the importance of whose work regularly grows in light of new external and internal challenges. The need for the development of legal scholarship in the context of modern political and economic turbulence is extremely important and relevant, and undoubtedly requires an active exchange of views on key issues, primarily in terms of developing measures to improve the effectiveness of the EEU and the SCO, amid the transformation of traditional geopolitical and geo-economic strategies. One of the most important topics is the discussion of legal support for economic integration in the Eurasian-Asian space. This is relevant both for Yekaterinburg and the Sverdlovsk region, which are actively involved in these processes, and for the country as a whole, as these mechanisms ensure the strategic economic and political development of our state. Therefore, Yekaterinburg, as the capital of the Urals and a key region located on the border between Europe and Asia, is the venue for such a significant event. Continuing the work of Sergei Sergeyevich Alekseev, the organizers, partners, and participants of the event are actively contributing to the development of Russian science and the training of highly qualified specialists.
These very messages, expressed in one way or another, were voiced in each of the greetings delivered by Vladimir Bublik, Rector of the Ural State Law University named after V.F. Yakovlev, Chairman of the Sverdlovsk regional branch of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Congress, who thanked those gathered for the memory of the great lawyer, great citizen, a man whose fate and life were closely intertwined with the history of his country, the Ural State Law University, whose ideas and whose legacy formed the basis of the business architecture of today's congress; Pavel Krasheninnikov, Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on State Building and Legislation, Chairman of the Presidential Council of the Russian Federation for Codification and Improvement of Civil Legislation, Doctor of Law, Professor, Honored Lawyer of the Russian Federation; Evgeny Kuyvashev, Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region; Lyudmila Babushkina, Chairperson of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region; and Alexey Orlov, Mayor of Yekaterinburg. These words were literally expressed in the opening remarks of Anna Gurary, Chairperson of the Yekaterinburg City Duma. Mikhail Boginsky, Chief Federal Inspector for the Sverdlovsk Region, read a telegram from Vladimir Yakushev, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Urals Federal District (UFD); the names of the officials who sent welcoming addresses were also read.
A sense of family warmth and kindness permeated the gathering during the "Word about Father," delivered by Nadezhda and Irina Alekseeva, Sergey Alekseev's daughters, who shared their feelings and presented gifts to the congress organizers.
Before the plenary session, the All-Russian Sergey Sergeevich Alekseev Prize "For Merits in Jurisprudence," established by the Association of Lawyers of Russia in 2014 and recognizing contributions to the development of the rule of law, lawmaking, and legal education, was presented to Nikolai Nikolaevich Tarasov, Professor of the S.S. Alekseev Department of Theory of State and Law at the V.F. Yakovlev Ural State Law University, Doctor of Law, and Honorary Worker of Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
The hour-long plenary discussion, "The Ideas of Sergey Sergeevich Alekseev: History, Modernity, and Future," opened with a presentation by Petr Vladimirovich Krasheninnikov, "Our Sergey Sergeevich Alekseev." Session participants shared warm, cherished memories imbued with endless respect for the renowned legal scholar, founder of the Ural School of Legal Theory, "apostle of law," "knight of the rule of law," and "an idealist in the highest sense of the word." Answering questions from moderator Maxim Putintsev, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Bublik discussed how the memory of the great scholar is preserved, how the traditions he established are nurtured within the university, and what is being done to ensure S.S. Alekseev's multifaceted legacy remains alive and relevant for students:
"Anyone who once worked with Sergei Sergeevich or interacted with him knows that he was a very accessible person. His accessibility, versatility, and keen interest in student issues were truly appealing to everyone. These very qualities laid the foundation for the youth policy that is being implemented at our university today. This is a very important area, something we must prioritize—education." The foundations of this education were laid by S. S. Alekseev, the Teacher and Educator of today's teachers and educators. Sergei Sergeyevich is also an example of how to treat young colleagues and students. I will take the liberty of formulating Alekseev's underlying principle as follows: young people are not objects, but subjects of youth policy; they are equal participants in everything that happens at the university—both the academic process and extracurricular activities; they have great opportunities to develop in all areas—to gain knowledge, to be athletes, artists, and creators. This is what makes student life unforgettable throughout the rest of their years.
V. A. Bublik also briefly discussed the university's reformatting within the framework of the Ministry of Education and Science's "Priority 2030" development program.
To conclude the discussion, cooperation agreements were signed between the Ural State Law University named after V. F. Yakovlev and the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ural State Law University named after V. F. Yakovlev, and SKB Kontur.
Following the plenary session, a significant event for USLU and the entire legal community took place: a special cancellation ceremony for a postal envelope issued for the 100th anniversary of S. S. Alekseev. The commission members signed the envelope, which, in a print run of 200,000, "went to the people for whom he lived and worked," as Vladimir Bublik and Irina Alekseeva noted. The press conference participants agreed that these are exciting times for the optimistic work of the legal community, which, building on the present, is already looking to the future in search of new ideas and concepts that address contemporary technical and sociocultural challenges. A video recording of the press conference can be found HERE.
The 17th session of the Euro-Asian Legal Congress "Legal Cooperation
and Social Progress. On the 100th Anniversary of S.S. Alekseev" in figures:
- Over 1,700 participants from 12 countries over two days;
- 19 panel discussions;
- 9 roundtables.
The congress's business program also includes:
- A general meeting of the Consortium "Euro-Asian Law
University," where the results of the past period and the action plan for the next year will be presented and approved;
- The 7th Alekseev Readings "S.S. Alekseev's Ideas in Legal Science
and Practice of the 21st Century (Theory of Legal Regulation in Modern
Contexts)";
- The 7th session of the Coordinating Council of the BRICS Law Institute;
- The 3rd Euro-Asian Youth Legal Forum.