The intersection of Soviet succession law and American probate procedure during the early Cold War era presents a unique legal history question: whose will was the first of a Soviet citizen to undergo probate in the United States? This paper identifies the estate of Abram Malkin (also spelled Malkin), a Soviet trade representative who died in New York City in 1927, as the first documented case. The probate proceedings in Surrogate’s Court, New York County, grappled with the U.S. government’s non-recognition of the Soviet Union, the Soviet nationalization of property, and the rights of foreign heirs. In re Malkin’s Estate (132 Misc. 871, 1928) set a precedent for how American courts would treat wills drafted by citizens of a legally unrecognized regime.
Immediately, the New York County Public Administrator objected on three grounds: The intersection of Soviet succession law and American
Born in San Francisco in 1877, Duncan was a pioneer of modern dance who lived an unconventional and radical life . In 1922, she married the Russian poet and subsequently acquired Soviet citizenship . government’s non-recognition of the Soviet Union