The case involved a Soviet citizen who had executed a will in accordance with the laws of the USSR. The document was formalized through a Soviet notary (a notarius ). For the will to be admitted in the U.S., the court had to overcome the "reciprocity" hurdle.
In the mid-20th century, many U.S. states (like and Oregon ) had "reciprocity" statutes. These laws basically said: The case involved a Soviet citizen who had
For now, the original will—creased, Cyrillic, and unassuming—rests in the New York County Surrogate’s Court archives, file number 1974-3892. It is a small document with a large legacy: the first time an American gavel affirmed that a Soviet citizen’s final wishes could outlive the ideology that denied them. In the mid-20th century, many U
The court agreed. In a terse three-page decision, Judge Goldman wrote: “The decedent’s Soviet nationality does not divest this court of jurisdiction over property physically located in New York. His will is self-proving under EPTL 3-2.1. Therefore, probate is granted.” It is a small document with a large