First Will Of A Soviet Citizen Probated In The United States (INSTANT — Overview)

: If the deceased was a Russian citizen, Russian law might dictate how the estate is to be distributed, according to the will or according to Russian intestacy laws if there is no will.

However, by the 1940s, the USSR had backtracked, realizing that allowing citizens to pass on personal items (like houses and savings) encouraged productivity. This shift opened the door for Soviet citizens to claim assets left behind by relatives who had immigrated to America. The "Reciprocity" Wall first will of a soviet citizen probated in the united states

The process would likely involve:

For years, U.S. courts routinely blocked Soviet heirs, arguing that because the Soviet Union was a socialist state, "true" property rights didn't exist there, and thus no reciprocity was possible. A Landmark Shift: The Case of Estate of Gogabashvele : If the deceased was a Russian citizen,