First Of A Soviet Citizen | To Undergo Probate

When Kirillin passed away unexpectedly in 1978, he left behind a modest American bank account, a few personal effects, and a very big question: Who gets the money?

Under Soviet law at the time, private inheritance was tricky. The state claimed a significant chunk of an estate, and the bureaucratic hurdles to move money out of the U.S. and into the USSR were nearly insurmountable. Initially, the Soviet Consulate attempted to claim the funds on behalf of Kirillin’s family back in Moscow. But American banks refused to release the assets without a court order. The USSR argued that diplomatic immunity or consular notification should suffice. first of a soviet citizen to undergo probate

When we think of the Cold War, we think of checkpoints at Checkpoint Charlie, nuclear fallout shelters, and spy swaps on the Glienicke Bridge. We rarely think about estate planning . When Kirillin passed away unexpectedly in 1978, he

But in 1978, a probate judge in New York City found himself at the epicenter of a diplomatic first. For the first time in history, the assets of a Soviet citizen—who had died in the United States—were officially recognized and processed through the American probate system. and into the USSR were nearly insurmountable

The Manhattan Surrogate’s Court disagreed. The judge ruled that by living and working in New York—even as a foreign agent—Kirillin was subject to New York estate laws.