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.”
The court initially agreed, effectively treating the man as if he had died without a will so the money wouldn't leave the country. 💡 The Turning Point The court agreed
Did you know that for decades, American courts often refused to hand over inheritances to ? Therefore, probate is granted
I can help you look up specific State Probate Codes from the 1960s or find more details on how diplomatic channels eventually cleared the way for these transfers. If you'd like, let me know: If you'd like, let me know: A second,
A second, more contentious issue was the "Iron Curtain Rule." At the time, many U.S. states had statutes preventing the distribution of estates to heirs living in Communist countries. These laws were based on the suspicion that the "beneficiaries" would never actually see the money, as the Soviet government would simply confiscate the foreign currency upon arrival. To move the probate forward, attorneys had to provide assurances—and sometimes physical proof—that the intended heirs would receive the "benefit, use, and control" of their inheritance.
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.
