U.s.: Whose Will Was The First Of A Soviet Citizen To Undergo Probate In The

Elena Malkina, through American counsel, filed a petition for probate in the Surrogate’s Court of New York County in March 1927. The petition sought to admit Malkin’s will to probate and appoint a New York trust company as ancillary administrator.

The First Probate of a Soviet Citizen’s Will in the United States: In re Malkin’s Estate (1927) Elena Malkina, through American counsel, filed a petition

The Malkin case became a citation in later disputes over Soviet and Eastern European estates, including In re Luksch’s Estate (1937) and In re Kalmus’ Estate (1942). After U.S. recognition of the USSR in 1933, the legal landscape shifted, but Malkin remained the foundational case establishing that American courts would honor the testamentary intent of Soviet citizens regarding property physically located in the United States. After U

Abram Malkin arrived in the United States in the early 1920s as an official representative of the Soviet Arcos Trading Company, a precursor to Amtorg Trading Corporation. He resided in New York City. In 1926, Malkin executed a formal last will and testament, leaving his estate—approximately $15,000 in cash, securities, and personal effects—to his wife, Elena Malkina, who remained in Moscow. On February 28, 1927, Malkin died suddenly at his apartment in Manhattan. He resided in New York City