NOTION OF CONTUMELY IN JUDICIAL TEXTS OF 18 <sup>th</sup> - BEGINNING OF 20 <sup>th</sup> CENTURY
The paper dwells upon the notion of contumelies in judicial texts of the 18 th - beginning of 20 th century. The author points out that changes in the sphere of contumelies took place with due regard for the social processes in a definite historic period. Having analyzed the judicial cases of different funds the it is concluded that the broadening of invective groups was linked with the social status and origin of people. In the 18 th - beginning of the 20 th century the first attempts were made to punish for the contumelies of the Emperor and members of the imperial family. Any word of negative connotation concerning the Emperor and members of the imperial family was considered as an insult. The judicial cases from the funds of the gendarmerie office of the Tambov province in the period of 1899-1905 is analyzed. At the same time the first attempts were made to give definition to the invective words. It is underlined that the subjective system of the contumely assessment in the Russian legislation of that period was preserved.