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?
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. first of a soviet citizen to undergo probate
The first Soviet citizen to undergo probate proved a simple truth: Death is the one international equalizer. No matter which side of the Iron Curtain you lived on, you still can’t take it with you—and Uncle Sam still wants his estate tax. Have you ever dealt with an international probate case? Or do you have a Cold War family story involving frozen assets? Let me know in the comments. When Kirillin passed away unexpectedly in 1978, he