The Evolution of Legal Regulation of Land Management in Russia and Directions for Improving Legislation (Based on the Materials of the Draft Federal Law "On Land Management", 2025). In the Order of Discussion

The article presents a comprehensive study of the theoretical, legal and institutional foundations of land management in Russia in the context of the preparation and discussion of the draft federal law «On Land Management» (revision 2025). The work is aimed at identifying the key problems of the current version of the draft law, assessing their impact on the public land management system and formulating scientifically sound proposals for finalizing the law. The purpose of the research is to substantiate the conceptual model of modern land management as a tool for spatial development based on the principles of scientific validity, digitalization and publicity. The methodological basis consists of methods of comparative legal, systemic, institutional and historical-legal analysis. The study uses the regulations of the Russian Federation, the legislation of the EAEU and EU member states, as well as international standards for land management and cadastral data (ISO 19152:2012, INSPIRE Directive 2007/2/EC). As a result of the analysis of the historical development of the Institute of Land Management (XIX–XXI centuries), four key stages have been identified: the Zemstvo and Stolypin system (before 1917); the Soviet planning and state model (1917-1991); the post-Soviet transition to the cadastral approach (1991-2000); and the modern digital stage (2001-2025). The author emphasizes that each of these stages contributed to the formation of the national school of land management, but the current stage is characterized by institutional fragmentation and regulatory uncertainty. A comparative legal analysis of foreign land management systems has been carried out: Germany and the EU countries demonstrate legal decentralization, public participation and integration of land management with cadastral and urban planning systems; China is an example of a centralized digital model combining land management, ecology and industrial planning; Kazakhstan implements a mixed system, preserving the Soviet heritage and introducing digital cadastral technologies; Belarus represents a unique post-Soviet model with full integration of cadastre and land management under the auspices of the State Property Committee, which ensures sustainability, transparency and completeness of coverage of the territory. The key problems of the draft law of 2025 have been identified: the uncertainty of the conceptual framework, the lack of a coordinating body, duplication of functions, insufficient digitalization and a weak legal framework for control. A system of more than 65 amendments has been proposed, grouped into five functional blocks: regulatory and terminological — the introduction of clear definitions and principles; organizational and managerial — the creation of a federal coordinator and accreditation of performers; documentation — a three — level system of land management documents; regulatory and legal — the formation of supervision and responsibility; financial and economic — a three — level financing model and a transitional period. The necessity of adopting a new version of the law «On Land Management» as a system act of spatial management, ensuring the interface of land, urban planning and environmental legislation, is substantiated. Special attention is paid to the creation of the Federal State Geographic Information System for Land Management (FGIS-ZU), a digital platform that combines all land management, cadastral and territorial data, similar to the Belarusian «Electronic Land Map».