Constitution Day of the Russian Federation is a public holiday. Let’s talk about the history of the celebration in honor of the country’s fundamental law and how this date is celebrated in 2023.

A holiday has been established By decree Russian President Boris Yeltsin on September 19, 1994. The text of the fundamental law of the Russian Federation was approved and adopted on December 12 a year earlier during a popular vote. So this year the Constitution turns 30 years old. This document states that the highest value in our society is the freedoms and rights of citizens, as well as human well-being.

When is Constitution Day celebrated?

Constitution Day of the Russian Federation is celebrated every year on December 12.

The essence and history of the holiday

On December 12, 1993, a national referendum was held on the draft Constitution. 58.2 million Russians took part in it. This is 54.8% of the total number of voters. Most of them voted in favor, and two weeks later the law officially came into force. Russia became a mixed presidential-parliamentary republic with a federal structure. This form of government organization ensures a balance of power and citizen participation in government through free and fair elections. The President became the head of state, while the parliament – the Federal Assembly – is responsible for legislative activities and represents the interests of various regions of the country. A year after the adoption of the Constitution, on December 12, 1994, a state holiday was established.

In the history of the existence of the basic law of the Russian Federation, the first changes were made at the end of 2008. The term of office of the Russian President was increased to six years, instead of four, and State Duma – up to five years.

In 2020, more than 200 amendments were made to the Constitution. They were approved by popular vote of citizens. Most of the changes were related to social issues. For example, about the annual indexation of pensions, the establishment of a minimum wage of no less than the subsistence level.
In 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a Decree amending the Constitution. This happened in connection with the admission of the DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions to the country.

Traditional events on Constitution Day

Russians have become more respectful of the Constitution over the past 30 years. As shown survey All-Russian Center for the Study of Public Opinion (VTsIOM), every second Russian believes that the way we live, as well as other laws of the country, depends on the Constitution. On this day, people come to various patriotic rallies; exhibitions and festive concerts, light shows, online competitions and intellectual games on knowledge of the Constitution and other events are also held throughout the country. Deputies, senators, and governors give lectures to students, since knowledge of the basic law will help them become in demand in society in the future.

According to tradition, on December 12, some 14-year-old schoolchildren are awarded passports. The All-Russian reception of citizens is timed to coincide with this day. Those wishing to ask questions can contact the reception offices of the President, federal and capital departments and agencies, as well as local government institutions.

In the media, journalists prepare thematic materials about the history of the holiday.

Interesting facts about the Constitution of the Russian Federation

• More than a thousand people worked on the text of the Constitution, which was proposed in the 1993 referendum. Its compilation took 3.5 years.
• The current Constitution is the fifth adopted in our country. The chronology of the adoption of the main document is as follows: 1918, 1925, 1937, 1978, 1993.
• The main document of the country consists of an introductory part (preamble), two sections, nine chapters, 137 articles.
• In the highest legal act of the Russian Federation you will not find foreign language expressions such as “speaker”, “parliament”, “senators”, “impeachment”.
• A special copy of the Constitution, bound in red, showing the head of state holding his right hand during the inauguration, is kept in the Kremlin Presidential Library.
• The Constitution has even been in space. One copy – at the Mir station in 1999. Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeev studied it for admission to the Faculty of Law. Another brochure was on the International Space Station in 2005.

Questions and answers

We answer popular questions related to the Constitution Day of the Russian Federation.

Will December 12th be a non-working holiday?

Initially, this day was an official holiday. On December 24, 2004, the State Duma adopted amendments to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation. Now Constitution Day is a working day. However, this year the holiday falls on Sunday.

When was Constitution Day in the USSR?

The first Constitution was adopted in 1924. The holiday was established on the first weekend of July. In 1936, a new “Stalinist” Constitution was put into effect. The holiday date was set for December 5th.

On October 7, 1977, the “Constitution of Developed Socialism” came into force in the Soviet Union. This version, nicknamed “Brezhnev” in honor of General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, lasted until 1993. The holiday continued to be celebrated on October 7, but since 1994, the date of celebration was moved to December 12.

What does the Russian Constitution say?

The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state. This is the highest regulatory legal act of the country. It determines the meaning and content of other laws, consolidates the state structure of our country, regulates the formation of all government bodies and the public administration system, and also determines the rights and freedoms of Russians.

The document has the highest legal force. All laws that are adopted in the country cannot contradict the Constitution. This rule applies throughout the entire territory and in all constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

Editor Irina Ermolaeva