Constitution Day 2022 in Our Country: the history and traditions of the holiday
On December 12, 2022, our country celebrates a public holiday – the Day of the Constitution of the Federation. We tell what kind of memorable date it is and when it was established

When the holiday came

The main normative legal act of our country, the Constitution of the Federation, was adopted on December 12, 1993. On this day, a nationwide referendum was held, which was attended by about 58,2 million s (54,8% of the total number of voters). They were asked to vote for or against the draft Basic Law.

The text of the constitution proposed for the referendum was developed by more than a thousand authors in a total of 3,5 years, or 42 months, or 168 weeks. About a month before the vote, the draft was signed by then President Boris Yeltsin. This happened on November 8, 1993, at 15:15, and the head of state also made several changes to the document. Two days later, the final text was printed in the largest newspapers in the country so that citizens could familiarize themselves with it in advance.

The constitution was adopted by a majority of votes, two weeks later it was published and officially entered into force. From that moment on, a new political system was established in Our Country – the country became a mixed presidential-parliamentary republic with a federal structure. The principle of division of power into three branches – executive, legislative and judicial – was put in the basis of state administration. A year later, the date 12 December established as a public holiday – Constitution Day.

Meanwhile, the holiday itself in honor of the fundamental law of the country was not an invention of the new authorities. Constitution Day was also celebrated in the USSR, and the date was also timed to coincide with the day the various editions of the document were adopted. So, until 1977 it was December 5, later the holiday was moved to October 7.

What is stated in the basic law of the state

The Constitution is the highest legal act that establishes the state structure of our country, regulates the formation of all government bodies and the system of state administration, and also determines the rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen of the Federation. The document has the highest legal force. This means that all laws that are adopted in the country cannot contradict the constitution. At the same time, it is applied throughout the territory and in all subjects of the Federation.

The president of the Federation is the guarantor of the constitution and the provisions prescribed in it. By the way, the text of the oath, which the head of state pronounces at the inauguration, is also written in the basic law (Article 82). And the leaders also swear on the constitution – for this there is a special copy with a silver coat of arms.

Is Constitution Day a holiday?

For twelve years from the date of adoption, December 12 was a day off. The Constitution Day has been working since 2005, but in the same year the holiday was ranked among the memorable dates of the state.

How Our Country celebrates Constitution Day

On Constitution Day, patriotic events, solemn rallies and round tables are held in almost all cities of the country. Also dedicated to this day is the All- Reception of Citizens, in which representatives of government bodies answer questions from residents of the state.

The Constitution Day is also celebrated with concerts. On them, among other things, honorary diplomas are awarded to distinguished lawyers and judges. The holiday also has its own tradition: on December 12, s who have reached the age of 14 are solemnly presented with passports.

Three facts about the Constitution of the Federation

  • The Constitution of the Federation consists of a preamble, two sections, nine chapters, 137 articles and nine paragraphs of final and transitional provisions. For 90 years, five different constitutions have changed in our country.
  • Two copies of the constitution even went into space – on the Mir orbital station in 1999 and on the ISS in 2005. By the way, for the first time the basic law was brought into orbit not just as a symbol, but for a practical purpose. Cosmonaut Sergei Avdeev was going to get a law degree and asked for the text of the document in order to prepare. In total, the constitution spent 329 days in space twice.
  • Surprisingly, in the text of the Constitution of the Federation there are no foreign expressions from political vocabulary (for example, “parliament”, “impeachment” and even “senator”).

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