Secrets of the press and closed doors: unusual facts about the Ukrainian Constitution

June 28 is Constitution Day in Ukraine, commemorating the adoption of the Fundamental Law in 1996. This event symbolizes not only a legal act but also a complex political struggle marked by difficult discussions and tense nights.

The session of the Verkhovna Rada, at which the Constitution was adopted, lasted more than 23 hours without a break – from the morning of June 27 until dawn the next day. The process of its adoption was dubbed “constitutional night,” as it concluded with a vote in which 315 deputies participated.

Although work on the document spanned years, the final text was drafted in the last hours without prior compilation. During the voting process, the text of the Constitution was formed directly in the hall – by combining various passages.

Ukraine was the last of the former Soviet republics to adopt its own Constitution. Still, the Ukrainian version is considered one of the most democratic in the region, as it guarantees rights and freedoms, linguistic and religious autonomy, political activity, and property rights.

The first attempts to create a constitution were made back in 1992 when a special commission was formed. However, political crises prevented this from happening until 1996.

On the night before the vote, the security guards of the Verkhovna Rada were instructed not to let deputies out without a valid reason to maintain a quorum. Moreover, work on the Constitution was carried out with the participation of more than 400 specialists, including lawyers, scientists, deputies, and activists, who submitted their suggestions and amendments.

Immediately after the vote, the Constitution began to be printed in strict secrecy. Printing workers signed non-disclosure agreements, and finished copies were transported in armored cars to prevent information leaks.

Constitution Day, June 28, is the only public holiday enshrined in the text of the Fundamental Law. If the document was not adopted on that day, a nationwide referendum was planned.

Discussions on the distribution of powers between state institutions, language issues, and the status of Crimea caused the most significant controversy during the preparation for adoption.

Although the modern Constitution was adopted in 1996, the traditions of Ukrainian constitutionalism have deep roots that date back to the beginning of the 18th century with the “Pacts and Constitutions of the Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporozhian Army” concluded by Hetman Pylyp Orlyk.