On the 28th of June the whole Ukraine celebrates the Constitution Day – it is the only state holiday fixed in the Constitution of Ukraine. “There is the Constitution!” – With these words, the head of the Parliament Oleksandr Moroz, in 1996, announced the results of the voting.
They wrote the Ukrainian Constitution for the whole six years – from 1990 to 1996. Ukraine adopted the Constitution of the last of all post-Soviet republics, but it was recognized by the international community as one of the most democratic in the world. The predecessors of the modern Constitution were: the Constitution of Philip Orlik – 1710, the Constitution of the Ukrainian People’s Republic -29 April 1918, the Small Constitution of the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic – 13 November 1918, the Provisional Constitution of the Carpathian Ukraine – 15 March 1939.
Since the beginning of adoption, the current Basic Law of Ukraine has been changed several times. The Constitution of Ukraine of 1996 provides for a rather strict procedure for introducing amendments and additions to it. The approval of the relevant amendments in its various parts requires 2/3 to 3/4 votes of the constitutional membership of the Parliament of Ukraine. If the amendments cancel or restrict human and civil rights and freedoms or are aimed at the liquidation of independence threaten the territorial integrity of the state, the Constitution of Ukraine, according to Article 157, cannot be changed at all.
In 2011, the first miniature Constitution of Ukraine was published – a book with the size of 2×3 cm. It contains 160 pages on which more than 9000 letters were written by hand – each not more than 1 mm. But the miniature contained only one tenth of the original text. The book weighs only 15 g. The author – graphic artist Igor Stepanov – spent about two months on its creation.
The Scientific Library greets the whole university community with the Constitution Day of Ukraine. We wish you strong health and creative inspiration, well-being and comfort in your families, wisdom and foresight, high achievements, success in work and new achievements.
Світлана Голодова,
завідуюча відділом наукової бібліотеки
