Constitution Day (Ukraine)

Constitution Day
День Конституції
Stamp of Ukraine commemorating the holiday
Observed byUkraine
TypeNational
SignificanceThe anniversary of the signing of the Ukrainian constitution of 1996
CelebrationsSpeeches by politicians[1][2]
Date28 June
Next time28 June 2025 (2025-06-28)
Frequencyannual

Constitution Day (Ukrainian: День Конституції) is a Ukrainian public holiday celebrated on 28 June since 1996.[3][4] It commemorates the anniversary of the approval by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) of the Constitution of Ukraine on 28 June 1996.[4][5]

History

51 hours after taking office as President of Ukraine, after winning the 1994 Ukrainian presidential election, Leonid Kuchma created the Constitutional Commission, which led to the adoption of a constitution of Ukraine in 1996.[6] (At the time the 1978 Constitution of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was in force in Ukraine.[7]) The Constitution was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada at 9:20 am on 28 June 1996 after deputies had worked all day and all night on the project, remaining in the session hall without breaks.[8] 315 people's deputies, out of a needed 300, voted for the adoption of the Basic Law.[8] Constitution Day did become a public holiday in Ukraine because its foundation was enshrined in the constitution itself (it is the only public holiday that is mentioned in the constitution).[9] Soviet Constitution day (7 October) was never observed in the Ukrainian SSR (the predecessor of modern Ukraine).[10]

In the 2000s, most Ukrainians did not see Constitution Day as a holiday, but as an ordinary day off; about 10% believed it should be a working day (12% in 2008; this number had shrunk from 14% in 2003).[11] Only in Western Ukraine was the holiday among the list of most respected holidays in Ukraine.[12]

In the 2010s, the popularity of the holiday hovered around 5% according to research by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS).[13]

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that started on 24 February 2022 led to a reappraisal of this and other public holidays in Ukraine.[13] A March 2024 study by KIIS found that the popularity of Independence Day of Ukraine and Defenders Day had both almost more than doubled (from 37% to 64% and from 29% to 58%).[13] Constitution Day did not nearly reach those figures: but it did became twice as popular, from 14% in 2021 to 29% in 2023 and in (an opinion poll held in February) 2024 28% of KIIS respondents labelled the holiday "most important or favorite".[13]

References

  1. ^ Ukraine marks Constitution Day on June 28, UNIAN (28 June 2018)
  2. ^ Ukraine's leaders congratulate Ukrainians on Constitution Day, Interfax-Ukraine (28 June 2018)
  3. ^ Ukraine celebrating 20th anniversary of Constitution, UNIAN (28 June 2016)
    Yulia Tymoshenko Goes On Trial A Day Before Constitution Day, Eurasia Daily Monitor (30 July 2011)
  4. ^ a b 1996: THE YEAR IN REVIEW Archived 2017-10-19 at the Wayback Machine, The Ukrainian Weekly (29 December 1996)
  5. ^ Ukraine marks Constitution Day Archived 2014-07-29 at the Wayback Machine, Ukrinform (28 June 2014)
  6. ^ Warshaw, Shirley Anne (2009). The Clinton Years. Infobase Publishing. (page 191)
  7. ^ (in Ukrainian) Ukraine celebrates Constitution Day today, RBC Ukraine (28 June 2021)
  8. ^ a b (in Ukrainian) The Constitution of Ukraine is 25 years old! Unusual facts about the main document that few people know, RBC Ukraine (27 June 2021)
  9. ^ (in Ukrainian) See how the Constitution of Ukraine was adopted 25 years ago: historical photos, RBC Ukraine (28 June 2021)
  10. ^ The Ukrainian Resurgence by Bohdan Nahaylo, University of Toronto Press, 1999, ISBN 0802079776 (page 402)
  11. ^ (in Ukrainian) Як Ви ставитеся до Дня Конституції України? (динаміка, 2003-2008) How do you feel about the Constitution Day of Ukraine? (Recurrent, 2003-2008) Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine, Razumkov Centre (27 June 2008)
    Більше половини українців не вважають День Конституції святом More than half do not consider Ukrainian Constitution Day holiday Archived 2013-10-04 at the Wayback Machine, Razumkov Centre (27 June 2008)
  12. ^ (in Ukrainian) Травневі свята найменше люблять на Заході України - опитування May holidays like least in Western Ukraine - poll, Gazeta.ua (30 April 2010)
  13. ^ a b c d Volodymyr Paniotto (7 March 2024). "PRESS RELEASES AND REPORTS - ATTITUDE OF UKRAINIANS TO PUBLIC HOLIDAYS AND IN PARTICULAR TO MARCH 8". Kyiv International Institute of Sociology. Retrieved 8 March 2024.
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