Russian Constitution of 1978
Encyclopedia
The Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
of 12 April 1978 was formally its supreme law
.
.
It was the fourth Constitution of the Russian SFSR.
Following a turbulent period of democratization
and subsequent economic reform
the Constitution was amended several times. It lost its legal force by the referendum of 12 December 1993
, which was preceded by a power struggle
between the President of Russia and Russia's legislative institutions - the Congress of People's Deputies and the Supreme Soviet of Russia
.
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic , commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic in the former Soviet Union....
of 12 April 1978 was formally its supreme law
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
.
History
At its Extraordinary Session of 12 April 1978, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR adopted a new republican Constitution, to replace the old Russian Constitution of 1937, including its subsequent amendments. The new Constitution initially consisted of a Preamble and 185 articles, and was prepared as part of the whole project of adjusting all 15 republican Constitutions to the new Constitution of the Soviet Union of October 19771977 Soviet Constitution
At the Seventh Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Ninth Convocation on October 7, 1977, the third and last Soviet Constitution, also known as the "Brezhnev Constitution", was unanimously adopted...
.
It was the fourth Constitution of the Russian SFSR.
Following a turbulent period of democratization
Perestroika
Perestroika was a political movement within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union during 1980s, widely associated with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
and subsequent economic reform
Economic history of the Russian Federation
-Historical background:For about 60 years, the Russian economy and that of the rest of the Soviet Union operated on the basis of a centrally planned economy, with a state control over virtually all means of production and over investment, production, and consumption decisions throughout the economy...
the Constitution was amended several times. It lost its legal force by the referendum of 12 December 1993
Russian constitutional referendum, 1993
A referendum was held in Russia on 12 December, 1993. It was initiated by President Boris Yeltsin after the fall of the Supreme Soviet. This was in a direct violation of the corresponding law № 241-1 «On the referendums of the Russian SFSR»...
, which was preceded by a power struggle
Russian constitutional crisis of 1993
The constitutional crisis of 1993 was a political stand-off between the Russian president and the Russian parliament that was resolved by using military force. The relations between the president and the parliament had been deteriorating for a while...
between the President of Russia and Russia's legislative institutions - the Congress of People's Deputies and the Supreme Soviet of Russia
Supreme Soviet of Russia
The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR in 1938–1990; in 1990–1993 it was a permanent parliament, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation.The Supreme Soviet of...
.
List of amendments
| Amendment | date | New institutions/additions | Eliminated institutions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 27 October 1989 |
|
Supreme Soviet of Russia The Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR , later Supreme Soviet of the Russian Federation was the supreme government institution of the Russian SFSR in 1938–1990; in 1990–1993 it was a permanent parliament, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation.The Supreme Soviet of... (Supreme Soviet now elected by Congress of People's Deputies instead) |
| Law "on modification of article 104 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 31 May 1990 | Congress now elects Chairman and three (instead of one) of deputiy Steward (office) A steward is an official who is appointed by the legal ruling monarch to represent him or her in a country, and may have a mandate to govern it in his or her name; in the latter case, it roughly corresponds with the position of governor or deputy... chairmans of the Supreme Soviet |
None |
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 16 June 1990 |
Multi-party system A multi-party system is a system in which multiple political parties have the capacity to gain control of government separately or in coalition, e.g.The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition in the United Kingdom formed in 2010. The effective number of parties in a multi-party system is normally... |
|
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 15 December 1990 |
Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR was a political act of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, then part of the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of constitutional reform in Russia... got constitutional status Direct democracy Direct democracy is a form of government in which people vote on policy initiatives directly, as opposed to a representative democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives. Direct democracy is classically termed "pure democracy"... has become clearly recognised in Constitution. Russian nationality law Russian nationality law consists of the Constitution of the Russian Federation , the federal act regarding citizenship of the Russian Federation and the international treaties that cover citizenship questions to which the Russian Federation is a party... Property Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation... (incl. private property Private property Private property is the right of persons and firms to obtain, own, control, employ, dispose of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which refers to assets owned by a state, community or government rather than by... ) is recognised Prosecutor General of Russia The Prosecutor General of Russia heads the system of official prosecution in courts known as the Office of the Prosecutor General of Russian Federation .... |
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| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 24 May 1991 |
Republics of Russia The Russian Federation is divided into 83 federal subjects , 21 of which are republics. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of a republic that gives it its name is referred to as the "titular nationality"... |
|
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR because of reform of the local self-government" | 24 May 1991 |
|
|
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR because of transformation of Autonomous oblasts into Soviet Socialist Republics within RSFSR" | 3 July 1991 | Three new republics established | Three autonomous oblast Autonomous oblast An autonomous oblast is an autonomous entity within the state which is on the oblast level of the overall administrative subdivision. It may refer to:*Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union*Autonomous oblasts of Russia... s dissolved |
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 1 November 1991 |
Flag of Russia The flag of Russia is a tricolour flag of three equal horizontal fields, white on the top, blue in the middle and red on the bottom. The flag was first used as an ensign for Russian merchant and war ships and only became official in 1896... Republics of Russia The Russian Federation is divided into 83 federal subjects , 21 of which are republics. The republics represent areas of non-Russian ethnicity. The indigenous ethnic group of a republic that gives it its name is referred to as the "titular nationality"... is recognised Jury trial A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge... has became part of the Judiciary of Russia |
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| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR" | 21 April 1992 |
Democracy Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law... and separation of powers Separation of powers The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic... (along with republic Republic A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of... an form of government Form of government A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:... and federalism Federalism Federalism is a political concept in which a group of members are bound together by covenant with a governing representative head. The term "federalism" is also used to describe a system of the government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between a central governing authority and... ) became core parts of the Russian form of government Form of government A form of government, or form of state governance, refers to the set of political institutions by which a government of a state is organized. Synonyms include "regime type" and "system of government".-Empirical and conceptual problems:... |
Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... is partially revoked Democratic centralism Democratic centralism is the name given to the principles of internal organization used by Leninist political parties, and the term is sometimes used as a synonym for any Leninist policy inside a political party... is revoked. |
| Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation" | 9 December 1992 |
Armed Forces of the Russian Federation The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation are the military services of Russia, established after the break-up of the Soviet Union. On 7 May 1992 Boris Yeltsin signed a decree establishing the Russian Ministry of Defence and placing all Soviet Armed Forces troops on the territory of the RSFSR... has been recognised in the Constitution Property Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation... became clearly recognised. Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions... became part of the Judiciary of Russia |
Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991.... revoked nearly completely (the only mention of the 1977 Constitution of the USSR remains in article 4). Soviet Armed Forces The Soviet Armed Forces, also called the Armed Forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Armed Forces of the Soviet Union refers to the armed forces of the Russian SFSR , and Soviet Union from their beginnings in the... is removed from Constitution. Judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open... s no longer has fixed term of office Term of office Term of office or term in office refers to the length of time a person serves in a particular office.-Prime Minister:In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister has no term limits... |
| Law "on modification of article 71 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation" | 10 December 1992 |
|
Chechen-Ingush ASSR |
See also
- Constitution of RussiaConstitution of RussiaThe current Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication...
(1993) - Russian Constitution of 1918
- 1977 Soviet Constitution1977 Soviet ConstitutionAt the Seventh Session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Ninth Convocation on October 7, 1977, the third and last Soviet Constitution, also known as the "Brezhnev Constitution", was unanimously adopted...