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| Russian Federation Constitution | |
|---|---|
| Name | Constitution of the Russian Federation |
| Native name | Конституция Российской Федерации |
| Adopted | 12 December 1993 |
| Promulgated | 25 December 1993 |
| System | Semi-presidential |
| Branches | Executive, Legislative, Judicial |
| Chambers | Federation Council; State Duma |
| Courts | Constitutional Court; Supreme Court |
| Executive | President; Government (Prime Minister) |
| Location of document | Moscow |
Russian Federation Constitution
The Constitution of the Russian Federation is the supreme law that establishes the framework of the Russian state after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, defining the structure of the Presidency of Russia, the Federal Assembly (Russia), and the Judiciary of Russia. Adopted by a national 1993 Russian constitutional referendum and drafted in the context of the 1991–1993 political crises, it replaced the 1978 Constitution of the Russian SFSR and set terms for post-Soviet transformation, influencing relations with entities such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, the European Court of Human Rights, and international treaties like the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances.
The drafting process involved figures and institutions including Boris Yeltsin, members of the Supreme Soviet of Russia, and legal scholars linked to the Constitutional Commission. Its adoption followed the constitutional crisis culminating in the 1993 armed standoff at the White House (Moscow), confrontation between the President of Russia and the Supreme Soviet of Russia (1991–1993), and a subsequent decree dissolving the legislature. The proposed text was debated in the Congress of People's Deputies of Russia era and finalized amid influences from comparative models like the French Fifth Republic Constitution and the German Basic Law. The 12 December 1993 referendum affirmed the document after military and political events involving the Russian Armed Forces and security organs including the FSB.
Organized into a preamble and two main sections—Fundamentals and Parts—the Constitution consists of nine chapters defining authorities such as the President of Russia, the Government of Russia (Cabinet), and the bicameral Federal Assembly (Russia) comprising the Federation Council (Russia) and the State Duma. It establishes state symbols like the Flag of Russia and the Coat of Arms of Russia, sets the seat of power in Moscow, and provides for federal law supremacy over regional statutes, interacting with instruments such as the Constitutional Court of Russia and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation. The text delineates procedure for presidential election, parliamentary elections under the Central Election Commission (Russia), and the appointment of the Prime Minister of Russia.
Chapter II enumerates rights that reference institutions like the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and interactions with bodies like the European Court of Human Rights. It lists civil and political guarantees for citizens related to participation in Presidential elections in Russia, labor rights connected to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, and protections tied to law enforcement agencies such as the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia. The provisions have been interpreted in cases before the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and litigated in domestic disputes involving entities like Gazprom or regional administrations of Chechnya.
The Constitution defines the Russian Federation as a multi-ethnic and multi-territorial state composed of republics, krais, oblasts, federal cities, autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs, interacting with regional bodies such as the Government of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Moscow City Duma. It frames competencies between the federal center and subjects, impacting legislation like power-sharing treaties in the 1990s involving Tatarstan, and later integration measures affecting territories like Sevastopol and regions incorporated after 2014 Crimean status referendum. Federalism disputes have involved institutions such as the Presidential Administration of Russia and the Federation Council.
The Constitution prescribes a semi-presidential system balancing the President of Russia with the Government of Russia (Cabinet) led by the Prime Minister of Russia, and a legislature formed by the State Duma (Russia) and the Federation Council (Russia). Judicial review is vested in the Constitutional Court of Russia and the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, while prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office of Russia play a role in legal supervision. Institutional interactions have been shaped by figures such as Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, and legal actors like Valery Zorkin, with administrative structures including the Security Council of Russia and agencies like the Federal Security Service influencing policy.
Amendment procedures set forth by the text require involvement of the Federation Council (Russia), the State Duma (Russia), and regional legislatures; major revisions may necessitate approval by constitutional procedures and popular vote as in the 1993 Russian constitutional referendum and the 2020 amendments process. Significant amendments in 2020 addressed succession, social guarantees, and constitutional primacy over certain international obligations, prompting analysis by legal scholars and institutions like the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation and commentary in outlets referencing the Council of Europe.
Since adoption, the Constitution has structured political developments including presidential terms, party competition involving United Russia, electoral reforms overseen by the Central Election Commission (Russia), and power consolidation in the executive branch. It has influenced regional integration policies concerning Chechnya and Dagestan, economic regulation involving state corporations such as Rosneft and Gazprom, and Russia’s posture in international law with ties to the United Nations and bilateral treaties like the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between the Russian Federation and Ukraine (1997). Jurisprudence from the Constitutional Court of Russia and decisions by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation continue to shape the Constitution’s practical effect on political dynamics.