Constitution on ExcellentWiki - Legal Encyclopedia

The 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted by popular referendum on 12 December 1993, following a profound political crisis. It replaced the Soviet-era 1977 Constitution and established the foundations of the post-Soviet Russian state. The Constitution created a strong presidential system, guaranteed fundamental rights, and established the framework for Russia’s federal structure and market economy.

Historical Context

The 1993 Constitution emerged from a constitutional crisis between President Boris Yeltsin and the Supreme Soviet. After Yeltsin dissolved the Parliament in September 1993, the crisis culminated in the October 1993 armed confrontation when Parliament resisted dissolution by force and the military ultimately backed the President. The referendum approved the new constitution with approximately 58% of votes, though the legitimacy of the process was contested. The crisis reflected the fundamental disagreement between competing visions of Russian statehood: a presidential republic with a strong executive versus a parliamentary system with a powerful legislature.

Russian Federalism: The Constitutional Structure of the Federation

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Russian Federation is the largest country in the world by territory, and its federal structure reflects the immense diversity of its constituent parts. The federal arrangement established by the 1993 Constitution has undergone significant transformation over three decades, shifting from a highly asymmetrical federation with strong regional autonomy to a centralized system dominated by the federal executive. The federal structure remains a defining feature of Russian constitutional law, though its character has been fundamentally altered by centralizing reforms.

The Russian Constitutional Court

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation is the supreme judicial body for constitutional review. Established in 1991, it exercises abstract and concrete review of normative acts for compliance with the 1993 Constitution. The Court plays a central role in Russian constitutional law, interpreting constitutional provisions, resolving disputes between state authorities, and protecting fundamental rights.

Composition and Appointment

The Court comprises 11 judges (reduced from 19 in the 2020 amendments), appointed by the Federation Council upon nomination by the President. Judges serve for life with a mandatory retirement age of 70. The Court elects a Chairman and Deputy Chairman from among its members for three-year terms. The reduction in size was presented as efficiency-enhancing but was widely seen as increasing executive control over the Court.

Presidential Powers in Russia: Constitutional Authority and the Power Vertical

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The presidency of the Russian Federation is the dominant institution in the constitutional order. Under the 1993 Constitution and the 2020 amendments, the President exercises extensive powers that extend across all branches of government. The constitutional design reflects the drafters’ intent to create a strong executive capable of maintaining stability and unity in a vast and diverse country. The evolution of presidential power since 1993 has transformed the office from a constitutionally strong presidency into what scholars describe as a system of super-presidentialism.

Constitutional Rights and Freedoms in Russia

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Chapter 2 of the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees a comprehensive catalog of human and civil rights and freedoms. The Constitution declares that the person, their rights and freedoms, constitute the supreme value, and that the recognition, observance, and protection of human and civil rights is the duty of the state. These provisions represent a fundamental break from the Soviet constitutional tradition, which subordinated individual rights to state interests. The implementation of constitutional rights in practice, however, has been uneven and subject to significant limitations.