The Constitution of Ukraine is a document that established the state’s rules: it enshrined its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; guaranteed the rights of every citizen; and established the Ukrainian language as the official language.

Today, on Constitution Day, we recall how 30 years ago — on June 28, 1996 — Ukraine adopted its Fundamental Law.

Drafting the Constitution of Ukraine began as early as 1990 and continued until 1996. Among the most pressing issues were the balance of powers, the status of Crimea, the official language, human rights, and social guarantees. Options for adopting a Constitutional Treaty as a temporary solution were considered on multiple occasions, but the need for a full-fledged Constitution became increasingly evident.

The first reading of the draft Constitution took place from May 28 to June 4, 1996. As a result, approximately 6,000 amendments were introduced ahead of the second reading.

June 27, 1996, was a turning point, when hours-long discussions of each article continued in parliament until the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada declared that the session would not end until the Constitution was adopted.

This lasted for almost a whole day. Finally, after 14 hours of continuous work, thousands of amendments, and months of drafting the document the Constitution was adopted on June 28 at 9:18 a.m.

“We have a Constitution!” — that was how the then-Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Moroz, reacted to the adoption of the Fundamental Law. After the vote, the members of parliament solemnly carried the blue-and-yellow national flag into the session hall of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The international community has highly praised Ukraine’s Constitution, calling it one of the most democratic in the world. At the same time, its true significance is revealed not only in external assessments but also in the principles that define the state’s existence from within.

“The territory of Ukraine within its existing borders is indivisible and inviolable” and “The Autonomous Republic of Crimea is an integral part of Ukraine” — these provisions of the Constitution have taken on special significance since 2014, when Russia violated Ukraine’s sovereignty.

Today, thousands of Ukrainians are standing up for the fundamental principles of the Constitution — fighting for the state’s territorial integrity, defending human rights and freedoms, and upholding Ukraine’s very right to be independent.