Constitution of the Russian Federation
{ Adopted by referendum on: 12 Dec 1993 }

[Preamble] We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation, united by a common destiny on our land, asserting human rights and liberties, civil peace and accord, preserving the historic unity of the state, proceeding from the commonly recognized principles of equality and self-determination of the peoples, honoring the memory of our ancestors, who have passed on to us love of and respect for our homeland and faith in good and justice, reviving the sovereign statehood of Russia and asserting its immutable democratic foundations, striving to secure the well-being and prosperity of Russia and proceeding from a sense of responsibility for our homeland before the present and future generations, and being aware of ourselves as part of the world community, hereby approve the Constitution of the Russian Federation. First Part Chapter 1 Fundamentals of the Constitutional System Article 1 [Russian Federation] The Russian Federation -- Russia is a democratic federal rule-of-law state with the republican form of government. The names "Russian Federation" and "Russia" are equivalent. Article 2 [Protection of Human Rights] Humans, their rights and freedoms are the supreme value. It is a duty of the state to recognize, respect and protect the rights and liberties of humans and citizens. Article 3 [The Multinational People] (1) The multinational people of the Russian Federation is the vehicle of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation. (2) The people of the Russian Federation exercise their power directly, and also through organs of state power and local self-government. (3) The referendum and free elections are the supreme direct manifestation of the power of the people. (4) No one may arrogate to oneself power in the Russian Federation. Seizure of power or appropriation of power authorization are prosecuted under federal law. Article 4 [Sovereignty] (1) The sovereignty of the Russian Federation applies to its entire territory. (2) The Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws have supremacy throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation. (3) The Russian Federation ensures the integrity and inviolability of its territory. Article 5 [Federal Structure] (1) The Russian Federation consists of republics, territories, regions, federal cities, an autonomous region and autonomous areas, which are equal subjects of the Russian Federation. (2) The republic (state) has its own constitution and legislation. A territory, region, federal city, autonomous region and autonomous area has its own charter and legislation (3) The federated structure of the Russian Federation are based on its state integrity, the uniform system of state power, delimitation of scopes of authority and powers between the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, equality and self-determination of the peoples in the Russian Federation. (4) All the subjects of the Russian Federation are equal among themselves in relations with the Federal bodies of state power. …

Chapter 2 Rights and Liberties of Man and Citizen Article 17 [Basic Rights and Liberties] (1) The basic rights and liberties in conformity with the commonly recognized principles and norms of the international law are recognized and guaranteed in the Russian Federation and under this Constitution. (2) The basic rights and liberties of the human being are inalienable and belong to everyone from birth. (3) The exercise of rights and liberties of a human being and citizen may not violate the rights and liberties of other persons. Article 18 [Direct Effect] The rights and liberties of man and citizen have direct effect. They determine the meaning, content and application of the laws, and the activities of the legislative and executive branches and local self-government, and are secured by the judiciary. Article 19 [Equality] (1) All people are equal before the law and in the court of law. (2) The state guarantees the equality of rights and liberties regardless of sex, race, nationality, language, origin, property or employment status, residence, attitude to religion, convictions, membership of public associations or any other circumstance. Any restrictions of the rights of citizens on social, racial, national, linguistic or religious grounds are forbidden. (3) Man and woman have equal rights and liberties and equal opportunities for their pursuit. … Article 26 [National Identity, Native Language] (1) Everyone has the right to determine and state his national identity. No one can be forced to determine and state his national identity. (2) Everyone has the right to use his native language, freely choose the language of communication, education, training and creative work. … Article 44 [Arts, Sciences, Culture] (1) Everyone is guaranteed freedom of literary, artistic, scientific, intellectual and other types of creative activity and tuition. Intellectual property is protected by the law. (2) Everyone has the right to participation in cultural life, to the use of institutions of culture, and access to cultural values. (3) Everyone has the responsibility to care for the preservation of the historic and cultural heritage and safeguard landmarks of history and culture. … Chapter 3 Russian Federation Article 65 [Republics] (1) The Russian Federation consists of the subjects of the Federation: Republic of Adygeya (Adygeya), Republic of Altai, Republic of Bashkortostan, Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Dagestan, Republic of Ingushetia, KabardinBalkar Republic, Republic of Kalmykia -- Khalmg Tangch, Karachayevo-Cherkess Republic, Republic of Karelia, Republic of Komi, Republic of Mari El, Republic of Mordovia, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, Republic of Tatarstan (Tatarstan), Republic of Tuva, Udmurt Republic, Republic of Khakasia, Chechen Republic, Chuvash Republic -- Chavash Republics; Altai Territory, Krasnodar Territory, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Maritime Territory, Stavropol Territory, Khabarovsk Territory; Amur Region, Arkhangelsk Region, Astrakhan Region, Belgorod Region, Bryansk Region, Vladimir Region, Volgograd Region, Vologda Region, Voronezh Region, Ivanovo Region, Irkutsk Region, Kaliningrad Region, Kaluga Region, Kamchatka Region, Kemerovo Region, Kirov Region, Kostroma Region, Kurgan Region, Kursk Region, Leningrad Region, Lipetsk Region, Magadan Region, Moscow Region, Murmansk Region, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Novgorod Region, Novosibirsk Region, Omsk Region, Orenburg Region, Oryol Region, Penza Region, Perm Region, Pskov Region, Rostov Region, Ryazan Region, Samara Region, Saratov Region, Sakhalin Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Smolensk Region, Tambov Region, Tver Region, Tomsk Region, Tula Relation, Tyumen Region, Ulyanovsk Region, Chelyabinsk Region, Chita Region, Yaroslavl Region; Moscow, St. Petersburg -- federal cities; Jewish Autonomous Region; Aginsky Buryat Autonomous

Area, Komi-Permyak Autonomous Area, Koryak Autonomous Area, Nenets Autonomous Area, Taimyr (Dolgan-Nenets) Autonomous Area, Ust-Ordynsky Buryat Autonomous Area, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area, Chukchi Autonomous Area, Evenk Autonomous Area, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area. (2) Accession to the Russian Federation and formation of a new subject of the Russian Federation within it is carried out as envisaged by the federal constitutional law.

Article 66 [Territories, Regions] (1) The status of a republic is defined by the Constitution and the constitution of the republic in question. (2) The status of a territory, region, federal city, and autonomous region and autonomous area is determined by Constitution and the Charter of the territory, region, city of federal importance, autonomous region, autonomous area, adopted by the legislative (representative) body of the relevant subject of the Russian Federation. (3) A federal law on autonomous region, autonomous area may be adopted at the nomination from the legislative and executive bodies of an autonomous region, autonomous area. (4) Relations between autonomous areas within a territory or region may be regulated by the federal law and an agreement between bodies of state power of the autonomous area and, respectively, bodies of state power of the territory or the region. (5) The status of a subject of the Russian Federation may be changed only with mutual consent of the Russian Federation and the subject of the Russian Federation in accordance with the federal constitutional law. Article 67 [Territory] (1) The territory of the Russian Federation incorporates the territories of its subjects, the internal and territorial seas and the air space over them. (2) The Russian Federation has sovereign rights and exercise jurisdiction on the continental shelf and in the exclusive economic zone of the Russian Federation under the procedure stipulated by the federal law and norms of international law. (3) The boundaries between the subjects of the Russian Federation may be changed by their mutual agreement. Article 68 [State Language] (1) The state language of the Russian Federation throughout its territory is the Russian language. (2) The republics have the right to institute their own state languages. They are used alongside the state language of the Russian Federation in bodies of state power, bodies of local self-government and state institutions of the republics. (3) The Russian Federation guarantees all its peoples the right to preserve their native language and to create the conditions for its study and development. Article 69 [Indigenous Rights] The Russian Federation guarantees the rights of small indigenous peoples in accordance with the generally accepted principles and standards of international law and international treaties of the Russian Federation. Article 70 [Flag, Emblem, Anthem] (1) The national flag, State Emblem, and the national anthem, their description and the procedure for their official use are established by the federal constitutional law. (2) The capital of the Russian Federation is the city of Moscow. The status of the capital is established by the federal law. Article 71 [Federal Jurisdiction] The jurisdiction of the Russian Federation includes: a) the adoption and amendment of the Constitution and federal laws and supervision over compliance with them; b) the federal structure and territory of the Russian Federation; c) regulation and protection of the rights and liberties of the human being and citizen; citizenship of the Russian Federation; regulation and protection of the rights of national minorities; d) establishment of the system of federal bodies of legislative, executive and judiciary power, procedure for the organization and activities thereof; formation of federal bodies of state power; e) federal and state property and management thereof; f) determining the basic principles of federal policy and federal programs in the field of state structure, the economy, the environment, and the social, cultural and national development of the Russian Federation; g) establishment of the legal framework for a single market; financial, monetary, credit and customs

regulation, emission of money and guidelines for price policy; federal economic services, including federal banks; h) the federal budget; federal taxes and levies; federal funds of regional development; i) federal power grids, nuclear energy, fissionable materials; federal transport, railways, information and communications; space activities; j) foreign policy and international relations of the Russian Federation, international treaties of the Russian questions of war and peace; k) foreign trade relations of the Russian Federation; l) defense and security; defense production; determining procedures for the sale and purchase of arms, ammunition, military hardware and other equipment; production of fissionable materials, toxic substances, narcotics and procedure for the use thereof; m) defining the status and protection of the state border, territorial waters, the air space, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf of the Russian Federation; n) law courts; Prosecutor's Office; criminal, criminal-procedural and criminal-executive legislation; amnesty and pardon; civil, civil-procedural and arbitration-procedural legislation; legal regulation of intellectual property; o) federal conflict of laws; p) meteorological service; standards, models, the metric system and time measurement; geodesy and cartography; names of geographical objects; official statistics and accounting; q) state decorations and honorary titles of the Russian Federation; r) federal state service. Article 72 [Joint Jurisdiction] (1) The joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation includes: a) ensuring compliance of the constitutions and laws of the republics, charters, laws, and other regulatory legal acts of the territories, regions, federal cities, the autonomous region and autonomous areas with the Constitution and the federal laws; b) protection of the rights and freedoms of man and citizen, protection of the rights of ethnic minorities; ensuring legality, law and order, and public safety; border zone regime; c) issues of the possession, use and management of the land, mineral resources, water an d other natural resources; d) delimitation of state property; e) management of natural resources, protection of the environment and ecological safety; specially protected natural reserves; protection of historical and cultural monuments; f) general questions of upbringing, education, science, culture, physical culture and sports; g) coordination of health issues, protection of family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood; social protection including social security; h) implementing measures to combat catastrophes, natural disasters, epidemics and eliminating consequences thereof; i) establishment of the general guidelines for taxation and levies in the Russian Federation; j) administrative, administrative-procedural, labor, family, housing, land, water and forestry legislation; legislation on the sub-surface and environmental protection; k) cadres of judiciary and law-enforcement agencies; the bar, notaries; l) protection of the original environment and traditional way of life of small ethnic communities; m) establishment of general guidelines of the organization of the system of bodies of state power and local self-government; n) coordination of the international and external economic relations of the subjects of the Russian Federation, compliance with the international treaties of the Russian Federation. (2) The provisions of this Article equally apply to the republics, territories, regions, federal cities, the autonomous region and autonomous areas. Article 73 [Regional Jurisdiction] Outside of the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation on issues within the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation, the subjects of the Russian Federation exercises the entire spectrum of state power. Article 74 [Free Trade Zone] (1) No customs frontiers, duties, levies, or any other barriers for free movement of goods, services, or financial means may be established on the territory of the Russian Federation. (2) Restrictions on the movement of goods and services may be established under the federal law, if this is

necessary for the protection of the people's safety, their lives and health, protection of environment and cultural values. Article 75 [Money] (1) The monetary unit of the Russian Federation is the ruble. The monetary emission is the exclusive responsibility of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. No other currencies may be issued in the Russian Federation. (2) The protection and stability of the ruble is the main function of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation which it exercises independently from other bodies of state power. (3) The system of taxes levied to the federal budget and the general principles of taxation and levies in the Russian Federation is established by the federal law. (4) State loans are issued in accordance with the procedure established by the federal law and placed on a strictly voluntary basis. Article 76 [Direct Effect of Federal Laws] (1) On issues within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation federal constitutional laws and federal laws are adopted having direct effect throughout the territory of the Russian Federation. (2) On matters within the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation federal laws are issued and in accordance with them laws and other regulatory legal acts of the subjects of the Russian Federation is adopted. (3) Federal laws may not contravene federal constitutional laws. (4) Outside of the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation republics, territories, regions, federal cities, autonomous regions and autonomous areas effect their own legal regulation, including the adoption of laws and other regulatory legal acts. (5) Laws and other regulatory legal acts of the subjects of the Russian Federation may not contravene federal laws adopted in accordance with Parts (1) and (2) of this Article. In the event of a contradiction between a federal law and any other act issued in the Russian Federation, the federal law applies. (6) In the event of a contradiction between the federal law and a regulatory legal act of a subject of the Russian Federation issued in accordance with Part (4) of this Article, the regulatory legal act of the subject of the Russian Federation applies. Article 77 [State Power] (1) The system of state power bodies of the republics, territories, regions, federal cities, the autonomous region, autonomous areas are established by the subjects of the Russian Federation independently in accordance with the basic principles of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and general principles of the organization of legislative and executive bodies of power as envisaged by the federal law. (2) Within the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the powers of the Russian Federation on issues within the joint jurisdiction of the Russian Federation and the subjects of the Russian Federation the federal bodies of executive power and bodies of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation forms the single system of executive power in the Russian Federation. Article 78 [State Officials] (1) To exercise their powers, the federal bodies of executive power may set up their own territorial structures and appoint respective officials. (2) By agreement with organs of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, the federal organs of executive power may delegate to them part of their powers provided this does not contravene the Constitution or federal laws. (3) By agreement with the federal organs of executive power, organs of executive power of the subjects of the Russian Federation may delegate part of their powers to them. (4) The President of the Russian Federation and the government of the Russian Federation shall, under the Constitution, exercise the authority of federal state power throughout the territory of the Russian Federation. Article 79 [Inter-State Associations] The Russian Federation may participate in inter-state associations and delegate some of its powers to them in accordance with international agreements if this does not restrict human or civil rights and liberties or contravene the fundamentals of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation. …