On June 28, Ukraine and Ukrainians across the globe are marking the Constitution Day. On this day 25 years ago, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted and enacted the Basic Law, the first Constitution of the modern Ukraine. With the adoption of this document, the foundations of Independent Ukraine, its sovereignty and territorial integrity were established. The document reflects historical experience of the Ukrainian people as well as the world democratic traditions.

Ukraine has centuries-old constitutional traditions. The current Constitution of Ukraine in its current form was predated by the Russkaya Pravda, the legal code of Kyivan Rus, the Cossack and hetman constitutions, including the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk (one of the first constitutional documents in Europe), the Constitution of the Ukrainian State of 1918 (Statute on the state system rights and freedoms of the Ukrainian People’s Republic).

The adoption of the Constitution in 1996 marked the beginning of the formation and development of Ukraine as a new democratic and independent state.