2020-12-12 Sat

Constitution Day is a commemorative day celebrated in Russia on December 12. It was established to commemorate the adoption of the Constitution of the Russian Federation in 1993. Russia became an independent state in 1991, amidst the dissolution of the Soviet Union. In 1992, the parliament passed amendments to the 1978 constitution to reflect the sovereignty of the Russian Federation, but Russia still needed to replace the old Soviet constitution with a new supreme law. In June 1993, President Boris Yeltsin convened the Constituent Assembly. The draft of the Constitution was adopted on July 12, but it was immediately rejected by the Supreme Soviet (Russian government). This eventually led to the constitutional crisis in October 1993. One the crisis was resolved; the Constitution was approved during a constitutional referendum held on December 12. In 1994, Boris Yeltsin officially designated December 12 as Constitution Day. The 50 Rubles 1991 shown above depicts the Moscow Kremlin which is the white house of Russia. The complex now serves as the official residence of the President of the Russian Federation. Image Courtesy: Colnect.com