On 28 June 2026, Ukraine marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine—the Basic Law of the state, which established the fundamental principles of its constitutional order, guaranteed the rights and freedoms of every individual and citizen, and defined the strategic direction of the country's development as an independent democratic state.

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The adoption of the Constitution on 28 June 1996 was a defining milestone in Ukraine's state-building process and a historic affirmation of its sovereignty, democracy, and commitment to the rule of law.

The Constitution was the culmination of a lengthy and complex constitutional process that accompanied the emergence of an independent Ukrainian state. Its foundations were laid with the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine on 16 July 1990, while the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine on 24 August 1991 created the political conditions necessary for drafting a new Basic Law.

The first Constitutional Commission was established in October 1992. However, owing to profound political differences, work on the draft Constitution continued for several years. On 5 May 1996, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine established a Temporary Special Commission, chaired by Member of Parliament Mykhailo Syrota, to finalize the constitutional draft.

Between 28 May and 4 June 1996, the Verkhovna Rada considered the draft Constitution in its first reading. Following further political negotiations, President Leonid Kuchma issued a decree on 26 June 1996 calling for a nationwide constitutional referendum. In response, the Verkhovna Rada resolved to convene in a continuous plenary session until the Constitution was adopted.

The historic parliamentary session commenced at 6:30 p.m. on 27 June 1996 and continued throughout the night. Members of Parliament debated and voted on each article of the draft Constitution together with hundreds of proposed amendments. On the morning of 28 June 1996, the Constitution of Ukraine was adopted by 315 votes, marking one of the most significant moments in the country's modern history.

The collection of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine preserves the fountain pen and inkwell used by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Oleksandr Moroz, to sign the Law of Ukraine "On the Adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine and Its Entry into Force" on 28 June 1996. The museum also holds the 26 October 1993 draft Constitution containing handwritten amendments by Professor Leonid Yuzkov, one of the principal architects of Ukraine's Basic Law.

These unique historical artefacts serve as enduring testimony to the formation of the modern Ukrainian state. They document the constitutional drafting process while preserving the historical memory of the events that shaped independent Ukraine.

For three decades, the Constitution of Ukraine has remained the legal foundation of the country's democratic governance, enshrining the principles of the rule of law, the separation of powers, and the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms. Amid Russia's ongoing full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the Constitution continues to play a vital role in safeguarding the resilience of Ukraine's democratic institutions and defending the sovereign choice of the Ukrainian people.

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The Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk and the Constitution of Ukraine: A Constitutional Legacy Across Centuries

The origins of Ukrainian constitutionalism date back to the early eighteenth century with the adoption of Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution of 1710, formally entitled "Pacts and Constitutions of the Rights and Freedoms of the Zaporizhian Host." This remarkable document is widely regarded as one of Europe's earliest written constitutional acts and bears witness to Ukraine's centuries-long aspiration for independent statehood.

Viewed through the lens of more than three centuries, the Constitution clearly articulates the necessity of Ukraine's complete political separation from Muscovy and reflects the enduring struggle of the Ukrainian people for liberty and self-government.

Significantly, the ideas that ultimately gave rise to this constitutional document were nurtured in Baturyn, the capital of the Cossack Hetmanate. During the rule of Hetman Ivan Mazepa, members of the Cossack elite and his closest advisers gradually developed the vision of an independent Ukrainian state. Among them was Pylyp Orlyk, who lived and worked in Baturyn from 1699 to 1708.

Owing to his exceptional intellect and political talent, Orlyk rapidly advanced through public service, emerging as an accomplished statesman and diplomat. From 1707, he served as General Chancellor of the Hetmanate—effectively the head of government with responsibilities comparable to those of a modern Minister of Foreign Affairs. Entrusted by Ivan Mazepa with matters of the highest state importance, Orlyk ultimately transformed the idea of Ukrainian statehood into the constitutional document that would become a landmark in European constitutional history.

Despite the dramatic circumstances following the Battle of Poltava, the Constitution was approved by the loyal supporters of Hetman Mazepa at the Cossack Council convened in Bender (present-day Moldova) on 5 April 1710. Structurally, it consists of a preamble and sixteen articles.

Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution established the foundations of state governance, territorial integrity, and constitutional order. Notably, it introduced the principle of the separation of powers into legislative, executive, and judicial branches—an innovative constitutional concept designed to prevent the concentration of power and one that remains a cornerstone of modern democratic governance.

The Constitution proclaimed an estate-based republic headed by the Hetman under the protection of the King of Sweden. It affirmed Orthodox Christianity under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople while explicitly rejecting subordination to the Moscow Patriarchate.

The text of the Constitution has survived in both Latin and Old Ukrainian versions. The Old Ukrainian manuscripts are preserved in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts in Moscow, while the Latin manuscript is held by the Swedish National Archives in Stockholm within the diplomatic collection Diplomatica Cosacica.

The Swedish National Archives preserve one of the most valuable original historical sources relating to Ukraine's constitutional heritage. The original Latin-language manuscript of Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution was exhibited in Ukraine for the first time during the celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence at the National Sanctuary "Saint Sophia of Kyiv."

In 2008, researchers from the Central State Historical Archives of Ukraine in Kyiv, Olha Vovk and Hanna Putova, rediscovered the Old Ukrainian manuscript in the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts within the archival collection "Little Russian Affairs." The authenticity of the document is confirmed by the personal signature of Hetman Pylyp Orlyk and the seal of the Zaporizhian Host. During the same year, Ukrainian historian Oleksandr Alforov discovered an eighteenth-century copy of the Constitution in the same archive, obtained permission to reproduce it, and brought the first authenticated copy of the 1710 Constitution to Ukraine.

For contemporary Ukrainians, Pylyp Orlyk's Constitution remains profoundly relevant. Many of the issues it addressed continue to resonate today. Drafted during the Great Northern War (1700–1721), it reflects Ukraine's struggle against external aggression and its determination to preserve its statehood. More than three centuries later, Ukraine once again confronts attempts by Moscow to undermine its sovereignty and constitutional order.

Pylyp Orlyk's lifelong activity in exile demonstrated the moral resilience and political determination of the Ukrainian nation. Throughout his life he sought to build a broad European coalition in support of Ukraine's independence, engaging political leaders in France, Poland, Sweden, and the Ottoman Empire. He firmly believed that Ukraine's struggle for freedom was inseparable from the security of Europe as a whole. In a letter addressed to Stanisław Leszczyński in 1726, he wrote:

"There can be no lasting peace in Europe… Without peace in Ukraine, there will be no peace at all."

Subsequent generations of Ukrainians continued the constitutional and political legacy of Pylyp Orlyk, establishing political movements and organisations dedicated to restoring and strengthening an independent Ukrainian state.

The development of Ukraine's constitutional system has followed a long and challenging path—from constitutional projects of the early twentieth century to the restoration of independence and the adoption of the Constitution of Ukraine in 1996.

Today, the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk finds its historical continuation in the Constitution of modern Ukraine. Together, these constitutional milestones embody the continuity of Ukrainian statehood and constitutional tradition, inspiring pride in Ukraine and reaffirming the enduring resilience, dignity, and democratic aspirations of the Ukrainian people.