Today Ukraine marks the 31st anniversary of the proclamation of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine. 31 years ago, on July 16, 1990, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine.
"The Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR,
expressing the will of Ukrainians
striving to create a democratic society,
based on the needs of comprehensive provision of human rights and freedoms,
Respecting the national rights of all peoples,
caring for full political, economic, social and spiritual development the people of Ukraine,
Recognizing the need to build the rule of law,
Aiming to establish the sovereignty and self-government of the people of Ukraine,
DECLARES
state sovereignty of Ukraine as supremacy, independence, completeness and indivisibility power of the Republic within its territory and independence and equality in foreign affairs communication".
Sovereignty of the state is a political and legal property of state power, which means it supremacy and completeness within the country, independence and equality in foreign policy.
The legal basis of state sovereignty are the constitutions of countries, declarations, recognized principles of international law, which proclaim the sovereign equality of states, their territorial integrity, non-interference in internal affairs, the right of nations to self-determination.
By the Declaration of Sovereignty, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian SSR proclaimed supremacy, independence, completeness and indivisibility of power of the republic within its territory, independence and equality in foreign relations. No restrictions on culture, language or humanitarian needs in the Declaration was not contained, citizens of all nationalities determined by the people of Ukraine.
The document proclaimed the obligation of public authorities to provide national cultural revival of the Ukrainian people, introduction and functioning Ukrainian language in all spheres of public life.
The basic provisions of the Declaration became the basis of the main legislative documents of state importance – the Constitution and laws of Ukraine. The process of creating and implementation of the Constitution of Ukraine was started.
The idea of creating the Declaration belongs to Vyacheslav Chornovil. There were draft declarations a lot – as many as 12. In the end, the projects of the deputy from the "People's Power" were taken as a basis Serhiy Holovaty and the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
Immediately after the adoption of the Declaration, Levko Lukyanenko spoke with inspiration at the rally before the Verkhovna Rada: "This Declaration is a program to bring Ukraine out of power Moscow. It is up to you and me to make the Declaration a practical program the construction of an independent Ukraine, or the pro-Moscow Orthodox Communists will succeed turn it into another blank piece of paper".
Ivan Drach wrote: "We must treat this document with due respect, but also with the understanding that this is only the beginning of that huge and grandiose work, which is called the creation of the Ukrainian state " (“Literary Ukraine”, 30 August 1990).
The future first president of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk also noted an important role of Declarations in the struggle for independence of Ukraine: “First, it is only possible at that time and the first in the history of Ukraine state-legal document or state-political, which proclaimed sovereignty. Until now, both sovereignty and independence have been proclaimed organizations: People's Movement, Helsinki Union, etc. But at the state level (which is very important!) for the first time the Soviet socialist state proclaims sovereignty. It a unique phenomenon. Secondly, the declaration as a document woke up the leaders, woke up the part of Ukrainian society and people and instilled in him faith that sovereignty and so independence is possible in our time” (Radio Liberty, July 17, 2010).
Ivan Zayets commented on these events as follows: “The turning point was the adoption of the declaration July 16, 1990 ... The idea of independence of the Ukrainian state settled in the corridors of power, and still lived on the squares… Independence has become a matter of time. August 3 Supreme Rada adopted a law on economic independence of Ukraine, on July 30 – a resolution on military service, which initiated the return of our guys from the conflict hot points. On October 24, 1990, the Verkhovna Rada amended the Constitution on preference republican laws over allied. In fact, the legal union system has broken. Gorbachev still wanted to preserve the Soviet Union. Ukraine has shown reluctance here as well to play according to the Moscow script. The Verkhovna Rada simultaneously declared all-Ukrainian poll, the result of which actually nullified Gorbachev's referendum, because focused primarily on creating their own state, rather than preserving the Union. GKChP – it was a reaction to Ukraine's independence move. Therefore, statehood did not fall to us from heaven, it was necessary to fully mobilize patriotic forces, all Ukrainian society to gain a state».
The Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine was an important step for Ukraine people in the struggle for political and economic independence. The document became the basis for “Act of Independence of Ukraine” and was the foundation for the future Constitution and laws of Ukraine. Adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine confirmed the inevitability of the collapse of the communist totalitarian empire – the USSR.
Captions to the photo:
People's deputies from the “People's Council” after voting for the Declaration of State sovereignty of Ukraine. From left to right: Levko Gorokhivsky, Oles Shevchenko, Levko Lukyanenko, Stepan Khmara, Mykhailo Horyn, Bohdan Rebryk, Iryna Kalinets, Vyacheslav Chornovil, Bohdan Horyn, Heinrich Altunyan.
Rally near the walls of the Verkhovna Rada during the adoption of the Declaration of State Sovereignty Of Ukraine. Kyiv, July 16, 1990