Adopted at the December 12, 1993 referendum

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

We, the multinational people of the Russian Federation,

united by a common fate on our land,

establishing human rights and freedoms, civil peace and accord,

preserving the historically established State unity,

proceeding from universally acknowledged principles of equality and self-determination of peoples,

revering the memory of ancestors who have passed on to us their love for the Fatherland and faith in good and justice,

reviving the sovereign statehood of Russia and asserting the firmness of its democratic basis,

striving to ensure the well-being and prosperity of Russia,

proceeding from the responsibility for our Fatherland before present and future generations,

recognizing ourselves to be a part of the world community,

do hereby adopt THE CONSTITUTION OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION.

SECTION ONE

CHAPTER 1. THE BASIS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM

Article 1

1. The Russian Federation — Russia is a democratic federative law-governed state with a republican form of government.

2. The names Russian Federation and Russia are equipollent.

Article 2

Man, his rights and freedoms shall be the supreme value. The recognition, observance and protection of human and civil rights and freedoms shall be an obligation of the State.

Article 3

1. The bearer of sovereignty and the sole source of power in the Russian Federation shall be its multinational people.

2. The people shall exercise its power directly, as well as through State government bodies and local self-government bodies.

3. The supreme direct expression of the power of the people shall be referendum and free elections.

4. Nobody may usurp power in the Russian Federation. The seizure of power or usurpation of State authority shall be prosecuted under federal law.

Article 4

1. The sovereignty of the Russian Federation shall extend to the entirety of its territory.

2. The Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws shall have supremacy on the entire territory of the Russian Federation.

3. The Russian Federation shall ensure the integrity and inviolability of its territory.

Article 5

1. The Russian Federation shall consist of republics, krays, oblasts, cities of federal significance, an autonomous oblast and autonomous okrugs, which shall have equal rights as constituent entities of the Russian Federation.

2. A republic (state) shall have its own constitution and legislation. A kray, oblast, city of federal significance, autonomous oblast and autonomous okrug shall have its own charter and legislation.

3. The federal structure of the Russian Federation shall be based on its State integrity, the unity of the system of State power, the division of matters of authority and powers between State government bodies of the Russian Federation and State government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation, the equality and self-determination of peoples in the Russian Federation.

4. All constituent entities of the Russian Federation shall be equal with one another in relations with federal State government bodies.

Article 6

1. Citizenship of the Russian Federation shall be acquired and terminated in accordance with federal law, and shall be one and equal, irrespective of the grounds on which it is acquired.

2. Every citizen of the Russian Federation shall enjoy all rights and freedoms on its territory and shall bear equal responsibilities as envisaged in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

3. A citizen of the Russian Federation may not be deprived of his (her) citizenship or of the right to change it.