{{Short description|Supreme law in the Eurasian country until 1993}}{{More citations needed|date=April 2026}}{{Infobox legislation | short_title = Russian Constitution of 1977 | long_title = Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic | territorial_extent = {{country|Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic}} | enacted_by = [[Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR]] | image = File:Emblem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1978–1991), Emblem of the Russian Federation (1991–1992).svg | signed_by = [[Mikhail Yasnov]] | date_effective = {{start date and age|1978|04|12|df=y}} | date_repealed = {{start date and age|1993|12|12|df=y}} | repealed_by = [[Constitution of the Russian Federation]] | status = repealed }}In 1978, the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] adopted a new [[communist state constitution|state constitution]] as its [[Constitution|supreme law]].[[File:Russian_Constitution_of_1978_01.jpg|thumb|Constitution of Soviet Russia in 1978]]
{{wikisourcelang|ru|Конституция РСФСР (1978)|Russian Constitution of 1978 (original)}} {{wikisourcelang|ru|Конституция Российской Федерации - России 1978 года (в редакции 10 декабря 1992 года)|Russian Constitution of 1978 (with amendments of 1989–1992)}}
== History ==
At an extraordinary session on 12 April 1978, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR adopted a new republican constitution, to replace the old [[Russian Constitution of 1937]]. The new Constitution initially consisted of a preamble and 185 articles, and was prepared as part of a process bringing all 15 republican constitutions in line with new [[1977 Soviet Constitution|Constitution of the Soviet Union of October 1977]]. It was the fourth constitution for the Russian SFSR.
Following a [[Democratization (Soviet Union)|turbulent period of democratization]], [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]], and subsequent [[Economic history of the Russian Federation|economic reform]], the Constitution was amended several times.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Henderson |first=Jane |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Constitution_of_the_Russian_Federati/GIB6BAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1978+russian+constitution&pg=PA1991&printsec=frontcover |title=The Constitution of the Russian Federation: A Contextual Analysis |date=2011-05-04 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-84731-764-3 |language=en |quote=tinkering with the 1978 RSFSR Russian Constitution had created an inconsistent and almost unworkable document.}}</ref> It was displaced by [[1993 Russian constitutional referendum|the referendum of 12 December 1993]], which followed a [[Russian constitutional crisis of 1993|power struggle]] between the [[President of Russia]], [[Boris Yeltsin]], and Russia's legislative institutions – the [[Congress of People's Deputies of Russia|Congress of People's Deputies]] and the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Gordon B. |url=https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Russia_and_Its_Constitution/A8s0V_5cBwkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=1978+russian+constitution&pg=PA55&printsec=frontcover |title=Russia and Its Constitution: Promise and Political Reality |last2=Sharlet |first2=Robert Stewart |date=2008 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-15535-0 |language=en |quote=The Constitution of the Russian Federation ratified by a popular referendum on 12 December 1993 was born out of the collapse of the Soviet system and the ensuing conflict between the Executive, led by President Boris Yeltsin, and the parliament, the Congress of People's Deputies.}}</ref>
===List of amendments=== {| class="wikitable" !Amendment !date !New institutions/additions !Eliminated institutions |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183129/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"]||27 October 1989|| * [[Congress of People's Deputies of Russia|Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian SFSR]] * [[:ru:Съезд народных депутатов|Congresses of People's Deputies]] of the [[Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union|Autonomous SSRs]] (allowed to be established, but not mandatory; only [[Dagestan ASSR]] decided to establish its own Congress) * Explicit provision that number of nominated candidates in elections shall be unlimited, intended to end old Soviet practice of [[:Category:Single-candidate elections|single-candidate]] elections. * [[Supreme Soviet of Russia]] becomes [[bicameralism|bicameral]] ** [[Soviet of the Republic (Supreme Soviet of Russia)|Soviet of the Republic]] and [[Soviet of Nationalities (Supreme Soviet of Russia)|Soviet of Nationalities]] established * [[Committee for Constitutional Supervision of the Russian SFSR]] * 10-year tenure for all judges (instead of former 5-year) || * [[Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] (leadership passed directly to [[Supreme Soviet of Russia#1990–1993|Chairman of the Supreme Soviet]]) * Indirect elections of the [[Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Presidium of the Supreme Soviet]] (Presidium of the Supreme Soviet now formed ''[[ex officio]]'' instead) * Direct elections to the [[Supreme Soviet of Russia|Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR]] (Supreme Soviet now elected by Congress of People's Deputies instead) |- | [http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183134/ Law "on modification of article 104 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"]||31 May 1990||Congress now elects chairman and three (instead of one) of [[Steward (office)|deputy]] chairmen of the Supreme Soviet|| None |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183133/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"] || 16 June 1990 || * [[Multi-party system]] || * [[One-party state|One-party system]] |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183128/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"] ||15 December 1990 || * [[Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian SFSR]] provisions introduced to constitution, notably preamble (replacing long Communist preamble of 1978) art. 1 (which now declares RSFSR as "sovereign state, created by the peoples, historically united in it" instead of "socialist state of the whole people...") and art. 76 (providing for [[wikt:nullification|nullification]] of USSR laws whenever they be deemed contrary to the "sovereign rights of the RSFSR") * [[Direct democracy]] has become explicitly recognized in Constitution (per new art 2) * [[Russian nationality law|citizenship of the Russian SFSR]] * [[Property|Right to hold property]] (incl., but not explicitly, [[private property]]) is recognized * [[Prosecutor General of Russia|Prosecutor General of the Russian SFSR]], appointed by the Supreme Soviet and confirmed by Congress * [[Constitutional Court of Russia|Constitutional Court of the Russian SFSR]] || * USSR-appointed office of the Prosecutor of the Russian SFSR * [[Committee for Constitutional Supervision of the Russian SFSR]] * Civil and political rights are no longer limited on ideological grounds, such as "aims of building communism" (art. 45, 49), "interests of the people" "strengthment and developing the socialist system" (art. 48) and similar. |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183124/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"]|| 24 May 1991 || * Nationwide elected position of the [[President of Russia|President of the Russian SFSR]] has been established, in line with results of the [[1991 Russian presidential referendum|17 March 1991 referendum]]. * [[Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|ASSRs]] promoted into [[Republics of Russia|Republics of the Russian SFSR]] * [[Arbitral tribunal]] became part of judiciary (Courts of arbitration with [[High Court of Arbitration of Russia|High Court of Arbitration of the RSFSR]] at the top of them) || * [[Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]s (upgraded into republics) * [[:ru:Арбитраж (орган в СССР)|Gosarbitrazh]], replaced by courts of arbitration |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183127/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR because of reform of the local self-government"] || 24 May 1991 || * [[w:ru:Местная администрация|Local administrations]] || * [[Ispolkom]]s |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183132/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR because of transformation of Autonomous oblasts into Soviet Socialist Republics within RSFSR"]|| 3 July 1991 || Three new republics established || Three [[autonomous oblast]]s dissolved |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183125/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"] || 1 November 1991 || * [[Flag of Russia|Russian flag changed to white-azure-scarlet]] * Presidencies of [[Republics of Russia|Republics of the Russian SFSR]] are recognized * [[Jury trial]] has become part of the [[Judiciary of Russia]] || * 1954 [[flag of the Russian SFSR]] |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183094/ Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian SFSR"] || 21 April 1992 || * Renaming of the [[Russian SFSR]] to the [[Russian Federation]] is confirmed * [[Federal Treaty (Russia)|Federal Treaty]] became part of the Russian Constitution **[[Krai]]s, [[Oblasts of Russia|oblasts]] and [[Federal cities of Russia|cities Moscow and Saint-Petersburg]] became [[Federal subjects of Russia]] * Russian sovereignty is finally confirmed * [[s:ru:Постановление Верховного Совета РСФСР от 22.11.1991 года № 1920-I#Декларация прав и свобод человека и гражданина|Declaration of Rights and Freedoms of Man and Citizen]] is made part of Constitution * [[Democracy]], [[separation of powers]] and [[republic]]an [[form of government]] and [[federalism]]) were declared as "unshakable foundations of the constitutional system", making first legislative usage of that term in the Russian constitutional law. || * Articles related to Russian membership in the [[Soviet Union]] are mostly revoked, but some articles retained mentions of Soviet Constitution and laws * Principle of [[democratic centralism]] has been [[de jure]] revoked (while it was [[de facto]] abolished in 1937, with indirect-elected [[Congress of Soviets|Congresses of Soviets]]). |- |[http://pravo.levonevsky.org/bazazru/texts25/txt25212.htm Law "On Modifications and Additions to Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation"] || 9 December 1992 || * Provisions related to [[Armed Forces of the Russian Federation]] inserted into art. 30 ("The Russian Federation ensures the security and defence capability of the country, and supplies the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation with everything necessary for that purpose) * Parliamentary control over President is strengthened: ministers of defence, interior, foreign and security are now appointed with [[advice and consent|consent]] of the Supreme Soviet, exercise of presidential powers to change national and state structure of the Russian Federation or dissolve or suspend activities of any lawfully elected government body (such as one of [[Soviet (council)|Soviets]]) now results in their "immediate termination". * Explicit constitutional recognition of [[private property]], loosening of restrictions of [[land ownership]]. * [[Justice of the peace]] became part of the [[Judiciary of Russia]] * [[Lifetime tenure]] for judges, "unless otherwise provided by law of the Russian Federation" || * Russian membership in the [[Soviet Union]] revoked nearly completely (the only mention of the [[1977 Constitution of the USSR]] remains in article 4). * Mention of the [[Soviet Armed Forces]] is removed from Constitution. * Judges no longer have a fixed [[term of office]] |- |[http://constitution.garant.ru/history/ussr-rsfsr/1978/zakony/183098/ Law "on modification of article 71 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Russian Federation"] || 10 December 1992 || * [[Chechen Republic]] * [[Republic of Ingushetia]] || [[Chechen-Ingush ASSR]] |}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{S-start}} {{Succession box |title = Constitution of Russia |before = [[Russian Constitution of 1937]] |years = 12 April 1978–12 December 1993 |after = [[Constitution of Russia]] }} {{S-end}}
{{Constitutions of Russia}} {{Constitutions of the Soviet Union and the Soviet Republics}}
== See also ==
* [[Constitution of Russia]] (1993) * [[Soviet Russia Constitution of 1918|Russian Constitution of 1918]] * [[1977 Soviet Constitution]]
[[Category:1978 documents]] [[Category:1978 in law]] [[Category:Constitutions of Russia|1978]] [[Category:1978 in Russia]] [[Category:Politics of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]] [[Category:Constitutional history of Russia]] [[Category:Constitutions of republics of the Soviet Union]] [[Category:April 1978 in Europe]]