Chapter 1. The Fundamentals of the Constitutional System

Article 1.

The Russian Federation -- Russia shall be a democratic federal rule-of-law state with the republican form of government. The names "Russian Federation" and "Russia" shall be equivalent.

Article 2.

Man, his rights and freedoms shall be the supreme value. It shall be a duty of the state to recognize, respect and protect the rights and liberties of man and citizen.

Article 3.

1. The multinational people of the Russian Federation shall be the vehicle of sovereignty and the only source of power in the Russian Federation.
2. The people of the Russian Federation shall exercise their power directly, and also through organs of state power and local self-government.
3. The referendum and free elections shall be the supreme direct manifestation of the power of the people.
4. No one may arrogate to oneself power in the Russian Federation. Seizure of power or appropriation of power authorization shall be prosecuted under federal law.

Article 4.

1. The sovereignty of the Russian Federation shall apply to its entire territory.
2. The Constitution of the Russian Federation and federal laws shall have supremacy throughout 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, territories, regions, federal cities, an autonomous region and autonomous areas, which shall be equal subjects of the Russian Federation.
2. The republic (state) shall have its own constitution and legislation. A territory, region, federal city, autonomous region and autonomous area shall have its own charter and legislation
3. The federated structure of the Russian Federation shall be based on its state integrity, the uniform system of state power, delimitation of scopes of authority and powers between the bodies of state power of the Russian Federation and the bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation, equality and self-determination of the peoples in the Russian Federation.
4. All the subjects of the Russian Federation shall be equal among themselves in relations with the Federal bodies of state power.

Article 6.

1. Citizenship of the Russian Federation shall be acquired and terminated in accordance with the Federal law, and shall be one and equal irrespective of the grounds on which it has been acquired.
2. Every citizen of the Russian Federation shall have all the rights and liberties on its territory and bear equal duties, stipulated by the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
3. A citizen of the Russian Federation may not be stripped of citizenship or of the right to change it.

Article 7.

1. The Russian Federation shall be a social state, whose policies shall be aimed at creating conditions which ensure a dignified life and free development of man.
2. The Russian Federation shall protect the work and health of its people, establish a guaranteed minimum wage, provide state support for family, motherhood, fatherhood and childhood, and also for the disabled and for elderly citizens, develop a system of social services and establish government pensions, benefits and other social security guarantees.

Article 8.

1. Unity of economic space, free movement of goods, services and financial resources, support for competition and freedom of any economic activity shall be guaranteed in the Russian Federation.
2. Private, state, municipal and other forms of ownership shall be recognized and shall enjoy equal protection in the Russian Federation.

Article 9.

1. The land and other natural resources shall be used and protected in the Russian Federation as the basis of the life and activity of the peoples living on their respective territories.
2. The land and other natural resources may be in private, state municipal and other forms of ownership.

Article 10.

State power in the Russian Federation shall be exercised on the basis of the separation of the legislative, executive and judiciary branches. The bodies of legislative, executive and judiciary powers shall be independent.

Article 11.

1. State power in the Russian Federation shall be exercised by the President of the`Russian Federation, the Federal Assembly (Council of the Federation and State Duma), the government of the Russian Federation and courts of the Russian Federation.
2. State power in the subjects of the Russian Federation shall be exercised by the organs of state authority formed by them.
3. The scopes of authority and powers of the bodies of state authority of the Russian Federation and the bodies of state authority of the subjects of the Russian Federation shall be delimited under this
Constitution, Federal and other Treaties on the delimitation of scopes of authority and powers.

Article 12.

Local self-government shall be recognized and guaranteed in the Russian Federation. Local self-government shall operate independently within the bounds of its authority. The bodies of local self-government shall not be part of the state power bodies.

Article 13.

1. Ideological plurality shall be recognized in the Russian Federation.
2. No ideology may be instituted as a state-sponsored or mandatory ideology.
3. Political plurality and the multi-party system shall be recognized in the Russian Federation.
4. Public associations shall be equal before the law.
5. The establishment and the activities of public associations, whose aims and actions are directed at forcible alteration of the fundamentals of constitutional governance and violation of the integrity of the Russian Federation and undermining of the security of the state, the forming of armed units, the incitement of social, racial, national and religious strife shall be prohibited.

Article 14.

1. The Russian Federation shall be a secular state. No religion may be instituted as state-sponsored or mandatory religion.
2. Religious associations shall be separated from the state, and shall be equal before the law.

Article 15.

1. The Constitution of the Russian Federation shall have supreme legal force and direct effect, and shall be applicable throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation. Laws and other legal acts adopted by the Russian Federation may not contravene the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
2. Organs of state power and local self-government, officials, citizens and the ir associations must comply with the laws and the Constitution of the Russian Federation.
3. The laws shall be officially published. Unpublished laws shall not be applicable. No regulatory legal act affecting the rights, liberties or duties of the human being and citizen may apply unless it has been
published officially for general knowledge.
4. The commonly recognized principles and norms of the international law and the international treaties of the Russian Federation shall be a component part of its legal system. If an international treaty of the Russian Federation stipulates other rules than those stipulated by the law, the rules of the international treaty shall apply.

Article 16.

1. The provisions of the present Chapter of the Constitution shall be the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation and may not be changed except as provided for in this Constitution.
2. No other provisions of this Constitution may contravene the foundations of the constitutional system of the Russian Federation.