Russian Ambassador to South Korea Konstantin V. Vnukov celebrated the 20th anniversary of the constitution of the Russian Federation with foreign envoys, government officials and friends of Russia at the Russian chancery in Seoul on Thursday.

Dec. 12, 1993 became the starting point for what some observers describe as the “New Russia.” After the successful public referendum on the constitution, Russians then voted in representatives to the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament.

“The constitution was particularly important in setting down a fundamental law and it was seriously tested through the dark years of the 1990s, when country faced many challenges to its territorial integrity, economy, and public institutions, which determined modern Russian society,” Vnukov said.

It was during those times that Russia adopted its first post-Soviet Constitution, setting out the beginning of a new era in the history of the country: a departure from communism to democracy.

“It is remarkable that this document has endured for 20 years without serious revision. It had just three amendments in 20 years, and I think this is a testament to the careful deliberations of the drafting committee,” said the ambassador. “The Russian Fundamental Law stood the test of time. Historians say the average validity of constitutions adopted in different countries after World War I had not exceeded 10 years.”

(ephilip2011@heraldcorp.com)