Ukraine's Constitution was passed on June 28, 1996 / Photo from UNIAN

Ukraine on June 28 marks the 22nd anniversary of its Fundamental Law, the Constitution.

Constitution Day is an official holiday in the country, therefore June 28 in Ukraine is a day off.

The country's Constitution was adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, in the early hours of June 28, 1996, which was the fifth year after the proclamation of Ukraine's independence.

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Having spent almost 24 hours in continuous work in the session hall, Ukrainian lawmakers eventually passed the document with 315 votes in its favor.

The Fundamental Law came into force on the same day.

The Constitution defined the strong presidential power, guaranteed the rights of private property, introduced new symbols of the state, and defined the status of the Ukrainian language as the only official language. The Crimean peninsula was designated as an autonomous republic within Ukraine.

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Ukraine was the last of the former Soviet republics that adopted a new Constitution after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Any amendments to the Constitution should follow strict procedures: from two-thirds to three-quarters of all 450 MPs' votes depending on the section of the document are needed to introduce changes to the Fundamental Law.

Official events on Constitution Day on June 28 are scheduled with the participation of President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, lawmakers, diplomats, clergy, and the public.

On Constitution Day this year, Ukrainians have four bank holidays in a row, from June 28 to July 1 inclusively.