PYLYP ORLYK CONSTITUTION (1710)
Our Constitution was born under difficult conditions. Describing the process of writing Modern Ukraine Constitution in a new chapter, we can ask ourselves whether it was the first time in 1996 that Ukrainian politicians wrote the constitution of our country?
Portrait of Pylyp Orlyk by M. Pidgornyi
Certainly, not. The first Constitution of Ukraine appeared owing to Pylyp Orlyk, the Hetman of the Zaporizhzhian Army, in 1710.
Orlyk's Constitution, in fact, a treaty between the hetman and the elders as well as Cossacks was signed by the Cossack camp ataman K. Hordiyenko, defined Cossacks'rights and duties. The treaty was entered during hard times — the battle of Poltava had recently taken place and Tsar Peter's subordinates were furious to suppress any trace
