On August 24, 1991, Ukraine took one of the most important steps in its modern history. It was on this day that the Verkhovna Rada adopted the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine - a document that proclaimed the creation of an independent Ukrainian state.
The document appeared against the backdrop of the events of August 1991. On August 19, a coup attempt took place in Moscow: the State Committee for the State of Emergency tried to remove Mikhail Gorbachev from power and preserve the Soviet Union in its previous format. After the failure of the putsch, the issue of Ukrainian independence became especially acute..
The draft of the future Act was prepared on August 23.
Levko Lukyanenko, together with Leontiy Sandulyak, worked on the shortest text possible, which should have received sufficient support in parliament. Later, amendments were made to it, in particular Sergei Golovaty and other representatives of the People’s Rada.
The original wording was different from the final one.. In particular, the draft talked about the traditions of state building of the Ukrainian People's Republic, but during the editing a broader wording appeared - about the “thousand-year tradition of power creation in Ukraine”.
An extraordinary meeting of the Verkhovna Rada took place on August 24. First, the deputies voted for the resolution “On the Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine” - it was supported by 321 people’s deputies. After this, the Act itself was put to a vote.. At 18:00 he was supported by 346 deputies.
On the same day, it was decided to hold an all-Ukrainian referendum on December 1, 1991, so that citizens would confirm the Act. Subsequently, more than 90% of voting participants supported the independence of Ukraine.
ACT OF VOICE OF INDEPENDENCE OF UKRAINE About the voice of independence of Ukraine Coming out of the deadly insecurity that hung over Ukraine in connection with the coup d'etat in the USSR on September 19, 1991, - continued.
– based on the right to self-identification conveyed by the UN Statute and other international legal documents, – this Declaration on the Sovereignty of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukrainian Radian Socialist Republic. The territory of Ukraine is unoccupied and unfinished.
Today on the territory of Ukraine there is a lawfulness, including the Constitution and laws of Ukraine.
This act gains dignity from the moment of its praise.
VERKHOVNA RADA OF UKRAINE 24 September 1991.