April 27 Is the Day of Russian Parliamentarism

April 27 marks the Day of Russian Parliamentarism, which was established in 2012 with the amendment of the federal law On Days of Military Glory and Remembrance Days in Russia.

The date is related to the establishment of the State Duma of the Russian Empire (1906), the first democratic institution in the country’s history. The State Duma became the lower house of parliament; the upper house was the State Council.

The cradle of Russian parliamentarianism is considered to be St Petersburg’s Taurida Palace, where the deputies of the State Duma originally met.

Today the parliament of the Russian Federation is the Federal Assembly. Its functions and powers are divided between the State Duma (lower house) and the Federation Council (upper house).

Vyacheslav Volodin, Chairman of the State Duma, congratulated the Russians on the holiday.

“Parliamentarism in our country has come a long way since the first session of the State Duma. Drawing on centuries-old traditions of people’s representation, it has become a significant part of the system of public authority,” Mr Volodin said.

Congratulating her colleagues on the occasion of the Day of Russian Parliamentarianism, Valentina Matviyenko, Chairwoman of the Federation Council, noted that the legislative power plays very important role in the state and political structure of Russia.

Traditionally, sessions of the Council of Legislators at the Russian Federal Assembly are held in late April. In 2023, they will be held in Moscow and St Petersburg on April 25–28.

International Day of Parliamentarism will be celebrated in the summer, on June 30.