In order to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the birth of the politician, statesman, Hetman of Ukraine, compiler of the Constitution Pylyp Orlyk and to the Day of Defenders of Ukraine, the Day of the Ukrainian Cossacks, which is celebrated annually in Ukraine on October 14, 2022, at the Faculty of Law with students of higher education a thematic discussion was held on the topic «Near the origins of Ukrainian constitutionalism».
«The Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk is a document of great significance in the history of Ukrainian state formation, the first Ukrainian and one of the first European constitutions that laid the foundations of Ukrainian constitutionalism. Today, in the conditions of full-scale Russian aggression, the Constitution of Orlyk is one of the anchors of Ukrainian identity, which is at the same time a signpost, because it contains many provisions that are still relevant to this day», - said the head of the Department of Theory and History during the opening of the event state and rights by Olena Makeіevа.
The head of the department gave the floor to the students, who presented interesting and meaningful speeches and presentations, in which the life and activities of Pylyp Orlyk, his state and legal views and the relevance of the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk in today's conditions were revealed.
During the event, Veronika Oleshchenko, associate professor of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law, proposed a number of questions for discussion, including: Why is the memory of such a historical figure as Pylyp Orlyk important for us today, in the conditions of war? Why is the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk relevant today? Why was the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk «ahead» of its time? The mentioned questions caused a lively discussion among those present.
Such events form a cognitive interest in the historical past, the national consciousness of young people and a sense of patriotism. After all, it is stated in the Constitution of Pylyp Orlyk that the enemy of Ukraine is the Moscow state, which attacks, oppresses, robs Ukraine and restricts its rights. Despite the fact that this document is more than 300 years old, it is relevant in such difficult times for Ukraine.