The National Anthem of Ukraine

The Anthem of Ukraine “Shche ne vmerla Ukraina” (“Ukraine Has Not Perished Yet”) is of quite recent origin. In 1863 the Lviv journal “Meta” (“The Goal”) published the poem of the scientist and poet Pavlo Chubynsky which was later mistakenly ascribed to Taras Shevchenko. In the same year it was set to music by the Galician composer Mykhaylo Verbytsky, first for solo and later for choral performance. As a result of its catchy melody and patriotic lyrics, the song quickly acquired popularity. In 1865 it was sung at the conclusion of the program at the great Shevchenko celebration in Peremyshl. In 1917 the song was officially adopted as the anthem of the Ukrainian state.

The Soviet Ukraine had no anthem of its own until 1949. Instead “The Internationale” and later “The Hymn of the USSR” were used. In November 1949 an Anthem of the Ukrainian Republic “Zhyvy, Ukraino” was adopted. When Ukraine gained its sovereignty “Ukraine Has Not Perished Yet” became the state anthem again.

3 Constitution – standard of legitimacy

Exercise 1 Read the text and answer the questions after it.

Constitution is the body of doctrines and practices that form the fundamental organizing principle of a political state. In some states, such as the United States, the constitution is a specific written document. In others, such as the United Kingdom; it is a collection of documents, statutes, and traditional practices that are generally accepted as governing* political matters. In its wider sense, the term “constitution” means the whole scheme whereby* a country is governed. In its narrower sense, “constitution” means the leading legal rules, usually collected into some document. But no country’s constitution can ever be compressed within the one document. It is necessary to consider the extra legal rules, customs, and conventions* that grow up around the formal document.

Written constitutions. In most Western countries the constitution, using the term in the narrower sense, is a scheme of government that has been adopted by the people. Examples are the Constitution of the United States, drawn up in 1787 and ratified in 1789 and still unchanged; the constitution of the Weimar Republic (the Federal Republic of Germany), brought into force in 1949; and the constitutions that France has had since the Revolution. The constitution in these countries is the basis of public law. It is usually enacted* оr adopted with special formalities and special processes are devised* for its amendment*.

The English constitution. In England there is no one document or fundamental body of law that can be described as a “constitution” in the sense that has been discussed above. The absence of any such document has led to the suggestion (perhaps first made by Alexis de Tocqueville) that there is no constitution in England. The English constitution is a part of the ordinary law. But they are in no sense a constitutional code; and without judicial decisions, other statutes, customs and conventions, these statutes would be unworkable*. The sources of English constitutional law are – statutes, judicial precedents, textbooks, lawbooks, the writings of historians and political theorists, the biographies and autobiographies of statesmen, the columns of every serious newspaper, the volumes* of Hansard*, the minutiae* of every type of government record* and publication. This is what is meant by saying the English constitution is “unwritten”: it is not formally enacted; its rules have to be sought out in a dozen fields, not in any one code. And it is flexible, and here the contrast is with a rigid constitution. There are no special safeguards* for constitutional rules; constitutional law can be changed, amended, or abolished*. There is no field in which Parliament is forbidden* to legislate*.

From “Britannica”

to govern – правити

whereby – за допомогою якої

convention – конвенція, звичай, договір

to enact – запроваджувати

to devise – винаходити, розробляти

amendment – поправка

unworkable – незастосовний

volume – том

Hansard – розм. Офіційний звіт про засідання англійського парламенту

minutiae – дрібниці, деталі

record – запис, протокол

safeguard – гарантія

to abolish – скасовувати

to forbid – забороняти

to legislate – видавати закони

Exercise 2 Answer the questions according to the information from the text:

1 What is the definition of the Constitution?

2 What is the US Constitution?

3 What is the UK Constitution?

4 What does the term “constitution” mean in its wider sense?

5 What does it mean in its narrow sense?

6 In what countries is the constitution the basis of public law?

7 Who first made the suggestion that there was no constitution in England? And why?

8 What are the sources of English constitutional law?

9 What is meant by saying the English constitution is “unwritten”?