The values of Russian constitutionalism in the pre-October period

The article is devoted to the analysis of the values of Russian constitutionalism of the pre-October period. These days, this issue is coming to the fore in connection with the need to define the modern state ideology of Russia. One of its foundations and components are the values of Russian constitutionalism, accumulated and developed over the centuries. The author proceeds from the fact that constitutionalism is primarily a real state-legal practice, expressed in two aspects: the existence of the constitution in practice, its corresponding structure, and content; the existence of real guarantees of the provisions of the Constitution and their implementation in life. There is also a theoretical constitutionalism. The values of constitutionalism become such when they correspond to universal and our traditional values, reflect the uniqueness of the country, prove their viability, relevance, effectiveness, are understandable, supported, protected by the population, and have a lasting character. Originating initially in ideas, doctrines, and theories, such values are later, as a rule, translated into practice in specific institutions, and their status is fixed in legal acts and the constitution. The following stages in the history of Russian constitutionalism and its values in the period under consideration are quite clearly traced: before 1905 – monarchical; 1905 – February 1917 – constitutional-monarchical; March – October 1917 – republican. The analysis shows that in the pre-October period, the following values of Russian constitutionalism were formed in the country, which were embodied in practice, in legal acts, including the Basic State Laws of 1906: the existence of a real constitution; the participation of the people in the exercise of state power and, above all, representative democracy; legislative consolidation of the rights and freedoms of citizens and their real protection; local government. A number of values were actually embodied in the future. For example, the use of the term “basic law” in a number of Soviet constitutions, which was used in relation to the Basic State Laws of 1906; the consolidation of the status of local self-government in the 1993 Constitution of the Russian Federation.