State System of Russia

Russia is a parliamentary republic. Head of State in this country is the President. The government consists of three branches: legislative, executive and judicial. The President controls only the executive branch – the government, but not the Supreme Court and Federal Assembly.

The legislative power is exercised by the Federal Assembly. It consists of two chambers. The Upper Chamber is the Council of Federation; the Lower Chamber is the State Duma. Each chamber is headed by the Speaker. A bill may be introduced in any chamber. A bill becomes a law if it is approved by both chambers and signed by the President. The President may veto the bill. He can make international treaties. The President may also appoint ministers; the Federal Assembly approves them.

The President is elected for four years on the basis of universal, equal and direct right to vote by secret ballot for all eligible citizens. One and the same person cannot serve as President for more than two terms in succession. The members of the Federal Assembly are elected by the people for four years.

The executive power belongs to the Government, or the Cabinet of Ministers. The government is headed by the Prime Minister.

The judicial power belongs to the system of courts. It consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court and the federal courts.

The national symbol of Russia is a three-coloured banner. It has three horizontal stripes: white, blue and red. The white stripe symbolizes the earth, the blue one stands for the sky, and the red one symbolizes liberty. It was the first state symbol that replaced the former symbols in 1991. The hymn of Russia is “The Patriotic Song” by M.Glinka. A new national emblem is a two-headed eagle. It is the most ancient symbol of Russia. It originates from the heraldic emblem of Ruricovitches. All these symbols are official. They have been approved by the Federal Assembly.