Paul Goble
Staunton, Sept. 20 – On this, the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of the Sovereignty of the Udmurt Republic in 1990, which Izhevsk denounced and Moscow suppressed, the Udmurtia Against Corruption organization has issued an updated version, one that calls for the restoration of democratic institutions in an Udmurt Republic within a future democratic Russian Federation.
Because of its potential importance not only for Udmurtia, a Christian Finno-Ugric republic in the Middle Volga, but also for other republics within the Russian Federation who took part in the so-called parade of sovereignties in 1990, an informal translation of the new declaration (available at telegra.ph/DEKLARACIYA-09-20) is offered here:
On the 35th anniversary of the Declaration of 1990, the Udmurtia Against Corruption movement declares its respect for the expression of the will of the people of Udmurtia then and on the basis of the principles laid down in the document and the voting of residents of the republic in 2025 proposes a renewed declaration as the basis for the restoration of the democratic institutions of the Udmurt Republic within the Russian Federation in the future.
1. The Udmurt Republic is a democratic legal state within the RF. The development of the Udmurt Republic in the future must be carried out by the equal participation of all nations and nationalities of the republic in all spheres of state conduction. The relationship of the Udmurt Republic to the RF in the future must be defined by a Federative Treat or other forms of agreement. Treaties and agreements with the RF which affect the interests of the Udmurt Republic must be concluded with its participation and with its agreement.
2. Residents of the republic of all nationalities form the people of Udmurtia. The people of Udmurtia is the only source of power in the republic. Popular power must be realized both directly and via peoples’ deputies elected to the Parliament of the Republic and assemblies at local levels. In Udmurtia, no political party, social organization and formations or individuals must speak in the name of the entire people of the republic. Only the Parliament of the Republic has that right.
3. The Udmurt Republic must have independence regarding decisions about all questions of state, economic and social life with the exception of those which it voluntarily gives to the RF. At the same time, the principle of the supremacy of laws of the RF, accepted within the limits of the authority voluntarily given by the republics of the RF, on the basis of a Federative Treaty or other agreements, must be recognized. The action of legislative and other acts of the RF, which contradict the sovereignty rights of the republic must stop. Disagreements must be resolved on the basis of rules set by the Federative Treaty and other agreements. The right of the republic to the ownership, use and distribution of land (property) and all natural resources on the territory of Udmurtia remains the property of the Republic, and the economic and scientific potential of institutions established in Udmurtia belong to the republic.
4. The Udmurt Republic must independently conduct its own financial, credit and investment policies, form its onw state budget, establish the rules for the formation of financial and other funds of the republic. Enterprises, institutions, organizations and the objects of other states and their citizens as well as international organizations can be situated on the territory of the Udmurt Republic and such instituitons can be used only according ot the legislation of the Udmurt Republic. In the Udmurt Republic must be guaranteed the defense of all forms of property as established by law.
5. The territory of the Udmurt Republic in its existing borders is indivisible and cannot be changed without the agreement of the people living on it as expressed by means of a referendum. The Udmurt Republic must decide all question of the administrative-territorial arrangements in it independently.
6. All citizens living on the territory of the Udmurt Republic are guaranteed the rights and freedoms as established by the generally recognized norma of international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Udmurt Republic must guarantee all political parties, public organizations, mass movements, and religious organizations equal opportunities to take part in social life and the administration of government affairs.
7. In the Udmurt Republic must be guaranteed the equality of the functioning of Russian and Udmurt languages as state languages as well as the right to the preservation and development of the languages of other nationalities. The Russian language is the language of inter-ethnic communication. The free choice of the language of education and use is an inalienable right of each resident of the republic.
8. In the Udmurt Republic must be secured the fulfillment of the legal political, economic, ethnic and cultural rights of nations and nationalities living in the Republic. The Udmurt Republic must provide humanitarian help to Udmurts living beyond the borders of the republic toward the satisfaction of their national, cultural and linguistic needs.
9. This declaration, based on the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Udmurt Republic – 1990 will be offered for broad discussion among residents of Udmurtia in the future as the basis for the development by the Parliament of the Republic of a renewed Constitution of the Udmurt Republic.”
Ivan Fedoseyev, one of the founders of the Udmurtia against Corruption movement, says that the new declaration reflects “the enormous desire for normality” among the people of Udmurtia (nemoskva.net/2025/09/20/est-ogromnyj-zapros-na-normalnost-aktivisty-iz-udmurtii-opublikovali-obnovlennuyu-deklaracziyu-o-suverenitete-respubliki/).
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