Today, the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the NAS of Ukraine celebrates its 76th anniversary.

The V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the NAS of Ukraine was founded in 1949. Over the years, the Institute and its staff have gone through a great and glorious path of creation, victories, and titanic work of many scientists, whose names are inscribed in golden letters in the history of legal science in Ukraine.

The V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the NAS of Ukraine is a leading legal research institution, widely known in Ukraine and abroad. It conducts scientific research on current problems of state formation and law-making in Ukraine and problems of international and European law.

The Institute traces its origins to the Sector of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, founded in May 1949. In June 1969, the Sector was transformed into an Institute. The Head of the Sector, and then — the first Director of the Institute, was Academician V.M. Koretsky. Thus, on May 6, 1949, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR adopted Resolution No. 1091 «On Amending Resolution No. 2960 of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR of December 14, 1948 «On the Organization of the Cabinet of State and Law as Part of the Scientific and Research Institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR». By this resolution, the Government of the Ukrainian SSR allowed the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR to establish the Sector of State and Law as a separate scientific and research unit within the Department of Social Sciences of the Academy.

On May 13 of the same year, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR considered this issue at its meeting and adopted the following decision: to take note of and implement the resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR of May 6, 1949, No. 1091. It was with this resolution that specific measures to organize the Sector of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR began.

On May 16, 1949, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR P. S. Pogrebnyak approved the Regulations on the Sector. It was envisaged that the Sector would be an independent scientific and research unit within the system of the Department of Social Sciences of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Its main task is the comprehensive development of Soviet legal science in the Ukrainian SSR and the theoretical generalization of the activities of state bodies of the republic. The sector consisted of the head of the sector, a scientific secretary, three senior and seven junior researchers, a reference officer and an accountant. By order No. 91 of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR of August 12, 1949, V. M. Koretsky was appointed head of the State and Law Sector of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (from July 11).

By Order No. 109 of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR of September 14, 1949, B. M. Babiya was appointed (from July 15) as the scientific secretary of the Sector. In 1949, the initial composition of the scientific team of the Sector was formed, consisting of seven people. In addition to V. M. Koretsky and B. M. Babii, it included five junior researchers - graduates of the Faculty of Law of the Taras Shevchenko Kyiv State University.

As of the end of 1968, the Sector of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR employed 42 researchers, including four doctors and 24 candidates of legal sciences. From 1950 to 1968, the scientists of the Sector prepared and published 92 monographs, 73 brochures, and over 320 scientific articles. In terms of the volume and nature of scientific research work, as well as its composition, the Sector has approached the status of an academic scientific research institute. In this regard, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and personally the President of the Academy B.E. Paton have repeatedly raised the issue of reorganizing the Sector into an Institute with the relevant decision-making bodies.

Finally, it was possible to do this. On June 12, 1969, the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR adopted Resolution No. 360 «On the Establishment of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR». The Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR decided to establish the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR on the basis of the relevant Sector and entrusted it with the implementation of scientific research in the following main areas: Problems of Soviet state-building and the history of the state and law; improvement of legislation and economic relations in the Ukrainian SSR; the fight against crime and strengthening the rule of law; problems of international legal activities of the Ukrainian SSR, etc. In implementation of this government resolution, the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR on June 24 of the same year adopted resolution No. 202 «On the establishment of the Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR». It was signed by the President of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR B.E. Paton.

According to this resolution, the main tasks of the newly created institution were recognized as: development of methodological problems of legal science; conducting research in the field of state and legal construction; implementing their results in practice, etc.

The priority areas of scientific research of the Institute in the early 1990s were the problems of: building the statehood of Ukraine; constitutional law and local self-government; legal regulation of agrarian relations and environmental protection; criminal law and the fight against economic and other crimes; international law and the international legal personality of Ukraine. Then these areas were expanded and reduced in the mid-90s to four: problems of state formation in Ukraine: theory, history, practice; theoretical and applied problems of the development of the legal system of Ukraine; Ukraine in the system of modern international legal order: theory and practice.

In terms of specific achievements, the Institute participated in all state-building processes of Independent Ukraine. Employees participated in the development of the Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine in 1990, as well as in the preparation of the draft Constitution of 1996.

Since Ukraine's independence, about 20 draft codes and over 200 draft laws have been prepared, including the Civil, Family, and Economic Codes. Our scientists have written about 880 monographs and 11,000 articles.

Another interesting area of ​​activity of the Institute is the preparation of analytical reports for state authorities and local governments. The Institute has a Council of Scientific Expertise, which during its existence has prepared over 2,500 scientific conclusions for the Committees of the Verkhovna Rada, the Office of the President, the Cabinet of Ministers and other state bodies.In addition, the Institute's leading scientists are members of scientific advisory councils under the Verkhovna Rada, the Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Court.

 Over the years of its activity, the Institute and its staff have been awarded a number of state awards, distinctions of the President of Ukraine, and prizes of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine named after outstanding scientists.

In accordance with the Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated May 11, 1999 No. 803, for active participation in legislative work, ensuring the development of legal science in Ukraine, and training of scientific personnel, the staff of the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine with a commemorative sign.

For a significant contribution to the implementation of fundamental theoretical, methodological and applied research into current problems of state formation. Training of highly qualified personnel - doctors and candidates of legal sciences, publication of scientific, popular scientific legal and political literature and cooperation with the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for Human and Citizen Rights, On June 19, 2014, the staff of the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the NAS of Ukraine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

For their significant contribution to the development of democracy, the establishment of the principles of the rule of law, the defense of the constitutional rights of citizens, and on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of its establishment, on May 12, 2014, the staff of the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine.

In accordance with the Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine dated May 8, 2019 No. 250-k, the staff of the V.M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was awarded the Diploma of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for special services to the Ukrainian people.

For conscientious and fruitful work, significant contribution to the development of legal science, high professionalism, significant work achievements and on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Institute's founding, the staff of the V. M. Koretsky Institute of State and Law of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was awarded the Certificate of Honor of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine.