Charter of St. Petersburg

Categories / City Administration/Government Bodies
CHARTER OF ST. PETERSBURG, the main normative document of the city adopted by the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg on January 14, 1998, signed by the Governor on February 28, 1998. It is comprised of 12 chapters and 80 articles. The City Charter supersedes all other legal acts of St. Petersburg. It determines the status of St. Petersburg as a subject of the Russian Federation and a Federal City, as determined by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, discusses the city’s official and historical symbols, traditions, awards and honourable titles of St. Petersburg. It asserts that city residents are the source of power in the city who exercise their power directly (through referendums and free elections), and also through organs of state power and local self-government. The Charter determines the subjects of jurisdiction and the powers of the City of St. Petersburg, defines its territorial system, organization and interaction of branches of state power (legislative, executive, judicial), discusses local self-government, and kinds of property in St. Petersburg. Amendments to the Charter of St. Petersburg by law of St. Petersburg must be approved by two thirds of deputies of the Legislative Assembly. The most considerable amendments were introduced by the law of February 23, 2001. They were related to the change of federal legislation. Four copies of the Charter of St. Petersburg having the same legal force are now kept in the Legislative assembly, in the Office of the Governor, in the Charter court and at the Office of the State Secretary of St. Petersburg.

Reference: Устав Санкт-Петербурга // Вестн. Законодат. Собрания С.-Петербурга. 1998. № 2. С. 3-38; О внесении изменений и дополнений в Устав Санкт-Петербурга в связи с изменением федерального законодательства: Закон С.-Петербурга // Там же. 2001. № 4. С. 8-30.

N. Y. Cherepenina. Legislative Assembly
Charter Court
1998