Pylyp Orlyk Institute for Democracy

Pylyp Orlyk (1672-1742), a Cossack hetman, was chief author of the 1710 Bendery Constitution, alleged to be the first constitution in the world to embody the principles of separation of powers and a democratically elected parliament called the General Council.

The Pylyp Orlyk Institute was founded 250 years after its namesake's death with the assistance of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation. The institute is an independent, public policy research organization providing information to Ukrainian policymakers, NGOs, academia, and media on issues pertaining to the development of civil society. The institute prepares analyses of legislation and option papers, translates and publishes Western books, and provides training and internship opportunities for Ukrainian legislative staff. It also cooperates with the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation to implement a variety of projects that support development in targeted areas.

The Institute's Democracy Hotline maintains an e-mail link between Kyiv and Washington. It uses this link to give Ukrainian government officials the most up-to-date reports on how the U.S. media is covering Ukraine. A print publication, The West: Window on Ukraine, is distributed to 1,500 individuals in Ukraine and provides translations of select American Congressional hearings, U.S. government policy statements, and other important documents that relate to Ukraine. The institute also houses the U.S.-Ukraine Biblioteka Resource Center, which is a reference library for members of parliament. The Biblioteka holds over 1,500 volumes on public policy issues.

Last updated:    February 1999

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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