Indication of Nationality in the Passport of a Citizen of the Russian Federation as a Form of Implementation of the Right to Nationality

Abstract

Constitutionalists in Russia have disagreed on the possibility of specifying nationality of a citizen in the passport. It is believed that at present the indication of nationality in the passport is not made, but it turns out that this is not the case. Implicit declaration of nationality with the help of a special insert is possible for citizens living in the republics and for native speakers of non-Russian state languages of republics. This state of affairs creates inequality for residents of different types of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and for citizens of different nationalities. Nationality of Russians as a national majority is not expressed in the Russian Federation through the statehood itself and through the institution of citizenship as it is done in foreign countries where nationality is not indicated in the passport. The author substantiates an erroneous stance of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation on inadmissibility of specifying nationality of a citizen in his or her passport. It is concluded that it is desirable to restore indication of nationality in the passport for all citizens with the aim of the fullest implementation of the right to nationality in the context of the Russian Federation.