On 26 and 28 November 2025, lecturers of the Subject Committee for Social Sciences and Humanities of OTPC ONTU Khrulov M. V. (legal adviser, lecturer of law), Spirzhenko R. I. (lecturer of social sciences), Dzhabrailov M. V. (lecturer of history), Myroshnychenko V. O. (Head of the Subject Committee) and Muravskyi O. V. (lecturer of history) held educational events for students as part of “Law Week”. Great assistance in organising “Law Week” was provided by the Head of the Economics Division Yu. V. Voronkova. Overall leadership was provided by the Deputy Director for Educational and Extracurricular Work T. H. Kopaihorodska. The events were held in compliance with all wartime safety measures.
Objectives:
- to create an environment that encourages students to reflect on human values;
• to distinguish between the concepts of “rights” and “duties” and to increase interest in observing them;
• to foster legal awareness among students in accordance with Ukrainian legislation;
• to build respect for one another.
In his speech, the College legal adviser M. V. Khrulov stressed that the first laws in history were the laws of the Babylonian king Hammurabi (1750 BC). These laws were written on a huge column. Scholars who read these laws found in them signs of codification: all the articles were systematised into groups. Some regulated the legal status of the individual, others marriage and family relations, still others contracts and attitudes to property. Roman law (private or civil law) is considered the most perfect law of the ancient world; many of its concepts have survived to this day: “contract”, “thing”, “person”. The most famous legal monument is recognised to be the Code of 1804 of Emperor Napoleon. This document was the first to proclaim the idea of civil liberties and the equality of people before the law (early laws entrenched the inequality of feudal lords and peasants).
The aim of the “Law Week” events was to stimulate students’ cognitive interest in studying law, to develop legal thinking and to foster a legal culture, as well as an awareness of the value of the rights and freedoms of the human being and citizen. Our daily actions are often subject to legal assessment. Law and statutes accompany a person throughout life. In order to use one’s rights effectively and to fulfil one’s civic duties without violating the rights and legitimate interests of others, it is important to know the laws and to be able to apply this knowledge in practice.
The Head of the Subject Committee for Social Sciences and Humanities V. O. Myroshnychenko stressed that in this world the human being was created free, and therefore has always striven for freedom and independence. Yet there have always been those who tried to restrict this freedom. In the 19th century these were landlords and feudal lords, and in the 21st century human traffickers have appeared. They subjugate people, depriving them of any rights. To combat this unacceptable phenomenon, Ukraine has a law on criminal liability for human trafficking (the article “Human Trafficking” of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). This law provides for liability for the crime called “Human trafficking or other illegal transaction concerning the transfer of a person”. Since this law came into force, the number of criminal cases opened against human traffickers has increased compared with the period before its adoption.
Lecturer Spirzhenko R. I. stressed in her speech that children are the most precious wealth of life, which is why measures have been taken in Ukraine to protect them, in particular through legislation on the “Adoption of Orphans” (a chapter of the Code on Marriage and Family of Ukraine). Thanks to this bill, the rights of orphaned Ukrainians, whose fate often remains outside the attention of society, were taken into account. The law ensures a child’s right to be brought up in a family environment and strengthens their rights during the adoption process. Ukraine provides orphans with a certain amount of state support, which may not be ideal but nevertheless exists. During the event, 10 presentations with slides by students of various groups and years were heard, in which they analysed human rights from the perspective of both history (historical events) and the present day.
The students, interacting actively with the lecturers, discussed the role of law and its significance for modern individuals and society.
Among the presentations, particular mention should be made of the reports by Dariia Myroshnychenko and Evelina Vorobiova (1 IM-08), Anastasiia Burlachenko (2 TT-27), Anastasiia Vasylenko, Oleksandra Zinniatullina, Milana Miakina, Nadiia Senchyshyna (all 2 Ob-FB) and others.
Recommendations: Continue the tradition of organising Law Week. The programme of the week’s events should include activities for teachers and parents, seeking to involve as many representatives of these groups as possible in the educational process.
