Political and legal aspects of the message of the President of the Russian Federation to the Federal Assembly in the context of 2011-2021

The article considers the Annual Presidential Address to the two chambers of the Federal Assembly - the State Duma and the Federation Council. The author thinks that this phenomenon is one of the most significant events in our state life. He stresses that researchers do not always think that the analyzed phenomenon is not only socio-political, but it is also legal one. In this regard, the author attempts to consider the Annual Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly from different sides. He tries to identify the main provisions observed in the Presidential Addresses from 2011 to 2021. Meanwhile, a complimentary or negative assessment of the President of the Russian Federation in his message remains aside of this review. As a legal phenomenon, this format is mandatory for the President, the Russian Constitution contains extremely general instructions for the content of the message, and the requirements for the procedure for delivering the message can be considered rather flexible. From the political side, the author concludes that the address of the head of state is distinguished, on the one hand, by stability, and, on the other hand, by variability. Stability is expressed in the fact that from year to year it examines the basic spheres of domestic policy: health care, education, support for the regions, improving the well-being of the population and increasing life expectancy. The changes are happened due to President’s taking into account of the current events of domestic and foreign policy, which affect the general trends in the functioning of the state. In conclusion, the author decides that the duality of the phenomenon of the Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly still allows us to single out the fundamental factor, which is the political side of the presidential message. Moreover, although the event is constitutionalized, the political influence is more important if it is contained in the message and have an impact on society and the state.