Slavic Party (, Slovianska Partiya) is a political party of Ukraine, previously known as Civil Congress of Ukraine (Civil Union). Historical background Creation of Civil Congress (assembly) On March 21, 1992 in Kharkiv took place a consultative meeting of some politicians from eastern regions of Ukraine. At the meeting it was decided to create a new political power. For that reason on May 16 in Donetsk under leadership of Mykola Azarov was conducted a congress that adopted the name of future organization - Civil Congress of Ukraine (, Grazhdanskiy Kongress Ukrainy; GKU), an assembly of Russophone population of Ukraine. The congress elected provisional co-chairmen GKU Oleksandr Bazyliuk (leader of "Movement for revival of Donbas"), Valeriy Meshcheriakov (MP), and Mykola Ragozin (leader of "Democratic Donbas"). Members of the provisional working presidium became Anatoliy Volchenko (Kharkiv division of the "Movement of democratic reforms"), Pavlo Khaimovych (Public organization "Elections 89"), Dmytro Kornilov (Interfront of the Donbass), Oleksandr Luzan ("Civil forum of Ukraine"), and Vladislav Karabulin (Don Cossacks). On October 3, 1992 in Donetsk under the leadership of Pavlo Khaimovych took place the second congress where was officially created the Civil Congress of Ukraine. Co-chairmen of the GKU became Oleksandr Bazyliuk (Movement for revival of Donbas), and parliamentarians Valeriy Meshcheriakov and Volodymyr Terekhov. It also was decided that based on the congress to create two political parties: economically oriented Party of Labor and its political ally - Civil Union (headed by Oleksandr Bazyliuk). During the congress a more radical group ceded away and created the Party of Slavic Unity of Ukraine (Russian National Unity, Slavic Union, National Alliance of Russian Solidarists, others). At the constituent congress of GKU were represented following organizations: Civil forum (served as foundation for GKU) Motherland forum Slavic Union Patriotic Club "Rodina" (Motherland) National Alliance of Russian Solidarists remnants and numerous org-committees, associations and communities of Russophone population Creation of Civil Congress (party) With time Party of Labor distanced itself from the Civil Union and the last was left in GKU de facto by itself. On June 10, 1993 the Civil Union was officially registered as a political party under the name of Civil Congress of Ukraine. Main program of GKU was emphasized in four main points: Bilateral relations with the Russian Federation and other states about dual citizenship Preservation of broadcasting television programs from Ostnkino and RTR Granting the Russian language a status of the second state language Reinforcement