The article examines the stages of the formation of the legal institution of privileged categories of civil servants in Ukraine, focusing on its transformation from the imperial-Soviet model to the modern democratic public service of the European model. The author considers four key periods: the pre-Soviet period (before 1917), the Soviet period (1917–1991), the period of independent Ukraine (1991–2014) and the reform stage (2014 – to the present). It is found that in the pre-Soviet period, during the Russian Empire, the system of privileges for officials was based on class privileges, such as granting nobility for seniority, pension payments tied to rank, and land rewards. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the Soviet period was marked by the formation of a powerful social block of benefits aimed at encouraging loyalty and stimulating career growth, including free sanatorium and resort treatment, housing out of turn, expanded pension guarantees and medical care. It is noted that after gaining independence, Ukraine inherited a significant part of the Soviet model of benefits, but began attempts to reform it. The author summarizes that the Law of Ukraine «On Civil Service» of 1993 provided for a number of benefits and social guarantees that formed a special legal status of «privileged» civil servants, but led to a financial burden on the budget and criticism due to excessive inequality. The current stage of reform, which began in 2014, is studied and is characterized by an active reduction of special benefits and the introduction of general social standards with an orientation towards the European approach, where the emphasis is on decent pay instead of a wide range of benefits. It is found that despite this, some categories of employees, such as military and police officers, still retain certain benefits. The article substantiates the need to modernize regulatory regulation taking into account modern socio-legal needs, and also notes the fragmentation and heterogeneity of the modern regulatory provision of benefits. The author sees the prospects for the development of the institute of benefits in the harmonization of legislation with European standards, a clear definition of categories of beneficiaries, ensuring transparency of financing and institutionalization of control mechanisms.
A. V. Manichev (Thu,) studied this question.