'''Ukaz''' (plural Ukazy) or '''Ukase''' (Russian: указ, pl: указы) in Imperial Russia was a proclamation, edict, or ordinance of the tsar, government, or a religious leader, such as the [[patriarch]] of the Orthodox [[Church of Russia]], that had the force of law. Popularly, Ukaz became a term for any official decree, and is generally translated as “decree”.

The term ''Ukaz, or Ukase, '' came from the word Ukazat which is a shortened verb ''ukazat'', the perfective form of the word ukazlivatverb ''ukazyvat'', which has the meaning of ‘to show’to show, announce, or prescribe.

The term was also in use in Soviet Russia and Soviet Union. In recent historypolitics of modern Russian Federation, a ''ukaz'' has a specific meaning of the presidential decree. ==Examples==Ukaz No. 362 of [[November 20]], 1920 is notable as the attempt by Patr. [[Tikhon of Moscow]] to provide guidance for governance of the Church of Russia as the Bolsheviks assumed power in Russia after the October 1917 Revolution.