Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

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Верховный Совет СССР
Supreme Soviet

Moscow Kremlin, official residence of Soviet Union government
Abbreviation ВС СССР
VS SSSR
Motto Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!
Workers of the world, unite!
Formation 1936
Extinction 26 December 1991 (self-dissolved)
Type Government organization; Soviet
Legal status Extinct
Purpose/focus Legislature of Soviet Union
Headquarters Moscow Kremlin, Flag of the Russian SFSRRussian SFSR,  USSR
Location Moscow Kremlin, Flag of the Russian SFSRRussian SFSR,  USSR
Official languages Russian language
Leader title: Chairman of the Presidium (1938 to 1989)
Chairman (1989-1991)
Main organ Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Affiliations Flag of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union

The Supreme Council of the USSR (Russian: Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР, Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in the interim of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets, and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. It elected the Presidium, formed the Soviet government, the Supreme Court, and appointed the Procurator General of the USSR.

From the formation of the USSR (1922) until the approval of the 1936 Soviet Constitution, it was named Central Executive Committee of the USSR (Центральный Исполнительный Комитет СССР or ЦИК СССР, or, romanized, TsIK SSSR) and functioned until 1938 under this name. It was made up of two chambers according to the 1924 Soviet Constitution: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities. Beside it there were Central Executive Committees in federal republics, such as All-Russian Central Executive Committee (in Russia), Belorussian Central Executive Committee (in Belorussia) and All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee (in Ukraine).

The Supreme Soviet was made up of two chambers, each with equal legislative powers, with members elected for four-year terms: [1]

  • The Soviet of the Union, elected on the basis of population with one deputy for every 300,000 people in the Soviet federation
  • The Soviet of Nationalities, supposed to represent the ethnic populations, with members elected on the basis of 32 deputies from each union republic (excluding the autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs in its territory, which would send in separate members), 11 from each autonomous republic, five from each autonomous oblast (region), and one from each autonomous okrug (district). The administrative units of the same type would send in the same number of members regardless of their size or population.

Until Perestroika and the partially free elections in 1989, the Supreme Soviet functioned as a rubber stamp to legislation originating from less representative but more powerful bodies, like the Politburo.

After 1989 it consisted of 542 deputies (down from previously 1,500). The meetings of the body were also more frequent from six to eight months a year. [2] The Presidium carried out the day-to-day operations of the Supreme Soviet when it was not in session.

Contents

[edit] Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR

This position was held by four people at once.

  • Mikhail Kalinin (December 30, 1922 - January 12, 1938) (office renamed) (concurrently Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR)
  • Grigory Petrovsky (December 30, 1922 - January 12, 1938) (concurrently Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Ukrainian SSR)
  • Aleksandr Chervyakov (December 30, 1922 - June 16, 1937) (concurrently Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Belorussian SSR)
  • Nariman Narimanov (December 30, 1922 - March 19, 1925)
  • Gazanfar Musabekov (May 21, 1925 - June 1937)
  • Nedirbay Aytakov (May 21, 1925 - 21 July 1937) (concurrently Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Turkmen SSR)
  • Fayzulla Khodzhayev (May 21, 1925 - June 17, 1937)
  • Nusratullo Maksum (or Nusratullo Lutfullayev) (March 18, 1931 - January 4, 1934) (concurrently Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Tajik SSR)
  • Abdullo Rakhimbayev (4 January 1934 - September 1937)

[edit] Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1938–1989)

[edit] Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1989–1991)

[edit] Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics

Each republic of the Soviet Union also had its own Supreme Soviet, a one-chamber legislature functioning along similar lines. The same was the case with the ASSRs. After the dissolution of USSR, each of these bodies became the legislatures of independent countries. The Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR and the Congress of Soviets of RSFSR were the legislature of Russia until being dissolved by military force during the 1993 constitutional crisis.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, entry on "Верховный Совет СССР", available online here
  2. ^ Peter Lentini (1991) in: The Journal of Communist Studies, Vol. 7, No.1,pp. 69-94
v • d • e
Heads of state of the Soviet Union
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee
1922-38
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
1938-89
Chairman of Supreme Soviet
1989-91
President
1990-91
Italics indicates Acting Chairman
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