Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

Politics of the Soviet Union
Leadership Leaders President list Vice President Collective leadership State Council Presidential Council
Communist Party Congress Central Committee History General Secretary Politburo Secretariat Orgburo
Legislature Congress of Soviets Central Executive Committee Supreme Soviet Soviet of the Union Soviet of Nationalities Presidium Congress of People's Deputies Speaker 1989 Legislative election
Governance Constitution Official names 1924 1936 1977 Government Ministries State Committees Cabinets Premiership First Deputy Premier Deputy Premier Administrator of Affairs
Judiciary Law Supreme Court Military Collegium People's Court Procurator General
Ideology Soviet democracy Marxism–Leninism Leninism Stalinism Khrushchevism De-Stalinization Perestroika Glasnost
Society Economy Agriculture Consumer goods Five-Year Plan Kosygin reform New Economic Policy Science and technology Era of Stagnation Material balance planning Transport War communism Culture Demographics Education Family Phraseology Religion Repression Censorship Censorship of images Great Purge Gulag system Collectivization Human rights Ideological repression Political abuse of psychiatry Political repression Population transfer Propaganda Suppressed research Red Terror Soviet Empire
Soviet Union portal Other countries

The Supreme Soviet was composed of two chambers, each with equal legislative powers:[4]

• The Soviet of the Union, which represented the population of the Soviet federation as a whole, with each deputy representing the same number of voters.
• The Soviet of Nationalities, which represented the ethnic populations as units, with members elected on the basis of 32 deputies from each union republic, 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 the same number of members regardless of their size or population.

Under the 1936 Constitution, the Supreme Soviet was elected for a four-year term, and the Soviet of the Union had one deputy for every 300,000 people.[4] This was changed by the 1977 constitution; the term was extended to five years, and the number of seats in the Soviet of the Union was changed to be the same as the Soviet of Nationalities, regardless of the population size.[5][6]

The Supreme Soviet convened twice a year, usually for less than a week. For the rest of the year, the Presidium performed its ordinary functions. Often, the CPSU bypassed the Supreme Soviet altogether and had major laws enacted as Presidium decrees. Nominally, if such decrees were not ratified by the Supreme Soviet at its next session, they were considered revoked. In practice, however, the principle of democratic centralism rendered the process of ratifying Presidium decrees a mere formality. In some cases, even this formality was not observed.[3]

After 1989 it consisted of 542 deputies (divided into two 271 chambers) decreased from a previous 1,500. The meetings of the body were also more frequent, from six to eight months a year. In September 1991, after the August Coup, it was reorganised into the Soviet (council) of Republics and the Soviet of The Union, which would jointly amend the Soviet Constitution, admit new states, hear out the President of the Soviet Union on important home and foreign policy issues, approve the union budget, declare war and conclude peace. The Soviet of Republics would consist of 20 deputies from each union republic, plus one deputy to represent each autonomous region of each republic, delegated by the republics' legislatures. Russia was an exception with 52 deputies. The Soviet Union consisted of deputies apportioned by the existing quotas.[7]

In 1989, its powers were:

• Passing and initiating laws.
• Submitting questions to the President of the Soviet Union, the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, scheduling elections of deputies.
• Convening the Congress of People's Deputies.
• Appointing the Chairman of the Council of Ministers on the submission of the president.
• Ratifying the composition of the Council of Ministers and changes in it on the submission on the Chairman.
• Forming and disbanding ministries and state committees on the Council of Ministers proposal.
• Overriding a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority.
• Ratifying presidential declarations of war.
• Impeaching the President.
• Hearing reports by organs of appointed officials.
• Implementing laws regulating property, management of the economy, social and cultural issues, budget and finance, salaries, prices, taxes, environmental protection, natural resource, and civil rights,
• Laying down the principals of local and republic state power and the legal status of social organisations,
• Submitting for ratification (and ratifying and amending) by the congress long-term national and social and economic development plans, the national budget, monitoring implantation of the state plan and budget, and ratifying reports on their performance.
• Ratifying international treaties.
• Overseeing the granting of foreign aid and negotiating foreign loans.
• Determining basic measures for national security, including declarations of war, mobilizing troops, and meeting international treaty obligations.

Acts by the Supreme Soviet entered into force after signature by the President and publication.

Between 1938 and February 1990, more than 50 years, only 80 laws were passed by the Supreme Soviet, less than 1% of total legislative acts.[8]

• 1st convocation session 1938–1946, World War II
• 2nd convocation session 1946–1950
• 3rd convocation session 1950–1954
• 4th convocation session 1954–1958
• 5th convocation session 1958–1962
• 6th convocation session 1962–1966
• 7th convocation session 1966–1970
• 8th convocation session 1970–1974
• 9th convocation session 1974–1979
• 10th convocation session 1979–1984
• 11th convocation session 1984–1989
• 1st convocation 1989–1991[9] (unofficially 12th convocation), sessions were conducted in the form of Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union
• New composition 1991,[10] (unofficially 13th convocation) unlike previous convocations, there were no elections for the new composition of the Supreme Council instead members of the council were delegated from the council of union republics that continued to be members of the Soviet Union.

Beside the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, each of its constituting union republics and each autonomous republic had a supreme soviet. These supreme soviets also had presidiums, but all consisted of only one chamber. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some soviets of the succeeded independent republics simply changed their name to their more historic name or to emphasise their importance as a national parliament, while others changed to double-chamber assemblies.

Supreme soviets of union republics

Main article: Supreme Soviet

  Soviet Republics dissolved before the dissolution of the Soviet Union   Parliaments not formally recognized by some countries such as the Western Bloc

	Soviet Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
	Russian SFSR	Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Верховный Совет РСФСР	1938	1993	Constitutional Conference (1993) Federal Assembly (1993–present)
	Ukraine	Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR Верховный Совет Украинской ССР Верховна Рада Української РСР	1937	1996	Verkhovna Rada
	Byelorussia	Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР Вярхоўны Савет Беларускай ССР	1938	1994	Supreme Council (1994–96) National Assembly (1996–present)
	Uzbekistan	Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR Верховный Совет Узбекской ССР Ўзбекистон ССР Олий Совети	1938	1992	Supreme Council (1992–1995) Oliy Majlis (1995–present)
	Kazakhstan	Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR Верховный Совет Казахской ССР Қазақ ССР Жоғарғы Советі	1937	1993	Supreme Council (1993–95) Parliament (1996–present)
	Georgia	Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР საქართველოს სსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო	1938	1992	State Council (1992–1995) Parliament (1995–present)
	Azerbaijan	Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR Верховный Совет Азербайджа́нской ССР Азәрбаjҹан ССР Али Совети	1938	1995	National Assembly
	Lithuania	Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR Верховный Совет Литовской ССР Lietuvos TSR Aukščiausioji Taryba	1940	1990	Supreme Council (1990–1992) Seimas (1992–present)
	Moldavia	Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR Верховный Совет Молдавской ССР Совиетул Супрем ал РСС Молдовеняскэ (Moldovan) Sovietul Suprem al RSS Moldovenească (Romanian)	1941	1993	Parliament
	Latvia	Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR Верховный Совет Латвийской ССР Latvijas PSR Augstākā Padome	1940	1990	Supreme Council (1990–1993) Saeima (1993–present)
	Kirghizia	Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR Верховный Совет Киргизской ССР Кыргыз ССР Жогорку Совети	1938	1994	Supreme Council
	Tajikistan	Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR Верховный Совет Таджикской ССР Совети Олӣ РСС Тоҷикистон	1937	1994	Supreme Assembly
	Armenia	Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR Верховный Совет Армянской ССР Հայկական ՍՍՀ Գերագույն Խորհուրդ	1938	1995	National Assembly
	Turkmenia	Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR Верховный Совет Туркменской ССР Түркменистан ССР Ёкары Советы	1938	1992	Assembly (1992–2021, 2023–present) National Council (2021–2023)
	Estonia	Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR Верховный Совет Эстонской ССР Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu	1940	1991	Supreme Council (1990–92) Riigikogu (1992–present)
	Karelo-Finnish SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР	1940	1956	Supreme Soviet (ru)

Supreme councils of autonomous republic

List of known autonomous republics councils:

	Autonomous Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
	Bashkiria	Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР Башҡорт АССР-ы Юғары Советы	1938	1995	State Assembly
	Buryatia	Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР Буряадай АССР-эй Верховно Совет	1938	1994	People's Khural
	Karelia	Supreme Soviet of the Karelian ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Карельской АССР	1938 1956	1940 1994	Legislative Assembly
	Tatarstan	Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Татарской АССР Татарстан АССР Югары Советы	1938	1995	State Council
	Tuva	Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР Тыва АССР-ниң Дээди Соведи	1961	1993	Great Khural
	Chuvashia	Supreme Soviet of the Chuvash ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Чувашской АССР Чӑваш АССР Верховнӑй Совечӗ	1938	1994	State Council
	Karakalpakstan	Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР Қарақалпақстан АССР Жоқарғы Совети	1938	1994	Supreme Council
	Abkhazia	Supreme Soviet of the Abkhaz ASSR Верховный Совет Абхазской АССР Аҧснытәи АССР Иреиҳаӡоу Асовет	1938	1996	People's Assembly
	Adjara	Supreme Soviet of the Adjarian ASSR Верховный Совет Аджарской АССР აჭარის ასსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო	1938	1991	Supreme Council
	Nakhichevan	Supreme Soviet of the Nakhichevan ASSR Верховный Совет Нахичеванской АССР Нахчыван МССР Али Совети	1938	1990	Supreme Assembly (Nakhchivan)

• All-Russian Central Executive Committee
• Supreme Soviet of Russia
• Federal Assembly of Russia
• National People's Congress – Chinese equivalent
• Supreme People's Assembly – North Korean equivalent
• National Assembly of People's Power – Cuban equivalent
• National Assembly (Laos) – Laotian equivalent
• National Assembly (Vietnam) – Vietnamese equivalent
• Volkskammer – East German equivalent
• Federal Assembly – Czechoslovak equivalent

• Bibliography of Stalinism and the Soviet Union § Government
• Bibliography of the Post Stalinist Soviet Union § Government

• Electoral law of 1937