Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet (Russian: Верховный Совет, romanized: Verkhovny Sovet, lit. 'Supreme Council') was the common name for the highest organs of state authority of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, established in 1938, and were nearly identical.[1]
Party-approved delegates to the Supreme Soviets were periodically elected unopposed in show elections.[2] The first free or semi-free elections took place during perestroika in late 1980s, in which Supreme Soviets themselves were no longer directly elected. Instead, Supreme Soviets were appointed by directly elected Congresses of People's Deputies based somewhat on the Congresses of Soviets that preceded the Supreme Soviets. The soviets until then were largely rubber-stamp institutions, approving decisions handed to them by the Communist Party of the USSR or of each SSR.[2]
The soviets met infrequently (often only twice a year for only several days) and elected the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, a permanent body, to act on their behalf while the soviet was not in session.[3] The presidiums were also empowered to issue decrees in lieu of law. If such decrees were not ratified by the Supreme Soviet at its next session, they were to be considered revoked. In practice, the principles of democratic centralism meant this power of veto was almost never exercised, meaning that Presidium decrees de facto had the force of law.[4]
Under the 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitutions, the Presidium of a Supreme Soviet served as the collective head of state of its republic.[5] The Supreme Soviets also elected Councils of Ministers (Councils of People's Commissars before 1946), which were executive bodies.
After the dissolution of the USSR in late December 1991, the soviets transformed into liberal democratic legislatures of independent countries until Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan abandoned the system in 1995.
Supreme Soviets of the Union Republics
Soviet Republics dissolved before the dissolution of the Soviet Union Parliaments not formally recognized by some countries such as the Western Bloc
| Emblem | Soviet Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| / Russia | Supreme Soviet of Russia Congress of People's Deputies of Russia Верховный Совет РСФСР (Российской Федерации) |
1938 (Supreme Soviet of Russia) 1990 (Congress of People's Deputies of Russia) |
1993 | Constitutional Conference (1993) Federal Assembly (1993–present): • Federation Council • State Duma | |
| Ukraine | Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR
Верховный Совет Украинской ССР |
1937 | 1991 (De facto) 1996 (De jure) |
/ Verkhovna Rada | |
| Byelorussia | Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR
Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР |
1938 | 1991 (De facto) 1994 (De jure) |
/ Supreme Council (1994–96) / National Assembly (1996–present) | |
| Uzbekistan | Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR
Верховный Совет Узбекской ССР |
1938 | 1991 | Supreme Council (1991–1995) Oliy Majlis (1995–present) | |
| Kazakhstan | Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR
Верховный Совет Казахской ССР |
1937 | 1993 | Supreme Council (1993–95) Parliament (1995–present) | |
| Georgia | Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR
Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР |
1938 | 1990 | Supreme Council (1990–1992) Military Council/State Council (1992–1995) / Parliament (1995–present) | |
| / Azerbaijan | Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan
Верховный Совет Азербайджа́нской ССР (Азербайджанской Республики) |
1938 | 1995 | / National Assembly | |
| Lithuania | Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR
Верховный Совет Литовской ССР |
1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council (1990–1992) Seimas (1992–present) | |
| Moldavia | Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR
Верховный Совет Молдавской ССР |
1941 | 1993 | Parliament | |
| Latvia | Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR
Верховный Совет Латвийской ССР |
1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council (1990–1993) Saeima (1993–present) | |
| Kirghizia | Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR
Верховный Совет Киргизской ССР |
1938 | 1994 | / Supreme Council | |
| Tajikistan | Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR
Верховный Совет Таджикской ССР |
1937 | 1994 | Supreme Assembly | |
| / Armenia | Supreme Soviet of Armenia
Верховный Совет Армянской ССР (Республики Армения) |
1938 | 1995 | National Assembly | |
| Turkmenistan | Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR
Верховный Совет Туркменской ССР |
1938 | 1992 | // Assembly (1992–2021, 2023–present) National Council (2021–2023) | |
| Estonia | Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR
Верховный Совет Эстонской ССР |
1940 | 1992 | Riigikogu | |
| Karelo-Finnish SSR | Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR
Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР |
1940 | 1956 | Supreme Soviet |
Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics
| Emblem | Autonomous Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bashkiria | Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR
Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР |
1938 | 1995 | / State Assembly | |
| Buryatia | Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR
Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | People's Khural | |
| Dagestan | Supreme Soviet of the Dagestan ASSR Congress of People's Deputies of the Dagestan ASSR Верховный Совет Дагестанской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | / People's Assembly | |
| Kalmykia | Supreme Soviet of the Kalmyk ASSR
Верховный Совет Калмыцкой АССР |
1938 1958 |
1943 1994 |
/ People's Khural | |
| Karelia | Supreme Soviet of the Karelian ASSR
Верховный Совет Карельской АССР |
1938 1956 |
1940 1994 |
Legislative Assembly | |
| Komi | Supreme Soviet of the Komi ASSR
Верховный Совет Коми АССР |
1938 | 1994 | / State Council | |
| Mari | Supreme Soviet of the Mari ASSR
Верховный Совет Марийской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | / State Assembly | |
| Mordovia | Supreme Soviet of the Mordovian ASSR
Верховный Совет Мордовской АССР |
1938 | 1995 | / State Assembly | |
| North Ossetia | Supreme Soviet of the North Ossetian ASSR
Верховный Совет Северо-Осетинской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | / Parliament | |
| Tatarstan | Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR
Верховный Совет Татарской АССР |
1938 | 1995 | State Council | |
| Tuva | Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR
Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР |
1962 | 1993 | / Great Khural | |
| Udmurtia | Supreme Soviet of the Udmurt ASSR
Верховный Совет Удмуртской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | State Council | |
| Checheno-Ingushetia | Supreme Soviet of the Checheno-Ingush ASSR
Верховный Совет Чечено-Ингушской АССР |
1938 1957 |
1944 1991 |
Parliament of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria (1991–2000) Parliament of the Chechen Republic (2003–present) / People's Assembly of the Republic of Ingushetia (1994–present) | |
| Chuvashia | Supreme Soviet of the Chuvash ASSR
Верховный Совет Чувашской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | State Council | |
| Yakutia | Supreme Soviet of the Yakut ASSR
Верховный Совет Якутской АССР |
1938 | 1993 | State Assembly | |
| Karakalpakstan | Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR
Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР |
1938 | 1994 | Supreme Council | |
| Abkhazia | Supreme Soviet of the Abkhaz ASSR
Верховный Совет Абхазской АССР |
1938 | 1996 | People's Assembly | |
| Adjara | Supreme Soviet of the Adjarian ASSR
Верховный Совет Аджарской АССР |
1938 | 1991 | / Supreme Council | |
| Nakhichevan | Supreme Soviet of the Nakhichevan ASSR
Верховный Совет Нахичеванской АССР |
1938 | 1990 | / Supreme Assembly (Nakhchivan) |
References
- ^ Roeder, Philip G. (2007-08-05). Where Nation-States Come From: Institutional Change in the Age of Nationalism. Princeton University Press. p. 70. ISBN 978-0-691-13467-3.
- ^ a b Kelley, Larry D. (1990-12-31). Perestroika-era Politics: The New Soviet Legislature and Gorbachev's Political Reforms. M.E. Sharpe. p. 52. ISBN 978-0-87332-830-2.
- ^ Feldbrugge, Ferdinand Joseph Maria (1993-06-17). Russian Law: The End of the Soviet System and the Role of Law. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7923-2358-7.
- ^ John Alexander Armstrong (1986). Ideology, Politics, and Government in the Soviet Union: An Introduction. University Press of America. ISBN 0819154059.
- ^ Armstrong, John Alexander (January 1, 1978). Ideology, Politics, and Government in the Soviet Union: An Introduction– Google Knihy. p. 165. ISBN 9780819154057. Retrieved 2016-11-26.