Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was the highest organ of state authority of the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1991. It was the only branch of government and led all the work of the country. Before 1936, another group called the Congress of Soviets held this role.

The Supreme Soviet chose important leaders such as the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Procurator General of the Soviet Union. It also elected the Presidium, which acted as the Soviet Union's collective head of state.

Though the Supreme Soviet had big powers on paper, it often just approved decisions made by leaders and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU). It usually agreed with everything the General Secretary said, following the rules of the Stalinist party's democratic centralism. This pattern was common in many Communist legislatures.

History

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union was the highest group that made laws in the Soviet Union from 1938 until 1991. It took the place of an earlier group called the Congress of Soviets, as stated in the 1936 Soviet Constitution.

After its first meeting in 1938, the Supreme Soviet usually met once a year. During these meetings, they approved laws, economic plans, and important appointments, often without much discussion. The members were chosen in elections where usually only one name was on the ballot, which made the Supreme Soviet more of a ceremony than a place for real debate.

Even though the Supreme Soviet was supposed to be the most powerful group, the real decisions were usually made by the Communist Party and its leaders. During World War II, when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, important decisions were mostly made by emergency groups, and the Supreme Soviet did not meet often.

In the years after the war, the Supreme Soviet approved important plans and treaties. Its members came from different groups like trade unions and farms. Later on, small committees within the Supreme Soviet started to discuss plans more, but they still followed the Communist Party's directions.

Real power stayed with the Communist Party until the late 1980s when reforms began. During these reforms, the Supreme Soviet became more like a real parliament. The last time it met was in December 1991, just before the Soviet Union ended.

Structure

The Supreme Soviet had two parts with equal power:

• The Soviet of the Union, which stood for all people in the Soviet Union, with each member standing for the same number of voters.
• The Soviet of Nationalities, which stood for different ethnic groups, with members chosen based on where they lived. Each big area sent 32 members, smaller areas sent fewer.

At first, the Supreme Soviet was chosen every four years, but later this was changed to five years. It usually met only twice a year for short visits. Most of the time, a smaller group called the Presidium handled daily tasks. Major decisions were often made by another group without the Supreme Soviet’s approval, though they were supposed to approve these later.

By 1989, the Supreme Soviet had 542 members, meeting more often. After big changes in 1991, it was split into two groups to handle different jobs, like changing laws and approve important decisions. Russia had more members than others in one of these groups.

Powers

The Supreme Soviet had the power to make important decisions for the country. It could create laws, change the country's rules, and choose leaders for different jobs. It also approved treaties with other countries and plans for the economy.

The Supreme Soviet usually met only twice a year, so most of the work was done by smaller groups or leaders chosen by the Supreme Soviet. Later, new rules were made, and a bigger group called the Congress of People's Deputies was formed. This new group had many of the same powers as the Supreme Soviet and helped choose its members.

By 1989, the Supreme Soviet could do many more things, like approving the president's decisions, starting and stopping ministries, and even removing the president if needed. It also handled important issues like war, money, and treaties with other nations. However, for over 50 years, it passed very few laws compared to all the rules made in the country.

Leaders

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union had important leaders who helped guide the country. From 1938 to 1989, there was a special group called the Presidium, and one person led it.

From 1989 to 1991, the leaders were called Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet.

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Mikhail Kalinin (1875–1946)	17 January 1938	19 March 1946	8 years, 61 days
2		Nikolai Shvernik (1888–1970)	19 March 1946	15 March 1953	6 years, 361 days
3		Kliment Voroshilov (1881–1969)	15 March 1953	7 May 1960	7 years, 53 days
4		Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982)	7 May 1960	15 July 1964	4 years, 69 days
5		Anastas Mikoyan (1895–1978)	15 July 1964	9 December 1965	1 year, 147 days
6		Nikolai Podgorny (1903–1983)	9 December 1965	16 June 1977	11 years, 189 days
(4)		Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982)	16 June 1977	10 November 1982 †	5 years, 147 days
–		Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990) Acting	10 November 1982	16 June 1983	218 days
7		Yuri Andropov (1914–1984)	16 June 1983	9 February 1984 †	238 days
–		Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990) Acting	9 February 1984	11 April 1984	62 days
8		Konstantin Chernenko (1911–1985)	11 April 1984	10 March 1985 †	333 days
–		Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990) Acting	10 March 1985	27 July 1985	139 days
9		Andrei Gromyko (1909–1989)	27 July 1985	1 October 1988	3 years, 66 days
10		Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022)	1 October 1988	25 May 1989	236 days

No.	Portrait	Name (Born-Died)	Term of office
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Mikhail Gorbachev (1931–2022)	25 May 1989	15 March 1990	294 days
2		Anatoly Lukyanov (1930–2019)	15 March 1990	4 September 1991	1 year, 160 days

Convocations

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union held regular meetings called convocations from 1938 until 1991. Each convocation lasted several years and had a specific number of members. For example, the first convocation from 1938 to 1946 started with 1,143 members and grew as new areas joined the Soviet Union. Later convocations had different numbers of members, ranging from around 1,300 to over 2,000. The last convocation in 1989 to 1991 was different, with 2,250 members meeting as part of the Congress of People's Deputies.

The final meeting in 1991 did not have elections. Instead, members were chosen from councils of the union republics that were still part of the Soviet Union.

World War II
elections on 12 December 1937
Soviet of the Union
Soviet of Nationalities
Tuva
elections on 10 February 1946
elections on 12 March 1950
elections on 14 March 1954
elections on 16 March 1958
elections on 18 March 1962
elections on 12 June 1966
elections on 14 June 1970
elections on 16 June 1974
elections on 4 March 1979
elections on 4 March 1984
Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union

Supreme Soviets of the republics

Besides the main Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, each of its parts, called union republics, and each autonomous republic also had its own supreme soviet. These smaller supreme soviets had presidiums, but they all had just one group of members. After the Soviet Union ended, some of these parliaments changed their names to older names or to show they were important national groups, while others changed to have two groups of members.

Supreme soviets of the 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

Supreme soviets of the autonomous republics

List of known autonomous republics councils:

Emblem	Soviet Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
	/ Russian SFSR	Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian SFSR Верховный Совет РСФСР Съезд народных депутатов РСФСР	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 Верховна Рада Української РСР	1937	1991 (De facto) 1996 (De jure)	/ Verkhovna Rada
	Byelorussia	Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР Вярхоўны Савет Беларускай 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 Ўзбекистон ССР Олий Совети	1938	1991	Supreme Council (1991–1995) 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 (1995–present)
	Georgia	Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР საქართველოს სსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო	1938	1990	Supreme Council (1990–1992) Military Council/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
	Turkmenistan	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	1992	Riigikogu
	Karelo-Finnish SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР Karjalais-suomalainen SNT:n Korkein Neuvosto	1940	1956	Supreme Soviet

Emblem	Autonomous Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
	Bashkiria	Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР Башҡорт АССР-ы Юғары Советы	1938	1995	/ State Assembly
	Buryatia	Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР Буряадай АССР-эй Верховно Совет	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 Съезд народных депутатов Дагестанской АССР	1938	1994	/ People's Assembly
	Kalmykia	Supreme Soviet of the Kalmyk ASSR Верховный Совет Калмыцкой АССР Хальмг АССР-ин Деед Совет	1938 1958	1943 1994	/ People's Khural
	Karelia	Supreme Soviet of the Karelian ASSR Верховный Совет Карельской АССР Karjalan ASNT:n Korkein Neuvosto	1938 1956	1940 1994	Legislative Assembly
	Komi	Supreme Soviet of the Komi ASSR Верховный Совет Коми АССР Коми АССР-са Верховнӧй Сӧвет	1938	1994	/ State Council
	Mari	Supreme Soviet of the Mari ASSR Верховный Совет Марийской АССР Марий АССР Верховный Совет	1938	1994	/ State Assembly
	Mordovia	Supreme Soviet of the Mordovian ASSR Верховный Совет Мордовской АССР Мордовскяй АССР-нь Верховнай Совет Мордовской АССР-нь Верховной Совет	1938	1995	/ State Assembly
	North Ossetia	Supreme Soviet of the North Ossetian ASSR Верховный Совет Северо-Осетинской АССР Цӕгат Ирыстоны ACCP-Йы Сӕйраг Совет	1938	1994	/ Parliament
	Tatarstan	Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR Верховный Совет Татарской АССР Татарстан АССР Югары Советы	1938	1995	State Council
	Tuva	Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР Тыва АССР-ниң Дээди Соведи	1962	1993	/ Great Khural
	Udmurtia	Supreme Soviet of the Udmurt ASSR Верховный Совет Удмуртской АССР Удмурт АССР-лэн Верховной Советэз	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 Чӑваш АССР Верховнӑй Совечӗ	1938	1994	State Council
	Yakutia	Supreme Soviet of the Yakut ASSR Верховный Совет Якутской АССР Саха АССР Верховнай Совета	1938	1993	State Assembly
	Karakalpakstan	Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР Қорақалпоғистон АССР Олий Совети Қарақалпақстан АССР Жоқарғы Совети	1938	1994	Supreme Council
	Abkhazia	Supreme Soviet of the Abkhaz ASSR Верховный Совет Абхазской АССР აფხაზეთის ასსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო 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)