Supreme Soviet
The Supreme Soviet (Russian: Верховный Совет, romanized: Verkhovny Sovet, lit. 'Supreme Council') was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) 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]
State-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] Under the 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitutions, the Presidium of a Supreme Soviet served as the collective head of state of its republic.[4] The Supreme Soviets also elected Councils of Ministers (Councils of People's Commissars before 1946), an executive body.
After the dissolution of the USSR in late December 1991, most of these soviets remained the legislatures of independent countries until Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan abandoned the system in 1995.
Supreme Soviets of the Soviet Republics[]
Soviet Republics dissolved before the dissolution of the Soviet Union
Soviet Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Russian SFSR | Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR
Верховный Совет РСФСР |
1938 | 1993 | Federal Assembly | |
Ukraine | Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR
Верховна Рада Української РСР |
1937 | 1991 | Verkhovna Rada | |
Byelorussia | Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR
Вярхоўны Савет Беларускай ССР |
1938 | 1991 | Supreme Soviet | |
Uzbekistan | Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR
Ўзбекистон ССР Олий Совети |
1938 | 1991 | Supreme Council | |
Kazakhstan | Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR
Қазақ ССР Жоғарғы Советі |
1937 | 1993 | Supreme Council | |
Georgia | Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR
საქართველოს სსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო |
1938 | 1990 | Supreme Council | |
Azerbaijan | Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR
Азәрбаjҹан ССР Али Совети |
1938 | 1995 | National Assembly | |
Lithuania | Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR
Lietuvos TSR Aukščiausioji Taryba |
1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council | |
Moldavia | Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR
Совиетул Супрем ал РСС Молдовеняскэ |
1941 | 1993 | Parliament | |
Latvia | Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR
Latvijas PSR Augstākā Padome |
1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council | |
Kirghizia | Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR
Кыргыз ССР Жогорку Совети |
1938 | 1994 | Supreme Council | |
Tajikistan | Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR
Совети Олӣ РСС Тоҷикистон |
1937 | 1994 | Supreme Assembly | |
Armenia | Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR
Հայկական ՍՍՀ Գերագույն Խորհուրդ |
1938 | 1995 | National Assembly | |
Turkmenia | Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR
Түркменистан ССР Ёкары Советы |
1938 | 1992 | Assembly | |
Estonia | Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR
Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu |
1940 | 1992 | Riigikogu | |
Karelo-Finnish SSR | Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR
Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР |
1940 | 1956 | (ru) |
Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Soviet Republics[]
Autonomous Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bashkiria | (ru)
БАССР Юғары Советы |
1938 | 1995 | State Assembly | |
Buryatia | (ru)
Буряадай АССР-эй Верховно Совет |
1938 | 1994 | People's Khural | |
Karelia | (ru)
Верховный Совет Карельской АССР |
1938 1956 |
1940 1994 |
Legislative Assembly | |
Tatarstan | (ru)
ТАССР Югары Советы |
1938 | 1995 | State Council | |
Tuva | (ru)
Тыва АССР-ниң Дээди Соведи |
1961 | 1993 | Great Khural | |
Chuvashia | (ru)
Чӑваш АССР Верховнӑй Совечӗ |
1938 | 1994 | State Council | |
Karakalpakstan |
Қарақалпақстан АССР Жоқарғы Совети |
1938 | 1994 | Supreme Council | |
Abkhazia |
Аҧснытәи АССР Иреиҳаӡоу Асовет |
1938 | 1996 | People's Assembly | |
Adjara |
აჭარის ასსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო |
1938 | 1991 | Supreme Council | |
Nakhichevan |
Нахчыван МССР Али Совети |
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.
- ^ 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.
See also[]
- Supreme Council
- Soviet (disambiguation)
- 1938 establishments in the Soviet Union
- 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union
- 1995 disestablishments in Armenia
- 1995 disestablishments in Azerbaijan
- 1995 disestablishments in Kazakhstan
- Government of the Soviet Union
- Historical legislatures
- Politics of the Soviet Union
- Government stubs