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)