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]
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, 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
editSoviet 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 |  Constitutional Conference (1993) Federal Assembly (1993–present) |
 |  Ukraine | Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR Верховный Совет Украинской ССР | 1937 | 1996 |  Verkhovna Rada |
.svg) |  Byelorussia | Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР | 1938 | 1994 |  Supreme Council (1994–96) National Assembly (1996–present) |
 |  Uzbekistan | Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR Верховный Совет Узбекской ССР | 1938 | 1992 |  Supreme Council (1992–1995) Oliy Majlis (1995–present) |
 |  Kazakhstan | Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR Верховный Совет Казахской ССР | 1937 | 1993 |  Supreme Council (1993–95) Parliament (1996–present) |
 |  Georgia | Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР | 1938 | 1992 |  State Council (1992–1995) Parliament (1995–present) |
 |  Azerbaijan | Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR Верховный Совет Азербайджа́нской ССР | 1938 | 1995 |  National Assembly |
 |  Lithuania | Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR Верховный Совет Литовской ССР | 1940 | 1990 |  Supreme Council (1990–1992) Seimas (1992–present) |
.svg) |  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 the Armenian SSR Верховный Совет Армянской ССР | 1938 | 1995 |  National Assembly |
 |  Turkmenia | Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR Верховный Совет Туркменской ССР | 1938 | 1992 |  Assembly (1992–2021) National Council (2021–present) |
 |  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 Soviet Republics
edit| Autonomous Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  Bashkiria | Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР | 1938 | 1995 |  State Assembly |
 |  Buryatia | Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР | 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 | 1938 | 1995 |  State Council |
.svg) |  Tuva | Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР | 1961 | 1993 |  Great Khural |
.svg) |  Chuvashia | Supreme Soviet of the Chuvash ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Чувашской АССР | 1938 | 1994 |  State Council |
 |  Karakalpakstan | Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР | 1938 | 1994 |  Supreme Council |
.svg) |  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
edit- ^ 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.