Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

Supreme Soviet of the USSR

Верховный Совет СССР
Type
Type
Chambers• Soviet of Nationalities
• Soviet of the Union
History
Established12 January 1938; 86 years ago (12 January 1938)
Disbanded26 December 1991; 32 years ago (26 December 1991)
Preceded byCongress of Soviets
Succeeded by
Structure
Seats1,500 (after 1984 election)
542 (at dissolution)
Soviet of Nationalities political groups
After the 1984 election:
  Communist Party of the Soviet Union (521)
  Independents (229)
Soviet of the Union political groups
After the 1984 election:
  Communist Party of the Soviet Union (551)
  Independents (199)
Elections
Direct elections (1937–1989)
Elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union (1989–1991)
Direct elections (1937–1989)
Elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union (1989–1991)
12 December 1937
4 March 1984 (last direct election)
26 March 1989 (last – and only – indirect election)
Meeting place
Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow Kremlin
(Joint sessions of both houses)[1][2]

The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR)[a] was the highest body of state authority of the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1936 to 1991. It was based on the principle of unified power, which was the only branch of government in the Soviet state.

Prior to 1936,[3] the Congress of Soviets was the supreme legislative body. During 1989–1991 a similar, but not identical structure was the supreme legislative body. The Supreme Soviet appointed the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and the Procurator General of the USSR as well as elected the Presidium which served as the USSR's collective head of state under both the 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitutions.[3]

By the Soviet constitutions of 1936 and 1977, the Supreme Soviet was defined as the highest organ of state power in the Soviet Union and was imbued with great lawmaking powers. In practice, however, it was a toy parliament which did nothing other than ratify decisions already made by the USSR's executive organs and the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) – always by unanimous consent[3] – and listen to the General Secretary's speeches.[3] This was in accordance with the Stalinist CPSU's principle of democratic centralism and became the norm for other Communist legislatures.

  1. ^ "Совместное заседание Совета Союза и Совета Национальностей Верховного Совета СССР восьмого созыва. Кремль". RIA Novosti Mediabank. Rossiya Segodnya media group. 18 December 1972. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  2. ^ "Совместное заседание Совета Союза и Совета Национальностей третьей сессии Верховного Совета СССР девятого созыва. Кремлевский Дворец Съездов (ныне – Государственный Кремлевский дворец)". RIA Novosti Mediabank. Rossiya Segodnya media group. 22 July 1975. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Armstrong, John Alexander (1986) [1978]. Ideology, Politics, and Government in the Soviet Union: An Introduction (4th ed.). Lanham, MD / New York City / London: University Press of America. ISBN 0-8191-5405-9. Retrieved November 26, 2016.


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