Heads of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | |
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Former political post | |
Coat of arms | |
Predecessor | None |
Successor | President of the Russian Federation |
First officeholder | Mikhail Kalinin |
Last officeholder | Mikhail Gorbachev |
Official residence | Moscow Kremlin |
Political office started | 30 December 1922 |
Political office ended | 25 December 1991 |
Current pretender | Position abolished |
The Constitution of the Soviet Union recognised the highest organ of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) as the head of state. The Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, and the earlier office of Chairman of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Congress of Soviets which was reorganised in 1938, had primarily only ceremonial powers.[1] While the head of state had many de jure powers, it had very few de facto ones.
The Soviet Union was established in 1922. However, the country's first constitution was adopted in 1924. Before that time, the 1918 Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was adopted as the de facto constitution of the USSR. According to the 1918 Constitution, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (CEC), chaired by the head of state, had the power to determine what matters of income and taxation would go to the state budget and what would go to the local Soviets. The CEC could also limit taxes.[2] In periods between convocations of the Congress of Soviets the CEC held supreme power.[3] In between sessions of the Congress of Soviets the CEC was responsible for all the affairs of the Congress of Soviets.[4] The CEC and the Congress of Soviets was replaced by the Presidium and the Supreme Soviet by several amendments to the 1936 constitution in 1938.[5]
The Supreme Soviet was the highest organ of state power, and was the sole organ to hold legislative power in the Soviet Union.[5] Sessions of the Supreme Soviet were convened by the Presidium twice a year; however, special sessions could be convened on the orders of a Union Republic.[5] In the events of a disagreement between the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities the Presidium could form a conciliation commission. If this commission failed the Presidium could dissolve the Supreme Soviet and order new elections.[5] The Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, along with first and fifteen other vice chairmen, were, according to the 1977 Soviet Constitution, elected by the deputies of the Supreme Soviet.[6] Just as with the CEC under Joseph Stalin's rule, the Chairman of the Presidium had very little de facto power after Stalin's death because supreme power was given to the leader of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).[7]
The Presidency was established in 1990 and would be, according to the altered constitution, be elected by the Soviet people by direct and secret ballot. However, the first President was elected by the democratically-elected Congress of People's Deputies.[8] In connection with the dissolution of the Soviet Union national elections for the office of President never took place. To be elected to the office a person must have been a Soviet citizen and older than thirty-five but younger than sixty-five years. The same person could not be elected president for more than two terms.[9] The Presidency was highest state office, and was the most important office in the Soviet Union by influence and recognition, eclipsing that of Premier and General Secretary. With the establishment of the Presidency executive power was shared between the President and the Prime Minister. The Presidency was given broad powers, such as being responsible for negotiating the membership of the Cabinet of Ministers with the Supreme Soviet;[10] the Prime Minister, however, was responsible for managing the nomenklatura and economic matters.[11]
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Of the eleven individuals appointed head of state, three of them died in office of natural causes (Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko), two held the position in a temporary role (Vasili Kuznetsov and Gennady Yanayev), and four held posts of party leader and head of state simultaneously (Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko and Mikhail Gorbachev). The first head of state was Mikhail Kalinin, who was inaugurated in 1922 after the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. At over twenty years, Kalinin spent the longest time in office; he died shortly after his resignation in 1946. Andropov spent the shortest time in office.
# [note 1] |
Name (birth–death) |
Portrait | Term of office | Convocations [note 2] |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ||||
Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Congress of Soviets (1922–1938) | ||||
Mikhail Kalinin (1875–1946)[12] |
30 December 1922 – 12 January 1938 | 1st–8th Convocation | ||
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1938–1989) | ||||
Mikhail Kalinin (1875–1946)[12] |
17 January 1938 – 19 March 1946 | 1st Convocation | ||
2 | Nikolay Shvernik (1888–1970)[13] |
19 March 1946 – 6 March 1953 | 2nd–3rd Convocation | |
3 | Kliment Voroshilov (1881–1969)[14] |
15 March 1953 – 7 May 1960 | 3rd–5th Convocation | |
4 | Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982)[15] |
7 May 1960 – 15 July 1964 | 5th–6th Convocation | |
5 | Anastas Mikoyan (1895–1975)[16] |
15 July 1964 – 9 December 1965 | 6th Convocation | |
6 | Nikolai Podgorny (1903–1983)[17] |
9 December 1965 – 16 June 1977 | 6th–9th Convocation | |
4 | Leonid Brezhnev (1906–1982)[15] |
16 June 1977 – 10 November 1982 | 9th–10th Convocation | |
— | Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990)[18] |
10 November 1982 – 16 June 1983 | 10th Convocation | |
7 | Yuri Andropov (1914–1984)[19] |
16 June 1983 – 9 February 1984 | ||
— | Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990)[18] |
9 February 1984 – 11 April 1984 | 11th Convocation | |
8 | Konstantin Chernenko (1911–1985)[19] |
11 April 1984 – 10 March 1985 | ||
— | Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990)[18] |
10 March 1985 – 27 July 1985 | ||
9 | Andrei Gromyko (1909–1989)[20] |
27 July 1985 – 1 October 1988 | ||
10 | Mikhail Gorbachev (born 1931)[21] |
1 October 1988 – 25 May 1989 | 11th–12th Convocation | |
Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (1989–1990)[note 3] | ||||
Mikhail Gorbachev (born 1931)[21] |
25 May 1989 – 15 March 1990 | 12th Convocation | ||
President (1990–1991) | ||||
Mikhail Gorbachev (born 1931)[21] |
15 March 1990 – 25 December 1991 | 12th Convocation |
There have been five individuals appointed vice head of state. The first vice head of state was Nikolay Shvernik. At over eighth years, Vasily Kuznetsov spent the longest time in office. Gennady Yanayev spent the shortest time in office.
# [note 1] |
Name (birth–death) |
Term of office | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | First Vice Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1944–1946/1977–1989) | ||
Nikolay Shvernik (1888–1970)[23] |
1 February 1944 – 19 March 1946 | ||
2 | Vasili Kuznetsov (1901–1990)[18] |
7 October 1977 – 27 July 1985 | |
3 | Pyotr Demichev (1917–2010)[24] |
18 June 1986 – 1 October 1988 | |
4 | Anatoly Lukyanov (born 1930)[25] |
1 October 1988 – 25 May 1989 | |
Vice Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (1989–1990) | |||
Anatoly Lukyanov (born 1930)[25] |
25 May 1989 – 15 March 1990 | ||
— | Vice President (1990–1991) | ||
Vacant | 15 March 1990 – 27 December 1990 | ||
5 | Gennady Yanayev (1937–2010)[26] |
27 December 1990 – 21 August 1991[note 4] | |
— | Office abolished[28] | 21 August 1991 – 26 December 1991[note 5] |
Soviet Union |
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