Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Верховный Совет СССР

Type
Type	Bicameral
Timeline
Country	Soviet Union
Established	1938
Preceded by	Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union
Succeeded by	Congress of People's Deputies Several post-Soviet Supreme Councils: Supreme Soviet of Russia Supreme Council of the Republic of Georgia Supreme Soviet of Kazakhstan Supreme Soviet of Belarus Supreme Council of Lithuania Parliament of Moldova Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan Supreme Soviet of Turkmenistan Supreme Soviet of Estonia Supreme Soviet of Latvia Supreme Soviet of Armenia Verkhovna Rada Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan
Disbanded	1991
Members	542 (at dissolution) 1500 (at peak)
Chambers	Council of the Republics Soviet of the Union
Election
voting system	Direct non-competitive elections (1936—1989) Elected by Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union (1989—1991)
Last election	4 March 1984 (last direct election) 25 May 1990 (last - and only - indirect election)
Meeting place

Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow Kremlin

The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (Russian: Верховный Совет СССР, Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the Supreme Soviet (highest legislative body) in the Soviet Union^[1] and the only one with the power to pass constitutional amendments. It elected the Presidium, formed the Council of Ministers, the Supreme Court, and appointed the Procurator General of the USSR.

1 Structure
2 Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1938–1989)
3 Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1989–1991)
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Structure

The Supreme Soviet was made up of two chambers, each with equal legislative powers, with members elected for four-year terms:^[2]

The Soviet of the Union, elected on the basis of population with one deputy for every 300,000 people in the Soviet federation
The Soviet of Nationalities, supposed to represent the ethnic populations, with members elected on the basis of 32 deputies from each union republic (excluding the autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts, and autonomous okrugs in its territory, which would send in separate members), 11 from each autonomous republic, five from each autonomous oblast (region), and one from each autonomous okrug (district). The administrative units of the same type would send in the same number of members regardless of their size or population.

Until Perestroika and the partially free elections in 1989, the Supreme Soviet functioned as a rubber stamp to legislation originating from less representative but more powerful bodies, like the Politburo.

After 1989 it consisted of 542 deputies (down from previously 1,500). The meetings of the body were also more frequent from six to eight months a year.^[3] The Presidium carried out the day-to-day operations of the Supreme Soviet when it was not in session.

Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1938–1989)

Also known as President of the USSR SS Presidium

Mikhail Kalinin 1938–1946
Nikolay Shvernik 1946–1953
Kliment Voroshilov 1953–1960
Leonid Brezhnev 1960–1964
Anastas Mikoyan 1964–1965
Nikolai Podgorny 1965–1977
Leonid Brezhnev (second term) 1977–1982
Yuri Andropov 1982–1984
Konstantin Chernenko 1984–1985
Andrey Gromyko 1985–1988
Mikhail Gorbachev 1 October 1988 – 25 May 1989

Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1989–1991)

Also known as President of the USSR Supreme Soviet

Mikhail Gorbachev 25 May 1989 - 15 March 1990
Anatoly Lukyanov 15 March 1990 - 22 August 1991

References

^ The Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body from 1917 to 1936. In 1989-1991 a smillar. but not identical (elected directly by the people instead of local Soviets) structure (Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union) was the supreme governing body.
^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, entry on "Верховный Совет СССР", available online here
^ Peter Lentini (1991) in: The Journal of Communist Studies, Vol. 7, No.1, pp. 69-94

External links

Electoral law of 1937

Heads of state of the Soviet Union

Heads of state	Kalinin (1922–1946) · Shvernik (1946–1953) · Voroshilov (1953–1960) · Brezhnev (1960–1964) · Mikoyan (1964–1965) · Podgorny (1965–1977) · Brezhnev (1977–1982) · Andropov (1982–1984) · Chernenko (1984–1985) · Gromyko (1985–1988) · Gorbachev (1988–1991)

Vice heads of state	Kuznetsov (1977–1986) · Demichev (1986–1988) · Lukyanov (1988–1990) · Yanayev (1990–1991)

Acting heads of state	Kuznetsov (1982–1985) · Yanayev (usurper, 1991)

Presidents of Russian SFSR · Presidents of Russia