Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Верховный Совет СССР | |
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| Chambers | Council of the Republics Soviet of the Union |
| Seats | 542 (at dissolution) 1500 (at peak) |
| Elections | |
| 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 | |
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| Politics of the Soviet Union |
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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.
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, 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.[citation needed]
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
See also
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