The Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the highest body of state government in the country, uniting all branches of power. The body of the same name also existed at the first stage of the life of the independent Russian Federation in 1991–1993.
History of the government apparatus
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR was first established by the Constitution of the Soviet state
1936. According to the highest law, this format of government power was to replace the previously functioning Congress of Soviets, and with it the Executive State Committee. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the first convocation was elected at the end of 1937. It included almost 1,200 deputies representing their republics and regional administrative units. The term of office of this first convocation in connection with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War was the longest in the entire history of the existence of this body. The next elections did not take place until February 1946. The cadence of the deputy corps lasted four years, after the 1974th meeting it lasted five years. The last convocation of the government council, elected in 1989, was dissolved ahead of schedule due to the formal abolition ofstate status of the Soviet country. Those citizens who were twenty-three years old at the time of the ballot could be elected here.
Government Powers
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR, being the highest body of state government, was in charge of the most important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Among other things, the Constitution (both 1936 and later ones) secured for him the right to determine the internal cultural and ideological policy of the state. Issues related to the development of infrastructure, heavy and light industry in the country, adoption in
composition of the USSR of the new republics, the final approval of the internal borders between the republics, the formation of young autonomous regions or republics, the conduct of foreign diplomacy, the conclusion of international treaties, the declaration of war, truce and peace. In addition, the exclusive right to legislative activity also belonged to this body. The Supreme Council was elected by direct popular vote by the population of all federal subjects.
Government functioning
The higher government education of the Soviet Union consisted of two absolutely equal chambers. They were the so-called Council of Nationalities, as well as the Council of the Union. Both of these chambers equally possessed the rights of legislative initiatives. If, on the same issue, disagreements arose between them, the issue was considered by a special commission formed on an equal footing from representatives of the chambers. Leading it allrather cumbersome authority was the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was already elected by the deputies of the Council at the beginning of each of his terms at a joint meeting.
The composition of the Presidium throughout the years of Soviet power was constantly changing: from thirty-seven people at the dawn of existence to fifteen or sixteen in accordance with various constitutional amendments of later years. However, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (for example, such famous personalities as Kalinin, Brezhnev, Andropov, Gorbachev), the Secretary of the Presidium, its members and deputies were always present here. Actually, it was the Presidium that had the supreme right to ratify, denounce and other acts in the system of international relations. Of course, with the approval of the Supreme Council.
