Council of the Union
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The Soviet of the Union (russian: Сове́т Сою́за - ''Sovet Soyuza'') was the
lower Lower may refer to: *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Gloucestershire, England See also *Nizhny Nizhny (russian: Ни́жний; masculine), Nizhnyaya (; feminine), or Nizhneye (russian: Ни́ ...
chamber Chamber or the chamber may refer to: In government and organizations *Chamber of commerce, an organization of business owners to promote commercial interests *Legislative chamber, in politics *Debate chamber, the space or room that houses deliber ...
of the
Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet (russian: Верховный Совет, Verkhovny Sovet, Supreme Council) was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USS ...
of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, elected on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by
secret ballot The secret ballot, also known as the Australian ballot, is a voting method in which a voter's identity in an election or a referendum is anonymous. This forestalls attempts to influence the voter by intimidation, blackmailing, and potential vo ...
in accordance with the principles of
Soviet democracy Soviet democracy, or council democracy, is a political system in which the rule of the population is exercised by directly elected '' soviets'' (Russian for "council"). The councils are directly responsible to their electors and bound by thei ...
, and with the rule that there be one deputy for every 300,000 people. Although the party gave general guidelines on nominations, such as the ratio of the social composition of the nominees, much of the work was left to local bodies and people's representatives. As opposed to the
upper chamber An upper house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house.''Bicameralism'' (1997) by George Tsebelis The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restri ...
, the
Soviet of Nationalities The Soviet of Nationalities (russian: Совет Национальностей, ''Sovyet Natsionalnostey'') was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal and ...
, the Soviet of the Union represented the interests of all of the people of the Soviet Union no matter what their nationality was. The Soviet of the Union had the same rights and competence as the Soviet of Nationalities, including the right for
legislative initiative The right of (legislative) initiative is the constitutionally defined power to propose a new law (bill) in a legislature. The right of initiative is usually given to both the government (executive) and individual legislators. However, some sys ...
. In practice, until 1989, it did little more than approve decisions already made by the top leadership of the
Communist Party of the Soviet Union " Hymn of the Bolshevik Party" , headquarters = 4 Staraya Square, Moscow , general_secretary = Vladimir Lenin (first) Mikhail Gorbachev (last) , founded = , banned = , founder = Vladimir Lenin , newspape ...
. After the 1989 elections–the first, and as it turned out, only, free elections ever held in the Soviet Union–the Soviet of the Union acquired a much greater role, and was the scene of many lively debates. The Soviet of the Union elected a
chairman The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...
(who would lead the sessions of the chamber), his four deputies and permanent commissions: Mandates, Legislative Proposals,
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Planning,
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, Youth Affairs, Industry, Transportation and Communications, Construction and Industry of
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,
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,
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,
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,
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and
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,
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and
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,
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, Consumer Service and Municipal Economy,
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. In 1989, it was reduced to 271 deputies, elected by the Congress of People's Deputies. Its deputies were elected representing territorial electoral districts and public organizations, taking into account the size of the electorate in a Union Republic or region. In 1991, after the
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, it was renamed the Soviet (Council) of the Union, with its deputies apportioned by the existing quotas and in coordination with the bodies of power in the Union Republics. It would consider only issues concerning civil rights and other issues that didn't fall under the
Soviet of Nationalities The Soviet of Nationalities (russian: Совет Национальностей, ''Sovyet Natsionalnostey'') was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal and ...
. Its decisions would have to be reviewed by the Soviet of Nationalities. The Soviet of the Union was effectively dissolved on 12 December 1991, two weeks before the formal
dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
, when the
Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
recalled its deputies, leaving it without a quorum. The legality of this action was questionable, since the Soviet Constitution did not allow a republic to unilaterally recall its deputies. However, by this time the
Soviet government The Government of the Soviet Union ( rus, Прави́тельство СССР, p=prɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲstvə ɛs ɛs ɛs ˈɛr, r=Pravítelstvo SSSR, lang=no), formally the All-Union Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly ab ...
had been rendered more or less impotent and was thus in no position to object. Following the resignation of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, the
Soviet of the Republics The Soviet of Nationalities (russian: Совет Национальностей, ''Sovyet Natsionalnostey'') was the upper chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, elected on the basis of universal, equal an ...
dissolved the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, thus dissolving the Soviet of the Union as well.


See also

* List of Chairmen of the Soviet of the Union *
1977 Soviet Constitution The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, officially the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was the constitution of the Soviet Union adopted on 7 October 1977 until its dissolution on 21 December 199 ...
*
1936 Soviet Constitution Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soviet Of The Union Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Government of the Soviet Union Historical legislatures 1938 establishments in the Soviet Union 1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union