The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (), referred to between 1991 and 1996 as the Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine () was the permanent body of the

Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR The Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR (; ) was the Supreme Soviet, supreme soviet (main Legislature, legislative institution) and the highest organ of state power of Ukraine when it was known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukra ...

then of the

Verkhovna Rada The Verkhovna Rada ( ; VR), officially the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is the unicameralism, unicameral parliament of Ukraine. It consists of 450 Deputy (legislator), deputies presided over by a speaker. The Verkhovna Rada meets in the Verkhovn ...

, accountable to the Supreme Soviet in its activity, and, within the nominal limits prescribed by the

Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, part of the Soviet Union, had four successive constitutions during its existence. The first (1919) was in Russian and the final three were in Ukrainian. The final constitution remained effective until ...

, performed functions of the highest state power in the

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

. It was first established by the constitution in 1937 to replace the

Central Executive Committee of Ukraine Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

. Its membership was elected for the first time on December 27, 1938, at the first session of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR. The presidium later became the permanent body of the post-Soviet legislature of Ukraine, the

, but was dissolved upon the adoption of the

Constitution of Ukraine The Constitution of Ukraine (, ) is the fundamental law of Ukraine. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the ''Verkhovna Rada'', the parliament of Ukraine, on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes o ...

on June 28, 1996.

Background

According to the

, the presidium was elected by the Supreme Soviet from among the people's deputies, at the first session of each following convocation for the entire term of the Supreme Soviet; however, when a new convocation of the Supreme Soviet was elected, the outgoing presidium retained its powers until a new presidium was elected. The presidium was competent to issue and resolutions and possessed the right of legislative initiative in the Supreme Soviet, and was, in effect, the Ukrainian SSR's

collective head of state A head of state is the public persona of a sovereign state.#Foakes, Foakes, pp. 110–11 "

he head of state He or HE may refer to: Language * He (letter), the fifth letter of the Semitic abjads * He (pronoun), a pronoun in Modern English * He (kana), one of the Japanese kana (へ in hiragana and ヘ in katakana) * Ge (Cyrillic), a Cyrillic letter cal ...

being an embodiment of the State itself or representative of its international persona." The name given to the office of head of sta ...

. The constitution also required more detailed provisions regarding the legal status, competence, order of formation, and activity of the presidium to be defined by the standing orders of the Supreme Soviet. After 1991, the powers of the presidium were narrowed. Some of the powers were delegated to the newly created post of the

President of Ukraine The president of Ukraine (, ) is the head of state of Ukraine. The president represents the nation in international relations, administers the foreign political activity of the state, conducts negotiations and concludes international treaties. ...

, while others were transferred to the

. With the adoption of the post-Soviet constitution in 1996, the presidium was dissolved, though the term is still collectively applied to the

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, 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 gro ...

, deputy chairmen and occasionally also to the parliamentary faction leaders of the Verkhovna Rada.

Composition

The presidium was initially composed of a chairman, two vice chairmen, a secretary, and fifteen ordinary members. Following the adoption of the 1978 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, the number of vice chairmen was increased to three and the number of ordinary members became twenty.

Powers

At the adoption of the 1978 Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, the presidium had the powers to: * Call elections for the Supreme Soviet and local soviets and elections of district and city courts * Convene sessions of the Supreme Soviet * Coordinate the activities of the Supreme Soviet's permanent commissions * Exercise control over the activities of local councils (soviets) * Monitor observance of the constitution * Interpret republican laws * Override decisions and regulations of the

Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic () was the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, government (1946–1991). The council replaced the Council of People's C ...

and of local soviets in case of their inconsistency with the law * Resolve issues concerning the administrative-territorial system * Establish and change borders of regions and their raions (districts) * Establish and award honorary titles of the Ukrainian SSR, including an honorary diploma and a Diploma of the Presidium * Grant citizenship of the Ukrainian SSR * Solve issues concerning of granting asylum, including issuing acts of amnesty and granting pardons to citizens convicted by courts of the Ukrainian SSR * Ratify and denounce international treaties of the Ukrainian SSR * Appoint and recall diplomatic representatives of the Ukrainian SSR in foreign countries and international organizations * Receive letters of credence and recall of diplomatic representatives of foreign countries accredited to it * If necessary, between sessions of the Supreme Soviet, Amend the laws of the Ukrainian SSR, subject to subsequent approval by the Supreme Soviet * Create and liquidate ministries and state committees on the proposal of the

* Appoint and dismiss ministers and state commissioners on the proposal of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers

List of chairpersons

Chairpersons of the Presidium (distinct office)

* July 27, 1938 - July 28, 1939 -- Leonid Korniets * July 28, 1939 - January 15, 1954 -- Mykhailo Hrechukha * January 15, 1954 - April 7, 1969 -- Demyan Korotchenko * June 19, 1969 - June 9, 1972 -- Oleksandr Lyashko * July 28, 1972 - June 24, 1976 -- Ivan Hrushetsky * June 24, 1976 - November 22, 1984 -- Oleksiy Vatchenko * March 27, 1985 - May 15, 1990 -- Valentyna Shevchenko * June 4, 1990 - July 9, 1990 -- Volodymyr Ivashko * July 23, 1990 - October 23, 1990 --

Leonid Kravchuk Leonid Makarovych Kravchuk (, ; 10 January 1934 – 10 May 2022) was a Ukrainian politician and the first president of Ukraine, serving from 5 December 1991 until 19 July 1994. In 1992, he signed the Lisbon Protocol, undertaking to give up Ukrai ...

Chairpersons of the Presidium (ex officio as
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine () is the presiding officer of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russi ...
)

* October 23, 1990 - December 5, 1991 --

* December 5, 1991 - May 11, 1994 -- Ivan Plyushch * May 11, 1994 - June 28, 1996 --

Oleksandr Moroz Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Moroz (born 29 February 1944) is a Ukraine, Ukrainian politician. He was the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada twice, from 1994 to 1998 and again from 2006 to 2007. Moroz is one of the founders and the leader of the Soci ...

External links

Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada

Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia The ''Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia'' () was a multi-purpose encyclopedia of Ukraine, issued in the USSR. First attempt Following the publication of the first volume of the in Lviv, then in Poland, in 1930, the ''Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia ...

.
Presidium of the Verkhovna Rada

Jurist Encyclopedia (Ukraine) A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyzes and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal education in law (a law degree) and often a Lawyer, legal prac ...

.
Presidium of Verkhovna Rada

Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine ''Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine'' () is an illustrated encyclopedia on history of Ukraine in 10 volumes. It was published in Ukrainian language in 2003–2013 and 2019Ihor Syundyukov. Ukraine and Ukrainians: Eternal search (Україна ...

. {{Presidents of Ukraine Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic 1938 establishments in Ukraine 1996 disestablishments in Ukraine