Supreme Soviet

The supreme Soviet (in Russian: ВерховныйСовет, Verkhovnyï Soviet , literally of “Supreme council”) constituted the highest executive institution in Soviet Union, between each session of the Congrès of the Soviets, and only being able to promulgate constitutional amendments. He elected the Præsidium, formed the Supreme court of the USSR and named the Public prosecutor of the USSR. Its prototype (before the creation of the Soviet Union) was the central Executive committee panrusse (ВсероссийскийЦентральныйИсполнительныйКомитет or ВЦИК, or in Latin characters, VCIK), whose complete name were at a certain time central Executive committee of the deputies of the workers, peasants, Red Army and cossacks panrusse ( ВсероссийскийЦентральныйИсполнительныйКомитетСоветоврабочих, крестьянских, красноармейскихиказачьихдепутатов ).

The Supreme Soviet consisted of two rooms, each one having equal legislative powers, with members elected for some five years mandates:

the Soviet of the Union, elected on the basis of population with a deputy for 300.000 inhabitants of the federation.
the Soviet of nationalities, supposed to represent the various ethnos groups of the federation, with members elected on the basis of 25 deputy for each republic, 11 for each republic autonomy, five for each autonomous region, and for each Oblast.

In 1989 there were 750 members in each room. The Supreme Soviet met regularly twice a year, but it could be held in extraordinary session. The Præsidium managed the daily operations of the Supreme Soviet apart from the sessions. This last was composed of the 15 vice-presidents who represented the 15 Soviet republics, of a first vice-president, a secretary and 21 members.

In practice, until the Perestroika and the elections of 1989, the Supreme Soviet functioned like a room of recording of the legislation coming from more powerful bodies, like the Politburo.

Each republic of the Union had also its own Supreme Soviet, an institution monocamérale functioning according to similar rules. It was also the case for the autonomous republics.

The Supreme Soviet has officially dissolves the USSR and itself on December 26th 1991. After the dissolution of the USSR, the Supreme Soviets of the republics of the Soviet Union became legislatures of independent countries. The Supreme Soviet of the Republic of Russia and the Congress of the deputies of the people of the Republic of Russia were the Russian legislative bodies until their dissolution at the time of the Russian constitutional crisis of 1993.

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