# Supreme Soviet

The Supreme Soviet (Russian: Верховный Совет, romanized: Verkhovny Sovet, lit. 'Supreme Council') was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, established in 1938, and were nearly identical.
Party-approved delegates to the Supreme Soviets were periodically elected unopposed in show elections. The first free or semi-free elections took place during perestroika in late 1980s, in which Supreme Soviets themselves were no longer directly elected. Instead, Supreme Soviets were appointed by directly elected Congresses of People's Deputies based somewhat on the Congresses of Soviets that preceded the Supreme Soviets. The soviets until then were largely rubber-stamp institutions, approving decisions handed to them by the Communist Party of the USSR or of each SSR.
The soviets met infrequently (often only twice a year for only several days) and elected the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, a permanent body, to act on their behalf while the soviet was not in session. The presidiums were also empowered to issue decrees in lieu of law. If such decrees were not ratified by the Supreme Soviet at its next session, they were to be considered revoked. In practice, the principles of democratic centralism meant this power of veto was almost never exercised, meaning that Presidium decrees de facto had the force of law.
Under the 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitutions, the Presidium of a Supreme Soviet served as the collective head of state of its republic. The Supreme Soviets also elected Councils of Ministers (Councils of People's Commissars before 1946), which were executive bodies.
After the dissolution of the USSR in late December 1991, most of these soviets remained the legislatures of independent countries until Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan abandoned the system in 1995.

## Supreme Soviets of the Soviet Republics

Soviet Republics dissolved before the dissolution of the Soviet Union
| Soviet Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by |
| / Russia | Supreme Soviet of Russia Congress of People's Deputies of Russia Верховный Совет РСФСР (Российской Федерации) Съезд народных депутатов РСФСР (Российской Федерации) | 1938 (Supreme Soviet of Russia) 1990 (Congress of People's Deputies of Russia) | 1993 | Constitutional Conference (1993) Federal Assembly (1993–present): • Federation Council • State Duma |
| Ukraine | Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR Верховный Совет Украинской ССР Верховна Рада Української РСР | 1937 | 1991 (De facto) 1996 (De jure) | Verkhovna Rada |
| Byelorussia | Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР Вярхоўны Савет Беларускай ССР | 1938 | 1991 (De facto) 1994 (De jure) | Supreme Council (1994–96) National Assembly (1996–present) |
| Uzbekistan | Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR Верховный Совет Узбекской ССР Ўзбекистон ССР Олий Совети | 1938 | 1992 | Supreme Council (1992–1995) Oliy Majlis (1995–present) |
| Kazakhstan | Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR Верховный Совет Казахской ССР Қазақ ССР Жоғарғы Советі | 1937 | 1993 | Supreme Council (1993–95) Parliament (1996–present) |
| Georgia | Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР საქართველოს სსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო | 1938 | 1992 | State Council (1992–1995) Parliament (1995–present) |
| Azerbaijan | Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR Верховный Совет Азербайджа́нской ССР Азәрбаjҹан ССР Али Совети | 1938 | 1995 | National Assembly |
| Lithuania | Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR Верховный Совет Литовской ССР Lietuvos TSR Aukščiausioji Taryba | 1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council (1990–1992) Seimas (1992–present) |
| Moldavia | Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR Верховный Совет Молдавской ССР Совиетул Супрем ал РСС Молдовеняскэ (Moldovan) Sovietul Suprem al RSS Moldovenească (Romanian) | 1941 | 1993 | Parliament |
| Latvia | Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR Верховный Совет Латвийской ССР Latvijas PSR Augstākā Padome | 1940 | 1990 | Supreme Council (1990–1993) Saeima (1993–present) |
| Kirghizia | Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR Верховный Совет Киргизской ССР Кыргыз ССР Жогорку Совети | 1938 | 1994 | Supreme Council |
| Tajikistan | Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR Верховный Совет Таджикской ССР Совети Олӣ РСС Тоҷикистон | 1937 | 1994 | Supreme Assembly |
| Armenia | Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR Верховный Совет Армянской ССР Հայկական ՍՍՀ Գերագույն Խորհուրդ | 1938 | 1995 | National Assembly |
| Turkmenia | Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR Верховный Совет Туркменской ССР Түркменистан ССР Ёкары Советы | 1938 | 1992 | Assembly (1992–2021) National Council (2021–present) |
| Estonia | Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR Верховный Совет Эстонской ССР Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu | 1940 | 1992 | Riigikogu |
| Karelo-Finnish SSR | Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР | 1940 | 1956 | Supreme Soviet [ru] |

## Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Soviet Republics

| Autonomous Republic | Supreme Soviet | Established | Disbanded | Succeeded by |
| Bashkiria | Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР Башҡорт АССР-ы Юғары Советы | 1938 | 1995 | State Assembly |
| Buryatia | Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР Буряадай АССР-эй Верховно Совет | 1938 | 1994 | People's Khural |
| Karelia | Supreme Soviet of the Karelian ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Карельской АССР | 1938 1956 | 1940 1994 | Legislative Assembly |
| Tatarstan | Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Татарской АССР Татарстан АССР Югары Советы | 1938 | 1995 | State Council |
| Tuva | Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР Тыва АССР-ниң Дээди Соведи | 1961 | 1993 | Great Khural |
| Chuvashia | Supreme Soviet of the Chuvash ASSR (ru) Верховный Совет Чувашской АССР Чӑваш АССР Верховнӑй Совечӗ | 1938 | 1994 | State Council |
| Karakalpakstan | Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР Қарақалпақстан АССР Жоқарғы Совети | 1938 | 1994 | Supreme Council |
| Abkhazia | Supreme Soviet of the Abkhaz ASSR Верховный Совет Абхазской АССР Аҧснытәи АССР Иреиҳаӡоу Асовет | 1938 | 1996 | People's Assembly |
| Adjara | Supreme Soviet of the Adjarian ASSR Верховный Совет Аджарской АССР აჭარის ასსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო | 1938 | 1991 | Supreme Council |
| Nakhichevan | Supreme Soviet of the Nakhichevan ASSR Верховный Совет Нахичеванской АССР Нахчыван МССР Али Совети | 1938 | 1990 | Supreme Assembly (Nakhchivan) |