Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union

The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (), (sometimes shortened to Sovmin  or Soviet of Ministers) was legally the Soviet government.  It was the highest executive and administrative body of the Soviet Union. 

The council could issue declarations and instructions based the laws of the USSR, and all territories and republics within the Union had to follow them. However, the most important state issues were made by joint declarations with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), which was de facto more powerful than the Council of Ministers.Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd edition, entry on "Совет Министров СССР", available online here

It was replaced in 1991 by the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, which was dissolved only months later when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

References

Category:Politics of the Soviet Union
Category:1946 establishments in the Soviet Union
Category:1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union