The Supreme Soviet of the USSR was the supreme body of state government of the country, uniting all the branches of power. The organ of the same name also existed at the first stage of the life of the independent Russian Federation in 1991-1993.
History of the government apparatus
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR was first established by the Constitution of the Soviet State 1936 year. According to the highest law, this format of government authority was supposed to replace the previously functioning Congress of Soviets, and together with it the Executive State Committee. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the first convocation was elected at the end of 1937. It included almost 1200 deputies representing their republics and regional administrative units. The term of office of this first convocation in connection with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War was the longest in the history of this body. The next elections took place only in February 1946. The cadenza of the deputy corps lasted four years, after the 1974 meeting it lasted five years. The last convocation of the government council elected in 1989 was dissolved ahead of schedule due to the formal abolition of the state status of the Soviet state. Those citizens who were twenty-three years old at the time of voting could be elected here.
Powers of government
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR, being the supreme body of state government, was in charge of the most important issues of domestic and foreign policy. Among other things, the Constitution (both in 1936 and later) enshrined the right to determine the internal cultural and ideological policy of the state. Issues related to the development of infrastructure, heavy and light industry in the country, the adoption of The composition of the USSR of the new republics, the final approval of internal borders between the republics, the formation of young autonomous regions or republics, the conduct of foreign diplomacy, the conclusion of international treaties, the declaration of war, peace and truce. In addition, the exclusive right of legislative activity also belonged to this body. The Supreme Council was elected by direct popular vote by the population of all federal subjects.
Functioning of government
The higher government education of the Soviet Union consisted of two absolutely equal chambers. They were the so-called Council of Nationalities, as well as the Council of the Union. Both these chambers equally enjoyed the rights of legislative initiatives. If, on the same issue, differences arose between them, the issue was considered by a special commission formed on a parity basis from representatives of the chambers. At the head of this rather cumbersome authority was the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was elected already by the Council's deputies at the beginning of each of his cadences at a joint meeting.
The composition of the Presidency throughout all the years of Soviet power has been constantly changing: from thirty-seven people at the dawn of existence to fifteen to sixteen in accordance with various constitutional amendments of later years. However, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (for example, such well-known personalities as Kalinin, Brezhnev, Andropov, Gorbachev) was necessarily present. The Secretary of the Presidium, its members and deputies. Actually, it was the Presidium that had the supreme right of ratification, denunciation and other acts in the system of international relations. Of course, with the approval of the Supreme Council.