Constitution (Basic Law) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(adopted at the extraordinary seventh session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of the ninth convocation on October 7, 1977)

With changes and additions from:

The Great October Socialist Revolution, carried out by the workers and peasants of Russia under the leadership of the Communist Party led by V.I. Lenin, overthrew the power of capitalists and landowners, broke the shackles of oppression, established the dictatorship of the proletariat and created the Soviet state - a new type of state, the main weapon for defending revolutionary gains , building socialism and communism. The world-historical turn of humanity from capitalism to socialism began.

Having won the civil war and repelled imperialist intervention, the Soviet government carried out profound socio-economic transformations and put an end to the exploitation of man by man, class antagonism and national enmity. The unification of the Soviet republics into the USSR increased the strength and capabilities of the peoples of the country in building socialism. Public ownership of the means of production and true democracy for the working masses were established. For the first time in human history, a socialist society was created.

A striking manifestation of the power of socialism was the unfading feat of the Soviet people, their Armed Forces, who won a historic victory in the Great Patriotic War. This victory strengthened the authority and international position of the USSR and opened up new favorable opportunities for the growth of the forces of socialism, national liberation, democracy and peace throughout the world.

Continuing their creative activities, the working people of the Soviet Union ensured the rapid and comprehensive development of the country and the improvement of the socialist system. The alliance of the working class, the collective farm peasantry and the people's intelligentsia, and the friendship of the nations and nationalities of the USSR were strengthened. The socio-political and ideological unity of Soviet society has emerged, the leading force of which is the working class. Having fulfilled the tasks of the dictatorship of the proletariat, the Soviet state became national.

A developed socialist society has been built in the USSR. At this stage, when socialism develops on its own basis, the creative forces new system, the advantages of the socialist way of life, working people are increasingly enjoying the fruits of the great revolutionary achievements.

This is a society in which powerful productive forces, advanced science and culture have been created, in which the well-being of the people is constantly growing, more and more favorable conditions for comprehensive personal development.

This is a society of mature socialist social relations, in which, on the basis of the rapprochement of all classes and social strata, the legal and actual equality of all nations and nationalities, their fraternal cooperation, a new historical community of people has emerged - the Soviet people.

This is a society of highly organized, ideological and conscious workers - patriots and internationalists.

This is a society whose law of life is the concern of everyone for the welfare of everyone and the concern of each for the welfare of all.

This is a society of true democracy, the political system of which ensures the effective management of all public affairs, the increasingly active participation of workers in public life, the combination of real rights and freedoms of citizens with their duties and responsibilities to society.

A developed socialist society is a natural stage on the path to communism.

The highest goal of the Soviet state is to build a classless communist society in which public communist self-government will develop. The main tasks of a socialist nation-wide state: creating the material and technical base of communism, improving socialist social relations and their transformation into communist ones, educating a person in a communist society, raising the material and cultural standard of living of workers, ensuring the security of the country, promoting peace and the development of international cooperation.

Soviet people,

guided by the ideas of scientific communism and remaining faithful to its revolutionary traditions,

based on the great socio-economic and political achievements of socialism,

striving for the further development of socialist democracy,

taking into account the international position of the USSR as an integral part of the world system of socialism and aware of its international responsibility,

preserving the continuity of ideas and principles of the first Soviet Constitution of 1918, the USSR Constitution of 1924 and the USSR Constitution of 1936,

consolidates the foundations of the social system and policy of the USSR, establishes the rights, freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, the principles of organization and goals of a socialist state of the entire people and proclaims them in this Constitution.

I. Fundamentals of the social system and politics of the USSR

Chapter 1. Political system

Article 1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a socialist state of the entire people, expressing the will and interests of the workers, peasants and intelligentsia, the working people of all nations and nationalities of the country.

Article 2. All power in the USSR belongs to the people.

The people exercise state power through the Soviets of People's Deputies, which form the political basis of the USSR.

All other government bodies are controlled and accountable to the Councils of People's Deputies.

Article 3. The organization and activities of the Soviet state are built in accordance with the principle of democratic centralism: the election of all government bodies from top to bottom, accountability to their people, and the binding nature of decisions of higher bodies for lower ones. Democratic centralism combines unified leadership with initiative and creative activity on the ground, with the responsibility of each government body and official for the assigned work.

Article 4. The Soviet state, all its bodies operate on the basis of socialist legality, ensure the protection of law and order, the interests of society, the rights and freedoms of citizens.

State and public organizations and officials are obliged to comply with the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws.

Article 5. The most important issues of state life are submitted for public discussion, and are also put to a popular vote (referendum).

Article 6. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union, other political parties, as well as trade unions, youth, other public organizations and mass movements, through their representatives elected to the Councils of People's Deputies, and in other forms, participate in the development of the policy of the Soviet state, in the management of state and public organizations affairs.

Article 7. All political parties, public organizations and mass movements, performing the functions provided for by their programs and charters, act within the framework of the Constitution and Soviet laws.

The creation and activity of parties, organizations and movements aimed at violently changing the Soviet constitutional system and the integrity of the socialist state, undermining its security, and inciting social, national and religious hatred are not permitted.

Article 8. Work collectives participate in the discussion and resolution of state and public affairs, in planning production and social development, in the training and placement of personnel, in the discussion and resolution of issues of managing enterprises and institutions, improving working and living conditions, and using funds intended for development production, as well as for socio-cultural events and material incentives.

Work collectives develop socialist competition, promote the dissemination of advanced work methods, strengthen labor discipline, educate their members in the spirit of communist morality, and take care of increasing their political consciousness, culture and professional qualifications.

Article 9. Main direction of development political system Soviet society is the further development of socialist democracy: increasing participation of citizens in managing the affairs of the state and society, improving the state apparatus, increasing the activity of public organizations, strengthening popular control, strengthening the legal basis of state and public life, expanding publicity, and constantly taking into account public opinion.

Chapter 2. Economic system

Article 10. The economic system of the USSR develops on the basis of the property of Soviet citizens, collective and state property.

The state creates the conditions necessary for the development of various forms of property and ensures their equal protection.

The earth, its bowels, waters, vegetation and animal world in their natural state, they are the inalienable property of the peoples living in a given territory, are under the jurisdiction of the Councils of People's Deputies and are provided for use by citizens, enterprises, institutions and organizations.

Article 11. The property of a citizen of the USSR is his personal property and is used to satisfy material and spiritual needs, independently conduct economic and other activities not prohibited by law.

A citizen may own any property for consumer and industrial purposes, acquired at the expense of labor income and for other legal reasons, except for those types of property the acquisition of which by citizens is not permitted.

For the purpose of running peasant and personal subsidiary plots and other purposes provided for by law, citizens have the right to have land plots in lifelong inheritable possession, as well as in use.

The right to inherit property of a citizen is recognized and protected by law.

Article 12. Collective property is the property of rental enterprises, collective enterprises, cooperatives, joint-stock companies, economic organizations and other associations. Collective property is created through the transformation of state property in accordance with the law and the voluntary association of property of citizens and organizations.

Article 13. State property is all-Union property, the property of union republics, the property of autonomous republics, autonomous regions, autonomous okrugs, territories, regions and other administrative-territorial units (municipal property).

Article 14. The source of the growth of social wealth, the well-being of the people and every Soviet person is the labor of Soviet people, free from exploitation.

In accordance with the principle of socialism “From each according to his ability, to each according to his work,” the state exercises control over the measure of labor and consumption. It determines the amount of tax on income subject to tax.

Socially useful work and its results determine a person’s position in society. The state, combining material and moral incentives, encouraging innovation and a creative attitude to work, contributes to the transformation of labor into the first vital need of every Soviet person.

Article 15. The highest goal of social production under socialism is the most complete satisfaction of the growing material and spiritual needs of people.

Relying on the creative activity of workers, socialist competition, achievements of scientific and technological progress, improving the forms and methods of economic management, the state ensures an increase in labor productivity, an increase in production efficiency and quality of work, and a dynamic, planned and proportional development of the national economy.

Article 16. The economy of the USSR constitutes a single national economic complex, covering all links of social production, distribution and exchange on the territory of the country.

Economic management is carried out on the basis of state plans for economic and social development, taking into account sectoral and territorial principles, combining centralized management with economic independence and initiative of enterprises, associations and other organizations. In this case, economic calculation, profit, cost, and other economic levers and incentives are actively used.

Article 17. In the USSR, in accordance with the law, individual labor activity is allowed in the field of handicrafts, agriculture, consumer services for the population, as well as other types of activities based exclusively on the personal labor of citizens and members of their families. The state regulates individual labor activity, ensuring its use in the interests of society.

Article 18. In the interests of present and future generations, the necessary measures are taken in the USSR for the protection and scientifically based, rational use of the land and its subsoil, water resources, flora and fauna, to maintain clean air and water, ensure the reproduction of natural resources and improve the human environment.

Chapter 3. Social development and culture

Article 19. The social basis of the USSR is the unbreakable alliance of workers, peasants and intelligentsia.

The state helps to strengthen the social homogeneity of society - the erasure of class differences, significant differences between city and countryside, mental and physical labor, the comprehensive development and rapprochement of all nations and nationalities of the USSR.

Article 20. In accordance with the communist ideal “The free development of everyone is the condition for the free development of all,” the state sets as its goal the expansion real possibilities for citizens to use their creative powers, abilities and talents, for the comprehensive development of the individual.

Article 21. The state takes care of improving working conditions and labor protection, its scientific organization, reducing, and subsequently completely eliminating heavy physical labor based on comprehensive mechanization and automation of production processes in all sectors of the national economy.

Article 22. In the USSR, a program for transforming agricultural labor into a type of industrial labor is being consistently implemented; expansions in rural areas networks of institutions of public education, culture, health care, trade and public catering, consumer services and utilities; transforming villages and hamlets into comfortable settlements.

Article 23. Based on the growth of labor productivity, the state is steadily pursuing a policy of increasing the level of wages and real incomes of workers.

In order to more fully satisfy the needs of Soviet people, public consumption funds are being created. The state, with the broad participation of public organizations and labor collectives ensures the growth and equitable distribution of these funds.

Article 24. State healthcare systems operate and develop in the USSR, social security, trade and catering, consumer services and utilities.

The state encourages the activities of cooperative and other public organizations in all areas of public service. It promotes the development of mass physical culture and sports.

Article 25. In the USSR, a unified system of public education exists and is being improved, which provides general educational and vocational training for citizens, serves communist education, the spiritual and physical development of youth, and prepares them for work and social activities.

Article 26. In accordance with the needs of society, the state ensures the systematic development of science and training of scientific personnel, organizes the implementation of scientific research results in National economy and other areas of life.

Article 27. The state takes care of the protection, enhancement and widespread use of spiritual values ​​for the moral and aesthetic education of Soviet people and raising their cultural level.

In the USSR, development is encouraged in every possible way professional art and folk art.

Chapter 4. Foreign Policy

Article 28. The USSR steadily pursues Lenin’s peace policy and advocates strengthening the security of peoples and broad international cooperation.

The foreign policy of the USSR is aimed at ensuring favorable international conditions for building communism in the USSR, protecting the state interests of the Soviet Union, strengthening the position of world socialism, supporting the struggle of peoples for national liberation and social progress, preventing wars of aggression, achieving general and complete disarmament and the consistent implementation of the principle peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems.

In the USSR, war propaganda is prohibited.

Article 29. Relations of the USSR with other states are built on the basis of compliance with the principles of sovereign equality; mutual renunciation of the use of force or threat of force; inviolability of borders; territorial integrity of states; peaceful settlement of disputes; non-interference in internal affairs; respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; equality and the right of peoples to control their own destinies; cooperation between states; conscientious fulfillment of obligations arising from generally recognized principles and norms international law, from international treaties concluded by the USSR.

Article 30. The USSR, as an integral part of the world system of socialism, the socialist community, develops and strengthens friendship and cooperation, comradely mutual assistance with socialist countries on the basis of the principle of socialist internationalism, actively participates in economic integration and in the international socialist division of labor.

Chapter 5. Defense of the socialist Fatherland

Article 31. Defense of the socialist Fatherland refers to essential functions state and is the business of the entire people.

In order to protect socialist gains, the peaceful labor of the Soviet people, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the state, the Armed Forces of the USSR were created and universal military service was established.

The duty of the Armed Forces of the USSR to the people is to reliably defend the socialist Fatherland, to be in constant combat readiness, guaranteeing immediate rebuff to any aggressor.

Article 32. The state ensures the security and defense capability of the country and equips the Armed Forces of the USSR with everything necessary.

The responsibilities of state bodies, public organizations, officials and citizens to ensure the security of the country and strengthen its defense capability are determined by the legislation of the USSR.

II. State and personality

Chapter 6. Citizenship of the USSR. Equality of citizens

Article 33. A single union citizenship has been established in the USSR. Every citizen of a union republic is a citizen of the USSR.

The grounds and procedure for acquiring and losing Soviet citizenship are determined by the Law on Citizenship of the USSR.

Citizens of the USSR abroad enjoy the protection and patronage of the Soviet state.

Article 34. Citizens of the USSR are equal before the law regardless of origin, social and property status, race and nationality, gender, education, language, attitude to religion, type and nature of occupation, place of residence and other circumstances.

Equality of citizens of the USSR is ensured in all areas of economic, political, social and cultural life.

Article 35. Women and men have equal rights in the USSR.

The implementation of these rights is ensured by providing women with equal opportunities with men in obtaining education and professional training, in work, remuneration for it and promotion at work, in socio-political and cultural activities, as well as special measures for the protection of labor and women's health; creating conditions that allow women to combine work with motherhood; legal protection, material and moral support for motherhood and childhood, including the provision of paid leave and other benefits to pregnant women and mothers, a gradual reduction in working hours for women with young children.

Article 36. Citizens of the USSR of different races and nationalities have equal rights.

The implementation of these rights is ensured by the policy of comprehensive development and rapprochement of all nations and nationalities of the USSR, education of citizens in the spirit of Soviet patriotism and socialist internationalism, and the opportunity to use their native language and the languages ​​of other peoples of the USSR.

Any direct or indirect restriction of rights, the establishment of direct or indirect advantages of citizens on racial and national grounds, as well as any preaching of racial or national exclusivity, hostility or disdain are punishable by law.

Article 37. Foreign citizens and stateless persons in the USSR are guaranteed the rights and freedoms provided for by law, including the right to apply to court and other government bodies to protect their personal, property, family and other rights.

Foreign citizens and stateless persons located on the territory of the USSR are obliged to respect the Constitution of the USSR and comply with Soviet laws.

Article 38. The USSR grants the right of asylum to foreigners persecuted for defending the interests of workers and the cause of peace, for participation in the revolutionary and national liberation movement, for progressive socio-political, scientific or other creative activities.

Chapter 7. Fundamental rights, freedoms and obligations of citizens of the USSR

Article 39. Citizens of the USSR have the fullness of socio-economic, political and personal rights and freedoms proclaimed and guaranteed by the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws. The socialist system ensures the expansion of rights and freedoms, the continuous improvement of the living conditions of citizens as programs of socio-economic and cultural development are implemented.

The use of rights and freedoms by citizens should not harm the interests of society and the state, or the rights of other citizens.

Article 40. Citizens of the USSR have the right to work, that is, to receive guaranteed work with wages in accordance with its quantity and quality and not lower than those established by the state minimum size, - including the right to choose a profession, occupation and work in accordance with vocation, abilities, professional training, education and taking into account social needs.

This right is ensured by the socialist economic system, the steady growth of the productive forces, free vocational training, increasing labor qualifications and training in new specialties, and the development of vocational guidance and employment systems.

Article 41. Citizens of the USSR have the right to rest.

This right is ensured by establishing for workers and employees working week, not exceeding 41 hours, shortened working hours for a number of professions and industries, reduced hours of work at night; provision of annual paid holidays, weekly rest days, as well as expansion of the network of cultural, educational and health institutions, development of mass sports, physical culture and tourism; creating favorable opportunities for recreation at the place of residence and other conditions for the rational use of free time.

The length of working time and rest for collective farmers is regulated by collective farms.

Article 42. Citizens of the USSR have the right to health care.

This right is ensured by free qualified medical care provided by state health care institutions; expanding the network of institutions for treating and improving the health of citizens; development and improvement of safety precautions and industrial sanitation; carrying out extensive preventive measures; health measures environment; special concern for the health of the younger generation, including the prohibition of child labor not related to training and labor education; deployment of scientific research aimed at preventing and reducing morbidity, ensuring a long active life for citizens.

Article 43. Citizens of the USSR have the right to financial support in old age, in case of illness, complete or partial loss of ability to work, as well as loss of a breadwinner.

This right is guaranteed by social insurance of workers, employees and collective farmers, benefits for temporary disability; payment at the expense of the state and collective farms of pensions for age, disability and loss of a breadwinner; employment of citizens who have partially lost their ability to work; care for elderly citizens and people with disabilities; other forms of social security.

Article 44. Citizens of the USSR have the right to housing.

This right is ensured by the development and protection of the state and public housing stock, the promotion of cooperative and individual housing construction, the fair distribution under public control of living space provided as the program for the construction of comfortable housing is implemented, as well as low fees for apartments and utilities. Citizens of the USSR must take care of the housing provided to them.

Article 45. Citizens of the USSR have the right to education.

This right is ensured by the freeness of all types of education, the implementation of universal compulsory secondary education for youth, the widespread development of vocational, secondary specialized and higher education based on the connection between learning and life, with production; development of correspondence and evening education; provision of state scholarships and benefits to pupils and students, free issuance of school textbooks; the opportunity to study at school in their native language; creating conditions for self-education.

Article 46. Citizens of the USSR have the right to enjoy cultural achievements.

This right is ensured by the general availability of values ​​of national and world culture held in state and public funds; development and uniform distribution of cultural and educational institutions throughout the country; the development of television and radio, book publishing and periodicals, a network of free libraries; expansion of cultural exchange with foreign countries.

Article 47. Citizens of the USSR, in accordance with the goals of communist construction, are guaranteed freedom of scientific, technical and artistic creativity. It is ensured by the widespread development of scientific research, inventive and rationalization activities, and the development of literature and art. The state creates the necessary material conditions for this, provides support to voluntary societies and creative unions, organizes the introduction of inventions and rationalization proposals into the national economy and other spheres of life.

Article 48. Citizens of the USSR have the right to participate in the management of state and public affairs, in the discussion and adoption of laws and decisions of national and local importance.

This right is ensured by the opportunity to elect and be elected to the Councils of People's Deputies and other elected state bodies, to take part in national discussions and voting, in popular control, in the work of state bodies, public organizations and public amateur bodies, in meetings of labor collectives and at the place of residence .

Article 49. Every citizen of the USSR has the right to make proposals to state bodies and public organizations to improve their activities, and to criticize shortcomings in their work.

Officials are obliged to consider proposals and applications from citizens within the established time frame, give answers to them and take the necessary measures.

Retaliation for criticism is prohibited. Persons persecuted for criticism are held accountable.

Article 50. In accordance with the interests of the people and in order to strengthen and develop the socialist system, citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedoms: speech, press, meetings, rallies, street processions and demonstrations.

The exercise of these political freedoms is ensured by the provision of public buildings, streets and squares to workers and their organizations, the wide dissemination of information, and the possibility of using the press, television and radio.

Article 51. Citizens of the USSR have the right to unite in political parties, public organizations, and participate in mass movements that contribute to the development of political activity and initiative, and the satisfaction of their diverse interests.

Public organizations are guaranteed conditions for the successful fulfillment of their statutory tasks.

Article 52. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of conscience, that is, the right to profess any religion or not to profess any, to practice religious worship or conduct atheistic propaganda. Inciting hostility and hatred in connection with religious beliefs is prohibited.

The church in the USSR is separated from the state and the school from the church.

Article 53. The family is under the protection of the state.

Marriage is based on the voluntary consent of a woman and a man; spouses have full equal rights in family relationships.

The state takes care of the family by creating and developing a wide network of child care institutions, organizing and improving consumer services and public catering, paying benefits on the occasion of the birth of a child, providing benefits and benefits to large families, as well as other types of benefits and assistance to the family.

Article 54. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed personal integrity. No one can be arrested except on the basis of a court decision or with the sanction of a prosecutor.

Article 55. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed the inviolability of their homes. No one has the right to enter a home without legal grounds against the will of the persons living there.

Article 56. The personal life of citizens, the secrecy of correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraph messages are protected by law.

Article 57. Respect for the individual, protection of the rights and freedoms of citizens is the responsibility of all government bodies, public organizations and officials.

Citizens of the USSR have the right to judicial protection from attacks on honor and dignity, life and health, personal freedom and property.

Article 58. Citizens of the USSR have the right to appeal the actions of officials, state and public bodies. Complaints must be considered in the manner and within the time limits established by law.

Actions of officials committed in violation of the law, in excess of authority, and infringing on the rights of citizens may be appealed to the court in accordance with the procedure established by law.

Citizens of the USSR have the right to compensation for damage caused by illegal actions of state and public organizations, as well as officials in the performance of their official duties.

Article 59. The exercise of rights and freedoms is inseparable from the fulfillment by a citizen of his duties.

A citizen of the USSR is obliged to comply with the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws, respect the rules of socialist society, and bear the high title of citizen of the USSR with dignity.

Article 60. The duty and matter of honor of every capable citizen of the USSR is to work conscientiously in his chosen field of socially useful activity and to observe labor discipline. Avoidance of socially useful work is incompatible with the principles of a socialist society.

Article 61. A citizen of the USSR is obliged to protect and strengthen socialist property. The duty of a citizen of the USSR is to fight the theft and waste of state and public property, and to take care of the people's property.

Persons who encroach on socialist property are punished by law.

Article 62. A citizen of the USSR is obliged to protect the interests of the Soviet state and contribute to the strengthening of its power and authority.

Defense of the socialist Fatherland is the sacred duty of every citizen of the USSR.

Treason to the Motherland is the gravest crime against the people.

Article 63. Military service in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the USSR is an honorable duty of Soviet citizens.

Article 64. The duty of every citizen of the USSR is to respect the national dignity of other citizens, to strengthen the friendship of the nations and nationalities of the Soviet multinational state.

Article 65. A citizen of the USSR is obliged to respect the rights and legitimate interests of other persons, to be uncompromising towards antisocial acts, and to contribute in every possible way to the protection of public order.

Article 66. Citizens of the USSR are obliged to take care of the upbringing of children, to prepare them for social useful work, to raise as worthy members of a socialist society. Children are obliged to take care of their parents and provide them with assistance.

Article 67. Citizens of the USSR are obliged to take care of nature and protect its wealth.

Article 68. Caring for the preservation of historical monuments and other cultural values ​​is the duty and responsibility of citizens of the USSR.

Article 69. The international duty of a citizen of the USSR is to promote the development of friendship and cooperation with the peoples of other countries, the maintenance and strengthening of universal peace.

III. National-state structure of the USSR

Chapter 8. USSR - union state

Article 70. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a single union multinational state formed on the basis of the principle of socialist federalism, as a result of the free self-determination of nations and the voluntary unification of equal Soviet Socialist Republics.

The USSR personifies the state unity of the Soviet people, unites all nations and nationalities for the purpose of jointly building communism.

Article 71. The following are united in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics:

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic,

Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic,

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic,

Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic,

Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic,

Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic,

Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.

Article 72. Each union republic retains the right to freely secede from the USSR.

Article 73. The following are subject to the jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics represented by its highest bodies of state power and administration:

1) admission of new republics to the USSR; approval of the formation of new autonomous republics and autonomous regions within the union republics;

2) determination of the state border of the USSR and approval of changes in borders between union republics;

3) establishment of general principles of organization and activity of republican and local bodies of state power and administration;

4) ensuring the unity of legislative regulation throughout the entire territory of the USSR, establishing the foundations of the legislation of the USSR and union republics;

5) implementation of a unified socio-economic policy, management of the country’s economy; determination of the main directions of scientific and technological progress and general measures for rational use and protection of natural resources; development and approval of state plans for economic and social development of the USSR, approval of reports on their implementation;

6) development and approval of a unified state budget USSR, approval of the report on its implementation; management of a unified monetary and credit system; establishment of taxes and revenues received for the formation of the state budget of the USSR; determining policy in the field of prices and wages;

7) management of sectors of the national economy, associations and enterprises of union subordination; general leadership branches of union-republican subordination;

8) issues of peace and war, protection of sovereignty, protection of state borders and territory of the USSR, organization of defense, leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR;

9) ensuring state security;

10) representation of the USSR in international relations; relations of the USSR with foreign states and international organizations; establishment of a general order and coordination of relations of the union republics with foreign states and international organizations; foreign trade and other types of foreign economic activity on the basis of a state monopoly;

11) control over compliance with the Constitution of the USSR and ensuring compliance of the constitutions of the union republics with the Constitution of the USSR;

12) resolving other issues of national importance.

Article 74. The laws of the USSR have equal force on the territory of all union republics. In the event of a discrepancy between the law of a Union republic and the all-Union law, the law of the USSR shall apply.

Article 75. The territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is united and includes the territories of the union republics.

The sovereignty of the USSR extends to its entire territory.

Chapter 9. Federal Soviet Socialist Republic

Article 76. A Union Republic is a sovereign Soviet socialist state that united with other Soviet republics into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Outside the limits specified in Article 73 of the USSR Constitution, a union republic independently exercises state power on its territory.

The Union Republic has its own Constitution, which corresponds to the Constitution of the USSR and takes into account the peculiarities of the republic.

Article 77. The Union Republic participates in resolving issues within the jurisdiction of the USSR at the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Federation Council, the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR and other bodies of the USSR.

A Union Republic ensures comprehensive economic and social development on its territory, promotes the implementation of the powers of the USSR on this territory, and implements the decisions of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR.

On issues within its jurisdiction, the union republic coordinates and controls the activities of enterprises, institutions and organizations of union subordination.

Article 78. The territory of a union republic cannot be changed without its consent. The borders between union republics may be changed by mutual agreement of the respective republics, which is subject to approval by the USSR.

Article 79. The Union Republic determines its regional, regional, district, district divisions and resolves other issues of administrative-territorial structure.

Article 80. The Union Republic has the right to enter into relations with foreign states, conclude agreements with them and exchange diplomatic and consular representatives, and participate in the activities of international organizations.

Article 81. The sovereign rights of the Union republics are protected by the USSR.

Chapter 10. Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic

Article 82. An autonomous republic is part of a union republic.

An autonomous republic, outside the limits of the rights of the USSR and a union republic, independently resolves issues within its jurisdiction.

An autonomous republic has its own Constitution, which corresponds to the Constitution of the USSR and the Constitution of a union republic and takes into account the characteristics of an autonomous republic.

Article 83. An autonomous republic participates in resolving issues within the jurisdiction of the USSR and the union republic through the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR and the union republic, respectively.

An autonomous republic ensures comprehensive economic and social development on its territory, promotes the exercise of the powers of the USSR and the union republic on this territory, and implements the decisions of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR and the union republic.

On issues within its jurisdiction, the autonomous republic coordinates and controls the activities of enterprises, institutions and organizations of the union and republican (union republic) subordination.

Article 84. The territory of an autonomous republic cannot be changed without its consent.

Article 85. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic consists of the following autonomous Soviet socialist republics: Bashkir, Buryat, Dagestan, Kabardino-Balkarian, Kalmyk, Karelian, Komi, Mari, Mordovian, North Ossetian, Tatar, Tuva, Udmurt, Chechen-Ingush, Chuvash , Yakutskaya.

The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the Abkhazian and Adjarian autonomous Soviet socialist republics.

The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.

Chapter 11. Autonomous region and autonomous district

Article 86. An autonomous region is part of a union republic or region. The law on the autonomous region is adopted by the Supreme Council of the union republic on the proposal of the Council of People's Deputies of the autonomous region.

Article 87. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic consists of autonomous regions: Adygea, Gorno-Altai, Jewish, Karachay-Cherkess, Khakass.

The South Ossetian Autonomous Region is part of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region.

The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

Article 88. An autonomous district is part of a territory or region. The law on autonomous okrugs is adopted by the Supreme Council of the Union Republic.

IV. Councils of People's Deputies and the procedure for their election

Chapter 12. System and principles of activity of the Councils of People's Deputies

Article 89. Councils of People's Deputies - the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Congresses of People's Deputies, Supreme Councils of Union and Autonomous Republics, Councils of People's Deputies of Autonomous Regions, Autonomous Okrug, Territorial, Regional and other administrative-territorial units - constitute a unified system of representative government bodies.

Article 90. The term of office of the Councils of People's Deputies is five years.

Elections of people's deputies of the USSR are scheduled no later than four months before the expiration of the term of office of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

The timing and procedure for calling elections of people's deputies of the union and autonomous republics, local Councils of people's deputies are determined by the laws of the union and autonomous republics.

Article 91. The most important issues of all-Union, republican and local significance are resolved at meetings of Congresses of People's Deputies, sessions of the Supreme Soviets and local Councils of People's Deputies, or they put them to referendums.

The Supreme Councils of the union and autonomous republics are elected directly by voters, and in those republics where the creation of Congresses is envisaged, by the Congresses of People's Deputies.

Councils of people's deputies form committees, standing commissions, create executive and administrative, as well as other bodies reporting to them.

Officials elected or appointed by the Councils of People's Deputies, with the exception of judges, cannot hold office for more than two consecutive terms.

Any official may be early dismissed from his position in the event of improper performance of his official duties.

Article 92. Councils of people's deputies form bodies of people's control, combining state control with public control of workers in enterprises, institutions and organizations.

People's control bodies verify compliance with the requirements of legislation, government programs and assignments; are fighting against violations of state discipline, manifestations of localism, a departmental approach to business, mismanagement and waste, red tape and bureaucracy; coordinate the work of other control bodies; contribute to improving the structure and operation of the state apparatus.

Article 93. Councils of people's deputies directly and through the bodies they create manage all sectors of state, economic and socio-cultural development, make decisions, ensure their implementation, and monitor the implementation of decisions.

Article 94. The activities of the Councils of People's Deputies are based on collective, free, business-like discussion and resolution of issues, transparency, regular reporting of executive and administrative bodies, other bodies created by the Councils to them and the population, and wide involvement of citizens in participation in their work.

Councils of people's deputies and the bodies they create take into account public opinion, bring up the most important issues of national and local importance for discussion by citizens, and systematically inform citizens about their work and decisions made.

Chapter 13. Electoral system

Article 95. Elections of people's deputies are held in single-member and multi-member electoral districts on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.

Some people's deputies of union and autonomous republics, if provided for by the constitutions of the republics, may be elected from public organizations.

Article 96. Elections of people's deputies from electoral districts are universal - citizens of the USSR who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote.

A citizen of the USSR who has reached the age of 21 can be elected as a People's Deputy of the USSR.

A citizen of the USSR cannot simultaneously be a people's deputy in more than two Councils of People's Deputies.

Persons who are members of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, Councils of Ministers of union and autonomous republics, executive committees of local Soviets of People's Deputies, with the exception of the chairmen of these bodies, heads of departments, departments and directorates of executive committees of local Soviets, judges cannot be deputies in the Council to which they are appointed or elected.

Mentally ill citizens, those declared incompetent by a court, or persons held in prison by a court verdict do not participate in elections. Persons in respect of whom, in accordance with the procedure established by criminal procedural legislation, have been chosen as a preventive measure - detention in custody - do not take part in voting.

Any direct or indirect restriction of the voting rights of citizens of the USSR is unacceptable and is punishable by law.

Article 97. Elections of people's deputies from electoral districts are equal: a voter in each electoral district has one vote; voters participate in elections on equal terms.

Article 98. Elections of people's deputies from electoral districts are direct: people's deputies are elected directly by citizens.

Article 100. The right to nominate candidates for people's deputies in electoral districts belongs to labor collectives, public organizations, collectives of secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, meetings of voters at the place of residence and military personnel in military units. Bodies and organizations that have the right to nominate candidates for people's deputies from public organizations are determined accordingly by the laws of the USSR, union and autonomous republics.

The number of candidates for people's deputies is not limited. Each participant in the pre-election meeting can propose any candidates for discussion, including his own.

Any number of candidates may be included on the ballot.

Candidates for people's deputies participate in the election campaign on equal terms.

In order to ensure equal conditions for each candidate for people's deputies, expenses associated with the preparation and conduct of elections of people's deputies are made by the relevant election commission from a single fund created at the expense of the state, as well as voluntary contributions from enterprises, public organizations, and citizens.

Article 101. Preparation for the elections of people's deputies is carried out openly and publicly.

Elections are carried out by election commissions, which are formed from representatives elected by meetings (conferences) of labor collectives, public organizations, collectives of secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, meetings of voters at the place of residence and military personnel in military units.

Citizens of the USSR, labor collectives, public organizations, collectives of secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, military personnel in military units are guaranteed the opportunity to freely and comprehensively discuss the political, business and personal qualities of candidates for people's deputies, as well as the right to campaign for or against a candidate at meetings, in print, television, radio.

The procedure for holding elections of people's deputies is determined by the laws of the USSR, union and autonomous republics.

Article 102. Voters and public organizations give instructions to their deputies.

The relevant Councils of People's Deputies review the orders, take them into account when developing plans for economic and social development and drawing up the budget, as well as when preparing decisions on other issues, organize the implementation of orders and inform citizens about their implementation.

Chapter 14. People's Deputy

Article 103. Deputies are authorized representatives of the people in the Councils of People's Deputies.

By participating in the work of the Councils, deputies resolve issues of state, economic and socio-cultural construction, organize the implementation of Council decisions, and monitor the work of government bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations.

In his activities, a deputy is guided by national interests, takes into account the needs of the population of the electoral district, the interests expressed by the public organization that elected him, and seeks to implement the orders of voters and the public organization.

Article 104. A deputy exercises his powers, as a rule, without breaking with his production or official activities.

For the duration of meetings of Congresses of People's Deputies, sessions of the Supreme Soviets or local Councils of People's Deputies, as well as for the exercise of deputy powers in other cases provided for by law, a deputy is relieved from performing production or official duties with reimbursement of expenses associated with deputy activities at the expense of funds the corresponding state or local budget.

Article 105. A deputy has the right to make a request to the relevant state bodies and officials, who are obliged to respond to the request at the Congress of People's Deputies, sessions of the Supreme Council, local Council of People's Deputies.

A deputy has the right to contact all state and public bodies, enterprises, institutions, organizations on issues of deputy activity and take part in the consideration of issues raised by him. The heads of relevant state and public bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations are obliged to immediately receive the deputy and consider his proposals within the established time frame.

Article 106. The deputy is provided with conditions for the unhindered and effective exercise of his rights and duties.

The immunity of deputies, as well as other guarantees of deputy activity, are established by the Law on the Status of Deputies and other legislative acts of the USSR, union and autonomous republics.

Article 107. A deputy is obliged to report on his work, the work of the Congress of People's Deputies, the Supreme Council or the local Council of People's Deputies to voters, collectives and public organizations that nominated him as a candidate for deputy, or to the public organization that elected him.

A deputy who has not justified the trust of voters or a public organization may be recalled at any time by the decision of the majority of voters or the public organization that elected him in the manner prescribed by law.

V. Supreme bodies of state power and administration of the USSR

Chapter 15. Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

Article 108. The highest body of state power of the USSR is the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR has the authority to consider and resolve any issue within the jurisdiction of the USSR.

The exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR includes:

1) adoption of the Constitution of the USSR, amendments to it;

2) making decisions on issues of national government structure within the jurisdiction of the USSR;

3) determination of the state border of the USSR; approval of changes in borders between union republics;

4) determination of the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of the USSR;

5) approval of long-term state plans and the most important all-Union programs for the economic and social development of the USSR;

6) election of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;

7) approval of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Prosecutor General of the USSR, the Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR;

8) election of the Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR on the proposal of the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;

9) repeal of acts adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;

10) making decisions on holding a national vote (referendum).

The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR adopts laws of the USSR and resolutions by a majority vote of the total number of people's deputies of the USSR.

Article 109. The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR consists of 2,250 deputies, who are elected in the following order:

750 deputies - from territorial constituencies with an equal number of voters;

750 deputies - from national-territorial electoral districts according to the norms: 32 deputies from each union republic, 11 deputies from each autonomous republic, 5 deputies from each autonomous region and one deputy from each autonomous district;

750 deputies - from all-Union public organizations according to the norms established by the Law on the Election of People's Deputies of the USSR.

Article 110. The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR is convened for its first meeting no later than two months after the elections.

Based on the proposal of the credentials commission it elects, the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR makes a decision to recognize the powers of deputies, and in case of violation of election legislation, to recognize the elections of individual deputies as invalid.

The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR is convened by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Regular meetings of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR are held at least once a year. Extraordinary meetings are convened on the initiative of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, on the proposal of one of its chambers, the President of the USSR, at least one fifth of the people's deputies of the USSR, or on the initiative of the union republic represented by its highest body of state power.

The first meeting of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR after the elections is chaired by the Chairman of the Central Election Commission for the Election of People's Deputies of the USSR, and then by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 111. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR is a permanent legislative and control body of state power of the USSR.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR consists of two chambers: the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities, equal in their numerical composition. The chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are equal.

The chambers are elected at the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR by a general vote of deputies. The Council of the Union is elected from among the people's deputies of the USSR from territorial electoral districts and people's deputies of the USSR from public organizations, taking into account the number of voters in the union republic or region. The Council of Nationalities is elected from among the people's deputies of the USSR from national-territorial electoral districts and people's deputies of the USSR from public organizations according to the norms: 11 deputies from each union republic, 4 deputies from each autonomous republic, 2 deputies from each autonomous region and one deputy from each autonomous districts.

The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR annually updates up to one fifth of the composition of the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities.

Each chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR elects the Chairman of the chamber and his two deputies. The chairmen of the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities preside over the meetings of the respective chambers and are in charge of their internal regulations.

Joint sessions of the chambers are chaired by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR or alternately by the chairmen of the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities.

Article 112. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR is convened annually by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for regular - spring and autumn - sessions lasting, as a rule, three to four months each.

Extraordinary sessions are convened by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on his initiative or at the proposal of the President of the USSR, a union republic represented by its highest body of state power, at least a third of the composition of one of the chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

A session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR consists of separate and joint sessions of the chambers, as well as meetings of the standing commissions of the chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR held between them. The session opens and closes in separate or joint sessions of the chambers.

After the expiration of the term of office of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR retains its powers until the newly elected Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR forms a new composition of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 113. Supreme Soviet of the USSR:

1) calls elections of people’s deputies of the USSR and approves the composition of the Central Election Commission for the elections of people’s deputies of the USSR;

2) at the proposal of the President of the USSR, creates and abolishes ministries of the USSR and other central government bodies of the USSR;

3) on the recommendation of the President of the USSR, approves the Prime Minister, gives consent at the session or rejects candidacies for members of the USSR Cabinet of Ministers and members of the USSR Security Council, gives consent to the dismissal of these persons;

4) elects the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR, appoints the Prosecutor General of the USSR, approves the collegium of the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR, appoints the Chairman of the Control Chamber of the USSR;

5) regularly hears reports from bodies formed or elected by it, as well as officials appointed or elected by it;

6) ensures the unity of legislative regulation throughout the entire territory of the USSR, establishes the foundations of the legislation of the USSR and union republics;

7) carries out within the competence of the USSR legislative regulation the procedure for the implementation of constitutional rights, freedoms and responsibilities of citizens, property relations, organization of management of the national economy and socio-cultural construction, budgetary and financial system, remuneration and pricing, taxation, environmental protection and use of natural resources, as well as other relations;

8) gives an interpretation of the laws of the USSR;

9) establishes the general principles of organization and activity of republican and local bodies of state power and administration; determines the basis of the legal status of public organizations;

10) submits for approval to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR drafts of long-term state plans and the most important all-Union programs for the economic and social development of the USSR; approves state plans for economic and social development of the USSR, the state budget of the USSR; monitors the progress of implementation of the plan and budget; approves reports on their implementation; makes changes to the plan and budget if necessary;

11) ratifies and denounces international treaties THE USSR;

12) exercises control over the provision of government loans, economic and other assistance to foreign states, as well as the conclusion of agreements on government loans and credits received from foreign sources;

13) determines the main activities in the field of defense and ensuring state security; declares a state of martial law or a state of emergency throughout the country; declares a state of war if it is necessary to fulfill international treaty obligations for mutual defense against aggression;

14) decides on the use of contingents of the Armed Forces of the USSR if necessary to fulfill international treaty obligations to maintain peace and security;

15) establishes military ranks, diplomatic ranks and other special ranks;

16) establishes orders and medals of the USSR; establishes honorary titles of the USSR;

17) issues all-Union amnesty acts;

18) has the right to cancel acts of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR if they do not comply with the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR;

19) cancels resolutions and orders of the Councils of Ministers of the Union republics in the event of their discrepancy with the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR;

20) during the period between Congresses of People's Deputies of the USSR, decides to hold a national vote (referendum of the USSR);

21) decides other issues within the jurisdiction of the USSR, except for those that fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopts USSR laws and regulations.

Laws and resolutions adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR cannot contradict laws and other acts adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

Article 114. The right of legislative initiative at the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR belongs to the people's deputies of the USSR, the Council of the Union, the Council of Nationalities, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the standing commissions of the chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the President of the USSR, the Federation Council, the Constitutional Supervision Committee The USSR, the union and autonomous republics represented by their highest bodies of state power, autonomous regions, autonomous districts, the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Prosecutor General of the USSR, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR.

Public organizations represented by their all-Union bodies and the USSR Academy of Sciences also have the right of legislative initiative.

Article 115. Draft laws submitted for consideration by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are discussed by the chambers at their separate or joint meetings.

A USSR law is considered adopted if a majority of members of the chamber vote for it in each chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Draft laws and other most important issues of state life by decision of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, adopted on its initiative or at the proposal of the union republic represented by its highest body of state power, can be submitted for public discussion.

Article 116. Each chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR has the right to consider any issues within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Issues of socio-economic development and state building that are of general importance for the entire country are subject to consideration first of all in the Council of the Union; rights, freedoms and duties of citizens of the USSR; foreign policy of the USSR; defense and state security of the USSR.

First of all, the issues of ensuring national equality, the interests of nations, nationalities and national groups in combination with the general interests and needs of the Soviet multinational state are subject to consideration in the Council of Nationalities; improving the legislation of the USSR regulating interethnic relations.

Each chamber adopts resolutions on issues within its competence.

A resolution adopted by one of the chambers, if necessary, is transferred to the other chamber and, if approved by it, acquires the force of a resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 117. In the event of a disagreement between the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities, the issue is referred to the resolution of a conciliation commission formed by the chambers on a parity basis, after which it is considered a second time by the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities at a joint meeting.

Article 118. To organize the work of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is created, headed by the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR includes: the Chairman of the Council of the Union and the Chairman of the Council of Nationalities, their deputies, chairmen of the standing commissions of the chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, other people's deputies of the USSR - one from each union republic, as well as two representatives from the autonomous republics and one - from autonomous regions and autonomous okrugs.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR prepares meetings of the Congress and sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, coordinates the activities of the standing commissions of the chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, organizes nationwide discussions of draft laws of the USSR and other most important issues of state life.

The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR ensures the publication in the languages ​​of the union republics of the texts of the laws of the USSR and other acts adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, its chambers, and the President of the USSR.

Decisions of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are formalized in the form of resolutions.

Article 119. The Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR from among the people's deputies of the USSR by secret ballot for a period of five years and no more than two consecutive terms. It can be recalled at any time by secret ballot by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

The Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is accountable to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Council of the USSR.

The Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issues resolutions on convening sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and orders on other issues.

Article 120. The Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities elect from among the members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and other people's deputies of the USSR permanent commissions of the chambers to conduct legislative work, preliminary consideration and preparation of issues within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, as well as to facilitate the implementation of the laws of the USSR and other decisions adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, control over the activities of state bodies and organizations.

For the same purposes, the chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR can create committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on a parity basis.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR and each of its chambers create, when deemed necessary, investigative, audit and other commissions on any issue.

The standing commissions of the chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are annually renewed to one fifth of their composition.

Article 121. Laws and other decisions of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, resolutions of its chambers are adopted, as a rule, after a preliminary discussion of projects by the corresponding standing commissions of the chambers or committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The appointment and election of officials to the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR, the collegium of the Prosecutor's Office of the USSR, as well as the Chairman of the Control Chamber of the USSR is carried out in the presence of the conclusion of the corresponding standing commissions of the chambers or committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

All state and public bodies, organizations and officials are obliged to comply with the requirements of the commissions of the chambers, commissions and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and provide them with the necessary materials and documents.

Recommendations of commissions and committees are subject to mandatory consideration by state and public bodies, institutions and organizations. The results of the review and the measures taken must be reported to the commissions and committees within the time period established by them.

Article 122. A people's deputy of the USSR has the right to make a request at meetings of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, the heads of other bodies formed or elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and to the President of the USSR - at meetings Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR. The body or official to whom the request is addressed is obliged to give an oral or written response at a given meeting of the Congress or at a given session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR within no more than three days.

Article 123. People's Deputies of the USSR have the right to be relieved from performing official or production duties for the period necessary to carry out deputy activities at the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, in the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, its chambers, commissions and committees, as well as among the population.

A people's deputy of the USSR cannot be prosecuted, arrested or subjected to administrative penalties imposed by court, without the consent of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, and in the period between its sessions - without the consent of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 124. The Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR is elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR from among specialists in the field of politics and law, consisting of a Chairman, a Deputy Chairman and 25 members of the Committee, including one from each union republic.

The term of office of persons elected to the Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR is ten years.

Persons elected to the Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR cannot simultaneously be members of the regions whose acts are supervised by the Committee.

Persons elected to the Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR are independent in the performance of their duties and are subject only to the Constitution of the USSR.

USSR Constitutional Supervision Committee:

1) on behalf of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, submits to it conclusions on the conformity of draft laws of the USSR and other acts submitted to the Congress with the Constitution of the USSR;

2) on the proposals of at least one fifth of the people's deputies of the USSR, the President of the USSR, the highest bodies of state power of the union republics, presents to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR conclusions on the compliance of the Constitution of the USSR with the laws of the USSR and other acts adopted by the Congress.

On behalf of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, at the proposal of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, gives opinions on the compliance of the decrees of the President of the USSR with the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR;

3) on behalf of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, on proposals of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the President of the USSR, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the highest bodies of state power of the Union republics, presents to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR or the Supreme Council of the USSR conclusions on the compliance of the Constitution of the USSR with the constitutions of the Union republics, and the laws of the Union republics - also to the laws of the USSR;

4) on behalf of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, on proposals of at least one fifth of the members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the President of the USSR, the highest bodies of state power of the Union republics, submits to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR or the President of the USSR conclusions on the conformity of acts of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and its chambers, draft acts, submitted for consideration by these bodies, the Constitution of the USSR and laws of the USSR adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, and resolutions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR - also laws of the USSR adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; on the compliance of international treaty and other obligations of the USSR and union republics with the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR;

5) on behalf of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, on proposals of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, its chambers, the President of the USSR, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, standing commissions of chambers and committees of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, the highest bodies of state power of the union republics, the Control Chamber of the USSR, The Supreme Court of the USSR, the Prosecutor General of the USSR, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR, all-Union bodies of public organizations and the USSR Academy of Sciences gives opinions on the compliance of the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR with regulatory legal acts of other state bodies and public organizations in respect of which, in accordance with the Constitution of the USSR, is not carried out prosecutor supervision.

The Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR also has the right to own initiative present conclusions on the compliance of the acts of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR, other bodies formed or elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR.

If an act or its individual provisions are found to be inconsistent with the Constitution of the USSR or the laws of the USSR, the Committee for Constitutional Supervision of the USSR sends its conclusion to the body that issued the act to eliminate the inconsistency. The adoption by the Committee of such a conclusion suspends the operation of an act or its individual provisions that does not comply with the Constitution of the USSR or the law of the USSR, with the exception of laws of the USSR adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the constitutions of the union republics. Act or his certain provisions which, according to the conclusion of the Committee, violate the rights and freedoms of citizens, become invalid from the moment such a conclusion is adopted.

The body that issued the act brings it into conformity with the Constitution of the USSR or the law of the USSR. If the discrepancy is not eliminated, the Committee of Constitutional Supervision of the USSR submits a proposal, respectively, to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to the President of the USSR, to the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR on the repeal of acts of bodies or officials accountable to them that do not comply with the Constitution of the USSR or the law of the USSR.

The Committee's conclusion can only be rejected by a decision of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, adopted by two-thirds of the votes of the total number of people's deputies of the USSR.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the USSR Constitutional Supervision Committee are determined by the Law on Constitutional Supervision in the USSR.

Article 125. The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR exercise control over all state bodies reporting to them.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR directs the activities of the Control Chamber of the USSR and periodically hears its reports on the results of control over the receipt and expenditure of funds from the Union budget and the use of all-Union property.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the USSR Control Chamber are determined by USSR law.

Article 126. The procedure for the activities of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and their bodies is determined by the Rules of Procedure of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and other laws of the USSR issued on the basis of the Constitution of the USSR.

Chapter 15.1. President of the USSR

Article 127. The head of the Soviet state - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the President of the USSR.

Article 127.1. A citizen of the USSR no younger than thirty-five and no older than sixty-five years can be elected President of the USSR. The same person cannot serve as President of the USSR for more than two terms.

The President of the USSR is elected by citizens of the USSR on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot for a period of five years. The number of candidates for the post of President of the USSR is not limited. Elections of the President of the USSR are considered valid if at least fifty percent of voters took part in them. A candidate who receives more than half of the votes of voters who took part in the voting in the entire USSR and in most union republics is considered elected.

The procedure for electing the President of the USSR is determined by the Law of the USSR.

The President of the USSR cannot be a people's deputy.

A person who is the President of the USSR can receive wages only for this position.

Article 127.2. Upon taking office, the President of the USSR takes the oath at a meeting of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR.

Article 127.3. President of the USSR:

1) acts as a guarantor of respect for the rights and freedoms of Soviet citizens, the Constitution and laws of the USSR;

2) takes the necessary measures to protect the sovereignty of the USSR and union republics, the security and territorial integrity of the country, to implement the principles of the national state structure of the USSR;

3) represents the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics within the country and in international relations;

4) heads the system of government bodies and ensures their interaction with the highest government bodies of the USSR;

5) submits annual reports on the state of the country to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR; informs the Supreme Soviet of the USSR about the most important issues of domestic and foreign policy of the USSR;

6) taking into account the opinion of the Federation Council and in agreement with the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, forms the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, makes changes to its composition, and submits a candidacy for the post of Prime Minister to the Supreme Council of the USSR; in agreement with the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, dismisses the Prime Minister and members of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR;

7) presents to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR candidates for the posts of Chairman of the Supreme Court of the USSR, Prosecutor General of the USSR, Chairman of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR, then presents these officials to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR for approval; enters with submissions to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR on the release of the specified officials from their duties, with the exception of the Chairman of the Supreme Court of the USSR;

8) signs the laws of the USSR; has the right, no later than two weeks, to return the law with its objections to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR for re-discussion and voting. If the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by a two-thirds majority of votes in each chamber, confirms its previously adopted decision, the President of the USSR signs the law;

9) has the right to cancel decisions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, acts of ministries of the USSR, and other bodies subordinate to it; has the right, on issues within the jurisdiction of the USSR, to suspend the execution of resolutions and orders of the Councils of Ministers of the republics in cases of violation of the Constitution of the USSR and laws of the USSR;

9.1) heads the Security Council of the USSR, which is entrusted with developing recommendations for implementing the all-Union policy in the field of defense of the country, maintaining its reliable state, economic and environmental security, overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and other emergency situations, ensuring stability and legal order in society. Members of the USSR Security Council are appointed by the President of the USSR, taking into account the opinion of the Federation Council and in agreement with the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;

10) coordinates the activities of state bodies to ensure the country’s defense; is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR, appoints and replaces the high command of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and assigns the highest military ranks; appoints judges of military tribunals;

11) negotiates and signs international treaties of the USSR; accepts credentials and letters of recall from diplomatic representatives of foreign states accredited to him; appoints and recalls diplomatic representatives of the USSR in foreign states and international organizations; assigns the highest diplomatic ranks and other special titles;

12) awards orders and medals of the USSR, assigns honorary titles of the USSR;

13) resolves issues of admission to USSR citizenship, withdrawal from it and deprivation of Soviet citizenship, granting asylum; grants pardon;

14) announces general or partial mobilization; declares a state of war in the event of a military attack on the USSR and immediately submits this issue for consideration by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; declares martial law in certain areas in the interests of protecting the USSR and the safety of its citizens. The procedure for introducing and the regime of martial law are determined by law;

15) in the interests of ensuring the safety of citizens of the USSR, warns about the announcement state of emergency in certain localities, and, if necessary, introduces it at the request or with the consent of the Presidium of the Supreme Council or the highest body of state power of the corresponding union republic. In the absence of such consent, a state of emergency is introduced with the immediate submission of the adopted decision for approval by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on this issue is adopted by a majority of at least two-thirds of the total number of its members.

In the cases specified in part one of this paragraph, temporary presidential rule may be introduced while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the union republic.

The regime of a state of emergency, as well as presidential rule, is established by law;

16) in the event of disagreements between the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which could not be resolved in the manner provided for in Article 117 of the Constitution of the USSR, the President of the USSR considers the controversial issue in order to develop an acceptable solution. If it is not possible to reach agreement and there is a real threat of disruption to the normal activities of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR, the President may submit to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR a proposal to elect a new Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 127.4. At the proposal of the candidate for President of the USSR and together with him, the Vice-President of the USSR is elected. The Vice-President of the USSR carries out certain powers on behalf of the President of the USSR and replaces the President of the USSR in the event of his absence and impossibility of fulfilling his duties.

The Vice President of the USSR cannot be a people's deputy.

Article 127.5. The President of the USSR, on the basis of and in pursuance of the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR, issues decrees that are binding throughout the entire territory of the country.

Article 127.6. The President of the USSR has the right of immunity and can only be removed by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR if he violates the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR. Such a decision is made by at least two-thirds of the votes of the total number of deputies by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR on the initiative of the Congress itself or the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, taking into account the conclusion of the Constitutional Supervision Committee of the USSR.

Article 127.7. If the President of the USSR, for one reason or another, cannot continue to fulfill his duties, until the election of a new President of the USSR, his powers pass to the Vice-President of the USSR, and if this is impossible, to the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The elections of the new President of the USSR must be held within three months.

Chapter 15.2. Council of the Federation

Article 127.8. The President of the USSR heads the Federation Council, which includes the Vice-President of the USSR and the presidents (highest government officials) of the republics. High-ranking government officials of autonomous regions and autonomous okrugs have the right to participate in meetings of the Federation Council with the right to vote on issues affecting their interests.

The Federation Council, on the basis of the directions of domestic and foreign policy of the USSR determined by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, coordinates the activities of the highest bodies of government of the Union and the republics, monitors compliance with the Union Treaty, determines measures to implement the national policy of the Soviet state, ensures the participation of the republics in resolving issues of all-Union significance, accepts recommendations for resolving disputes and resolving conflict situations in interethnic relations.

Issues affecting the interests of peoples who do not have their own national-state entities are considered in the Federation Council with the participation of representatives of these peoples.

Article 127.9. A member of the Federation Council is the highest government official of the republic, representing and protecting its sovereignty and legitimate interests, and participates in resolving all issues submitted for consideration by the Federation Council.

A member of the Federation Council ensures the implementation of decisions of the Federation Council in the relevant republic; controls the implementation of these decisions; receives all necessary information from union bodies and officials; may appeal decisions of union government bodies that violate the rights of the republic established by law; on behalf of the President of the USSR, represents the USSR abroad and exercises other powers.

Article 127.10. Decisions of the Federation Council are adopted by a majority of at least two-thirds of the votes and are formalized by decrees of the President of the USSR.

The Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR may participate in meetings of the Federation Council.

Chapter 16. Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR

Article 128. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is the executive and administrative body of the USSR and is subordinate to the President of the USSR.

Article 129. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR consists of the Prime Minister, his deputies and ministers of the USSR.

The structure of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is determined at the proposal of the President of the USSR by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The heads of government of the republics may participate in the work of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR with the right of a decisive vote.

Article 130. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is responsible to the President of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The newly formed Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR submits for consideration to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR a program of upcoming activities for the term of its powers.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR reports on its work to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR at least once a year.

The Supreme Soviet of the USSR may express no confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, which entails its resignation. A resolution on this issue is adopted by a majority vote of at least two-thirds of the total number of members of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 131. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is authorized to resolve issues of public administration falling within the jurisdiction of the USSR, since they are not, according to the Constitution of the USSR, within the competence of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and the Federation Council.

Article 132. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR ensures:

pursuing, together with the republics, a unified financial, credit and monetary policy based on a common currency; preparation and execution of the Union budget; implementation of all-Union economic programs; creation of inter-republican development funds, funds for eliminating the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes;

management, jointly with the republics, of the country’s unified fuel, energy and transport systems; control defense enterprises, space research, allied communication and information systems, meteorology, geodesy, cartography, geology, metrology and standardization; pursuing a coordinated policy in the field of nature conservation, environmental safety and environmental management;

implementation, jointly with the republics, of all-Union programs for food, health care, social security, employment, care for motherhood and childhood, culture and education, fundamental scientific research and stimulation of scientific and technological progress;

taking measures to ensure the country's defense and state security;

implementation of the foreign policy of the USSR, regulation of foreign economic activity of the USSR, coordination of foreign policy and foreign economic activity of the republics, customs affairs;

implementation of measures agreed upon with the republics to ensure the rule of law, the rights and freedoms of citizens, the protection of property and public order, and the fight against crime.

Article 133. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, on the basis of and in pursuance of the laws of the USSR and other decisions of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, decrees of the President of the USSR, issues resolutions and orders and verifies their implementation. Resolutions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR are mandatory for execution throughout the entire territory of the USSR.

Article 135. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR unites and directs the work of the ministries of the USSR and other bodies subordinate to it.

For the coordinated resolution of issues of public administration, collegiums are created in ministries and other central government bodies of the USSR, which include ex officio heads of the relevant bodies of the republics.

Article 136. The competence of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, the procedure for its activities, relations with other state bodies, as well as the list of ministries and other central government bodies of the USSR are determined by USSR law.

VI. Fundamentals of building government bodies and administration in the union republics

Chapter 17. Supreme bodies of state power and administration of the union republic

Article 137. The highest bodies of state power in the union republics are the Supreme Councils of the union republics, and in those union republics where the creation of Congresses is envisaged - the Congresses of People's Deputies.

Article 138. The powers, structure and procedure for the activities of the highest bodies of state power of the Union republics are determined by the constitutions and laws of the Union republics.

Article 139. The Supreme Council of the Union Republic forms the Council of Ministers of the Union Republic - the Government of the Union Republic - the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the Union Republic.

Article 140. The Council of Ministers of a Union Republic issues resolutions and orders on the basis of and in pursuance of legislative acts of the USSR and the Union Republic, acts of the President of the USSR and the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, organizes and verifies their implementation.

Article 141. The Council of Ministers of a union republic has the right to suspend the execution of decisions and orders of the Councils of Ministers of autonomous republics, to cancel decisions and orders of the executive committees of regional, regional, city (cities of republican subordination) Councils of People's Deputies, Councils of People's Deputies of autonomous regions, and in the union republics, not having a regional division - executive committees of district and corresponding city Councils of People's Deputies.

Article 142. The Council of Ministers of the Union Republic unites and directs the work of the Union-Republican and Republican ministries, state committees of the Union Republic, and other bodies subordinate to it.

Union-republican ministries and state committees of a union republic manage the branches of management entrusted to them or carry out intersectoral management, subordinate to both the Council of Ministers of the union republic and the corresponding Union-republican ministry of the USSR or state committee of the USSR.

Republican ministries and state committees manage the branches of government entrusted to them or carry out intersectoral management, subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the Union Republic.

Chapter 18. Supreme bodies of state power and administration of the autonomous republic

Article 143. The highest bodies of state power of the autonomous republics are the Supreme Councils of the autonomous republics, and in those autonomous republics where the creation of Congresses is envisaged - the Congresses of People's Deputies.

Article 144. The Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic forms the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic - the Government of the Autonomous Republic - the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the Autonomous Republic.

Chapter 19. Local bodies of state power and administration

Article 145. State authorities in autonomous regions, autonomous okrugs, territories, regions, districts, cities, districts in cities, towns, rural populated areas and other administrative-territorial units formed in accordance with the laws of the union and autonomous republics are the corresponding Councils of People's Deputies.

In the system of local self-government, in addition to local Councils of People's Deputies, territorial bodies can act in accordance with the legislation of the republics public self-government, citizens' meetings, other forms of direct democracy.

Section 146 make their proposals on them.

Local Councils of People's Deputies manage state, economic and socio-cultural construction on their territory; approve plans for economic and social development and the local budget; carry out management of state bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations subordinate to them; ensure compliance with laws, protection of state and public order, and the rights of citizens; contribute to strengthening the country's defense capability.

Article 147. Within the limits of their powers, local Councils of People's Deputies ensure comprehensive economic and social development on their territory; exercise control over compliance with legislation by enterprises, institutions and organizations of higher subordination located in this territory; coordinate and control their activities in the field of land use, nature conservation, construction, use of labor resources, production of consumer goods, socio-cultural, consumer and other services to the population.

Article 148. Local Councils of People's Deputies make decisions within the powers granted to them by the legislation of the USSR, union and autonomous republic. Decisions of local Councils are binding on all enterprises, institutions and organizations located on the territory of the Council, as well as officials and citizens.

Article 149. The executive and administrative bodies of local Councils of People's Deputies are the executive committees or other bodies elected by them.

The executive and administrative bodies of local Councils report at least once a year to the Councils that elected them, as well as at meetings of labor collectives and at the place of residence of citizens.

Article 150. Executive and administrative bodies of local Councils of People's Deputies are obliged to comply with laws, decrees of the President of the USSR, and other acts of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR and republics, adopted within the limits of their competence.

The executive and administrative bodies of local Councils are directly accountable to both the Council that elected them and the higher executive and administrative body.

VII. Justice and prosecutorial supervision

Chapter 20. Courts

Article 151. Justice in the USSR is carried out only by the court.

In the USSR there are the Supreme Court of the USSR, Supreme Courts of the union republics, Supreme Courts of the autonomous republics, regional, regional, city courts, courts of autonomous regions, courts of autonomous districts, district (city) people's courts, as well as military tribunals in the Armed Forces.

Article 152. All courts in the USSR are formed on the basis of the election of judges and people's assessors, with the exception of judges of military tribunals.

People's judges of district (city) people's courts, judges of regional, regional and city courts are elected by the corresponding higher Councils of People's Deputies.

Judges of the Supreme Court of the USSR, Supreme Courts of union and autonomous republics, courts of autonomous regions and autonomous districts are elected respectively by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Supreme Councils of union and autonomous republics, Councils of People's Deputies of autonomous regions and autonomous districts.

People's assessors of district (city) people's courts are elected at meetings of citizens at their place of residence or work by open voting, and people's assessors of higher courts are elected by the corresponding Councils of People's Deputies.

Judges of military tribunals are appointed by the President of the USSR, and people's assessors are elected by meetings of military personnel by open voting.

Judges of all courts are elected for a term of ten years. People's assessors in all courts are elected for a term of five years.

Judges and people's assessors may be recalled in accordance with the procedure established by law.

Article 153. The Supreme Court of the USSR is the highest judicial body of the USSR and exercises supervision over the judicial activities of the courts of the USSR, as well as the courts of the Union republics, within the limits established by law.

The Supreme Court of the USSR consists of a Chairman, his deputies, members and people's assessors. The Supreme Court of the USSR includes ex officio chairmen of the Supreme Courts of the Union republics.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the Supreme Court of the USSR are determined by the Law on the Supreme Court of the USSR.

Article 154. Consideration of civil and criminal cases in all courts is carried out collegiately; in the court of first instance - with the participation of people's assessors. When administering justice, people's assessors enjoy all the rights of a judge.

Article 155. Judges and people's assessors are independent and subject only to the law.

Judges and people's assessors are provided with conditions for the unhindered and effective exercise of their rights and duties. Any interference in the activities of judges and lay assessors in the administration of justice is unacceptable and entails liability under the law.

The immunity of judges and people's assessors, as well as other guarantees of their independence, are established by the Law on the Status of Judges in the USSR and other legislative acts of the USSR and union republics.

Article 156. Justice in the USSR is carried out on the basis of equality of citizens before the law and the court.

Article 157. The hearing of cases in all courts is open. Hearing cases in closed court sessions is permitted only in cases established by law, in compliance with all rules of legal proceedings.

Article 158. The accused is guaranteed the right to defense.

Article 159. Legal proceedings are conducted in the language of a union or autonomous republic, autonomous region, autonomous district or in the language of the majority of the population of a given area. Persons participating in the case who do not speak the language in which the proceedings are conducted are guaranteed the right to fully familiarize themselves with the case materials, participate in judicial actions through an interpreter and the right to speak in court in their native language.

Article 160 No one can be found guilty of committing a crime or subjected to criminal punishment except by a court verdict and in accordance with the law.

Article 161. Bar associations operate to provide legal assistance to citizens and organizations. In cases provided for by law, legal assistance to citizens is provided free of charge.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the legal profession are determined by the legislation of the USSR and union republics.

Article 162. Representatives of public organizations and labor collectives may participate in legal proceedings in civil and criminal cases.

Article 163. The resolution of economic disputes in the USSR is carried out by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR and the bodies created in the republics in accordance with their laws for the resolution of economic disputes.

Interference by any bodies, organizations and officials in the activities of judges in resolving disputes is not permitted.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the USSR are determined by USSR law.

Chapter 21. Prosecutor's Office

Article 164. Supervision over the accurate and uniform implementation of the laws of the USSR by all ministries and other government bodies, enterprises, institutions, organizations, local Councils of People's Deputies, their executive and administrative bodies, political parties, public organizations and mass movements, officials, as well as citizens is carried out by the Prosecutor General of the USSR, prosecutors of the union republics and prosecutors subordinate to them.

Article 165. The Prosecutor General of the USSR is responsible to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and is accountable to them.

Article 166. Prosecutors of the republics are appointed by the highest bodies of state power of the republics in agreement with the Prosecutor General of the USSR and are accountable to them. In supervising the implementation of the laws of the USSR, the prosecutors of the republics are also subordinate to the Prosecutor General of the USSR.

Article 167. The term of office of the Prosecutor General of the USSR is five years.

Article 168. The prosecutor's office exercises its powers independently of any local authorities.

The organization and procedure for the activities of the prosecutor's office are determined by the legislation of the USSR and the union republics.

VIII. Coat of arms, flag, anthem and capital of the USSR

Article 169. The state emblem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is an image of a hammer and sickle against the background of the globe, in the rays of the sun and framed by ears of corn, with the inscription in the languages ​​of the union republics: “Workers of all countries, unite!” At the top of the coat of arms is a five-pointed star.

Article 170. State flag The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a red rectangular panel with an image in its upper corner, near the shaft, of a gold sickle and hammer and above them a red five-pointed star framed by a gold border. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 1:2.

Article 171. The national anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is approved by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 172. The capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the city of Moscow.

IX. The operation of the USSR Constitution and the procedure for amending it

Article 173. The Constitution of the USSR has the highest legal force. All laws and other acts of state bodies are issued on the basis and in accordance with the Constitution of the USSR.

Article 174. Amendments to the Constitution of the USSR are made by a decision of the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, adopted by a majority of at least two-thirds of the total number of people's deputies of the USSR.

The beginning of the 1920s was marked by the emergence of a new world power in the political arena - the USSR. The first Constitution of the USSR was adopted 2 years after its creation

The very first set of laws of the new state was signed in January 1924. It was then that the first Constitution of the USSR was adopted, which legislated the dictatorship of the proletariat.

Also, the first fundamental law reflected the multinational structure of the Soviet Union and the powerful base of Soviet power. It is worth noting that the first Constitution of the USSR was adopted by foreign powers without any contradictions.

What accelerated the creation of this set of laws? As you know, at the first Congress of Soviets the Declaration was approved, and already in January 1923, exactly one year before the adoption of the first Constitution, 6 commissions were founded to develop and prepare the text of the future code of laws. The first constitution has the following structure:

• first section: Declaration of ;
• second section: Treaty on the Formation of the Soviet Union.

The first section characterized the principles of entry of other republics into the Soviet Union. The principles were the following: voluntariness and equality.

In addition to these principles, the Constitution directly stated the possibility of a world revolution, the division of the world into two camps: the capitalist camp and the socialist camp. The second section of the USSR Constitution included 11 chapters, which approved the coat of arms, flag and capital of the rights of sovereign republics, provisions on the executive committee, presidium and other government bodies.

The first Constitution of the USSR had the following exclusive subjects of jurisdiction:

• foreign policy and trade;
• development of basic laws;
• government budget and economic management/planning;
• issues of war/peace.

The second Constitution of the USSR was adopted 12 years later and lasted until 1977.

It had its own name: “Stalin’s Constitution”, or “Constitution of Victorious Socialism”. What did he proclaim new document Soviet Union? Firstly, he said that socialism had won in the USSR. Secondly, it confirmed the destruction of private property and the introduction of equal universal suffrage. Oddly enough, the Constitution of 1936 granted people freedom of the press, assembly, speech and rallies and immunity. The representative of all public and state organizations according to the Constitution of 1936 was the All-Union Communist Bolshevik Party. It is worth noting that until 1977, December 5 was considered Constitution Day - this day was celebrated as a holiday by all the people. In 1962, Khrushchev created a commission to revise the main law of the country.

The first Constitution of the USSR was published in early 1924. It was the first set of laws of the new state, the new great power. But its history was very short: for only 12 years the first Constitution of the USSR had the highest legal force in the Soviet Union, after which it was revised and abolished.

The idea of ​​updating the 1936 Constitution, adopted under Stalin, appeared in the minds of the country’s leadership already in the mid-1950s, when the 20th Congress of the CPSU was held, at which the First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Nikita Khrushchev publicly condemned Stalin’s “cult of personality”, calling for the restoration of violations of the socialist democracies that were allowed under him. Lawyers from the apparatus of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR began to prepare materials on how to change the Constitution, and the first package of amendments was presented in the summer of 1958. Even the Chairman of the Presidium, and previously a well-known person from Stalin’s “inner circle,” said that it was necessary to go through the text of the Constitution and revise it.

It was proposed to consolidate the leading and directing role of the party in the basic law of the country, define the Soviets as the highest bodies of state power (and not legislative, as before), write down the freedom of criticism and self-criticism, and grant the right to collective farms to nominate candidates for deputies of the Soviets. a year later, he mentioned at a meeting of the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee that it was necessary to think through the issue of leadership turnover - two terms and no more, for example, as was the case with the US President. He was concerned about the problem of updating the ranks of party and government officials. In 1959, at the party congress, they decided to amend the Constitution, and in 1961, also at the congress, to adopt a new one.

Source: wikipedia.org

In 1962, a working group under the Central Committee of the CPSU and a Constitutional Commission under the Supreme Soviet of the USSR were created - the constitutional draft began to be developed more and more quickly. During the work on the project, a variety of, sometimes radical, ideas were expressed: to introduce an element of self-government in the system of power - people's assemblies from labor collectives or meetings of citizens at the place of residence, to hold alternative elections, that is, to nominate several candidates for deputies of the Soviets, and even to nominate candidates outside depending on whether they are party members or not! In management, maximum decentralization and transfer of power to localities were proposed. What was not done: the epic sowing of corn in all corners of the country, the division of regional Soviets and party committees into industrial and rural... The Constitution was proposed to be adopted by a referendum, that is, by popular vote. In the fall of 1964, the project was ready, but... Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev was removed from all posts at the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee.

Source: wikipedia.org

Leonid Brezhnev, who came to power, was in no hurry to draft the Constitution, because he needed to strengthen his position in the political arena and carry out reforms, including those that revised Khrushchev’s sometimes too radical and dangerous “experiments” in management and economics. Nevertheless, the idea of ​​​​improving the work of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR - the highest authority in the country - still continued to be discussed and implemented. They returned to the draft Constitution in full in the summer of 1968. They took the project from the “Khrushchev” times, that is, 1964, as a basis, correcting, by and large, only ideological provisions in it. If Khrushchev spoke about the “expanded construction of communism” and, as is known, planned to “build it” by 1980, then Brezhnev and his associates had to reconsider this position due to emerging problems in the economy, so they began to talk about the gradual, slow emergence of conditions building communism - about “developed socialism”.

This was reflected in the draft Constitution of 1968. In general, it remained quite democratic in many of its provisions. But ““ came”, and the course of reforms in the country taken by the socialists of Czechoslovakia, led by Alexander Dubcek, was not welcomed by either Moscow or other members of the Warsaw Pact Organization - they decided to introduce tanks to Prague.

In 1969, a new turn came in the history of the creation of the Constitution - a conservative one. Under the influence of the Prague Spring, the party leadership abandoned the task of creating new project and decided to limit itself only to amendments to the existing Constitution. The amendments were minor, often text additions or different wordings of old provisions. But by the end of the year, the project remained a project - it did not suit everyone, as evidenced, for example, by a note from Brezhnev’s assistant Viktor Golikov, who thoroughly criticized the concept of “developed socialism”, believing that thereby the country’s leadership was declaring that , that in 1936 the victory of socialism was announced, but it was, so to speak, “underdeveloped” socialism! The question of adopting amendments to the Constitution was dropped. They raised it again in 1972, but again they did not agree - apparently, there were contradictions in the very text of the proposed project, and revision was required.

In 1973, the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee finally decided on the need to create a draft of a new Constitution of the USSR. Lawyers of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, both themselves and thanks to letters from ordinary citizens and scientific and educational institutions, draw up a preliminary draft. Over the next three to four years, it is gradually being finalized, and discussions are ongoing on individual articles. Constitutional rights, freedoms and duties of citizens become a subject of interest since the USSR signed a list of them with the European countries in the Final Act of the CSCE in Helsinki in 1975.

Pravda reports the adoption of a new Constitution. (wikipedia.org)

And finally, in March 1977, Brezhnev told the head of the working group on the draft Constitution under the CPSU Central Committee, Boris Ponomarev (third in this post after Leonid Ilyichev and Alexander Yakovlev) that it was necessary to “end the drudgery” (as he conveyed his words in his memoirs political journalist Alexander Bovin) and adopt the Constitution. The project was finalized, in May the Plenum of the CPSU Central Committee approved it, the document was submitted for public discussion, distributed and published in newspapers. Citizens actively wrote letters and spoke at meetings about this issue.

Leonid Brezhnev, as his recently published diaries show, worked on the text of the constitution in the spring and summer. Opinions ordinary people partly taken into account when the Secretariat of the Constitutional Commission made a summary of the proposals in September 1977. Changes were made to hundreds of articles and even a new one was added - 102nd - on the obligation for deputies of the Soviets to carry out the orders of the voters who elected them. In October, a session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR took place, which adopted the constitution.

Poster. (wikipedia.org)

The history of the adoption of the last fundamental law of the Soviet Union turned out to be so difficult. She was accepted for twenty years, although her life turned out to be much shorter - only 14 years. This happened during perestroika. However, that's another story.

FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE USSR

The formation of a single union state as a federation of sovereign Soviet republics was continued at the Second All-Union Congress of Soviets, which on January 31, 1924 approved the first Constitution of the USSR. The Constitution of the USSR consisted of two sections: the Declaration on the Formation of the USSR and the Treaty on the Formation of the USSR. The Declaration indicated the reasons and principles for the unification of the republics (voluntariness and equality). The USSR remained an open association for the entry into its composition of new republics "...that may arise in the future." The union republic retained the right to secede from the USSR, and its territory could be changed only with its consent. The agreement consisted of 11 chapters: 1. On the subjects of jurisdiction of the supreme authorities of the USSR. 2. On the sovereign rights of the Union republics and on Union citizenship. 3. About the Congress of Soviets of the USSR. 4. About the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. 5. About the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. 6. About the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. 7. About the Supreme Court of the USSR. 8. About the people's commissariats of the USSR. 9. About the OGPU. 10. About the Union republics. 11 About the coat of arms, flag and capital of the USSR.

The exclusive jurisdiction of the Union included foreign policy and trade, resolving issues of war and peace, organization and leadership of the armed forces, general management and planning of the economy and budget, and development of the foundations of all-Union legislation. The highest authority was the Congress of Soviets of the USSR (meeted once a year), and in the period between congresses - the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. The Central Executive Committee consisted of the Union Council (representatives of the republics in proportion to the population) and the Council of Nationalities (representatives of the union and autonomous republics - 5 deputies from each, and autonomous regions - 1 deputy). The number of CEC chairmen corresponded to the number of union republics. The chairmen of the USSR Central Executive Committee at that time were M.I. Kalinin, G.I. Petrovsky, G.A. Chervyakov and N.N. Narimanov. In the intervals between sessions of the USSR Central Executive Committee, the highest legislative and executive body of power was the Presidium of the USSR Central Executive Committee, elected at a joint meeting of the chambers. The Central Executive Committee of the USSR formed the highest executive body - the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, consisting of 10 people's commissariats. Five people's commissariats were all-Union: foreign affairs, military and maritime affairs, foreign trade, communications, post and telegraphs. Five people's commissariats were united: VSNKh, food, labor, finance and RKI. The Constitution provided for the creation Supreme Court under the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, which was entrusted with the functions of hearing cases of abuse by senior officials of the USSR and considering cases of compliance with republican and union constitutional legislation.

All other areas of government were within the exclusive competence of the union republics. The 1924 USSR Constitution did not contain any characteristics social order Union State, chapters on the rights and responsibilities of citizens, electoral law and local authorities. All these issues were resolved by republican constitutions. The Constitution of the RSFSR was adopted in 1925.

I.S. Ratkovsky, M.V. Khodyakov. History of Soviet Russia

NATION-STATE BUILDING IN THE 1920s

On the day when the formation of the union state took place, Lenin’s work “On the Question of Nationalities and Autonomization” was published. It shows Lenin’s dissatisfaction with the whole history associated with the formation of the USSR, an untimely undertaking, which, in his opinion, “led the whole matter into a swamp.” However, Lenin’s efforts, his attempts to “deal with” the manifestations of Great Russian chauvinism and punish the perpetrators of the “Georgian incident” did not have any special consequences. The flow of events in the party rushed in the other direction and took place without Lenin’s participation. The struggle for his inheritance was already unfolding, in which the figure of Stalin increasingly appeared. It can be said that, having shown himself to be a supporter of a centralist state and harsh and crude administrative decisions in the national question, Stalin changed little in his attitude towards national politics, constantly emphasizing the danger of nationalist manifestations and the need for their merciless suppression.

The Second All-Union Congress of Soviets, held in January 1924, in the mourning days associated with the death of Lenin, adopted the Union Constitution, which was based on the Declaration and the Treaty, and the rest of its provisions were based on the principles of the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918, reflecting the situation of acute social confrontation. In 1924-1925 Constitutions of the Union republics were adopted, basically repeating the provisions of the all-Union one.

One of the first events carried out within the framework of the Union was the “national-state delimitation of Central Asia.” Until 1924, in the territory of the region, in addition to the Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, formed back in 1918, there were two “people’s” Soviet republics - Bukhara and Khorezm, created after the Bolsheviks overthrew the Bukhara emir and the Khiva khan from the throne. The existing borders clearly did not correspond to the settlement of ethnic communities, which was extremely variegated and heterogeneous. The question of the national self-identification of peoples and the forms of their self-determination was not entirely clear. As a result of lengthy discussions of national issues at local congresses and kurultai and redrawing of borders, the Uzbek and Turkmen union republics were formed. As part of the Uzbek SSR, the autonomy of the Tajiks was allocated (later receiving the status of a union republic), and within it the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Okrug. Part of the territory of Central Asia was transferred to the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (which also later became a union republic). The Turkestan and Khorezm Karakalpaks formed their own joint-stock company, which became part of the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and subsequently transferred to the Uzbek SSR as an autonomous republic. The Kirghiz formed their own autonomous republic, which became part of the RSFSR (later it was also transformed into a union republic). In general, the national-state demarcation of Central Asia allowed the region to gain stability and stability for some time, but the extreme stripes of ethnic settlement did not allow the issue to be resolved in ideal, which created and continues to create a source of tension and conflict in this region.

The emergence of new republics and autonomous regions also occurred in other regions of the country. In 1922, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Okrug, the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Okrug (from 1923 - ASSR), the Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Okrug, the Circassian (Adygeya) Autonomous Okrug, and the Chechen Autonomous Okrug were formed as part of the RSFSR. As part of the TSFSR, the Adjara Autonomous Region (1921) and the South Ossetian Autonomous Okrug (1922) were created on the territory of Georgia. Relations between Georgia and Abkhazia, two territories with a long-standing national conflict, were formalized in 1924 by an internal union treaty. As part of Azerbaijan in 1921, the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed, and in 1923 the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Okrug, populated mainly by Armenians, was formed. In 1924, the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic arose on the territory of Ukraine on the left bank of the Dniester. Such a detailed listing national entities in the USSR is due to the fact that today, during the collapse of the union state, many of them are zones and potential hotbeds of interethnic conflicts.

The peoples' acquisition of the former Russian Empire its statehood had twofold consequences. On the one hand, it awakened national self-awareness, contributed to the formation and development of national cultures, and positive changes in the structure of the indigenous population. The status of these entities constantly increased, satisfying the growth of national ambitions. On the other hand, this process required an adequate, subtle and wise policy from the central union leadership, corresponding to national revival. Otherwise, national feelings, driven inwards for the time being and their ignoring, concealed the potential danger of an explosion of nationalism in an unfavorable scenario. True, at that time the leadership thought little about this, generously carving up territories into separate state entities, even if the indigenous inhabitants did not make up the majority of the population, or easily transferring them “from hand to hand”, from one republic to another - still one potential source of tension,

In the 1920s within the framework of national-state formations, the so-called indigenization policy was carried out, which consisted of attracting national personnel to public administration. Many of the national institutions that were created did not have their own working class or any significant intelligentsia. Here the central leadership was forced to violate the principles of the “dictatorship of the proletariat” in favor of national equality, attracting very heterogeneous elements to the leadership. This side of the indigenous people marked the beginning of the formation of local elites with their inherent national specifics. However, the center made a lot of efforts to keep these local leaders “in check,” not allowing excessive independence and mercilessly dealing with “national deviationists.” Another aspect of indigenization is cultural. It consisted of determining the status of national languages, creating a written language for those peoples who did not have it, building national schools, creating their own literature, art, etc. We must pay tribute: the state paid a lot of attention to helping peoples who were backward in the past, equalizing the levels of economic, social and cultural development of individual nations.

The reform of the administrative and state structure of the country is closely related to the issues of nation-state building. The need for it was pointed out even during the revolution. But only the end of the civil war made it possible to move on to the direct solution of this task, which consisted of moving from a purely administrative one to an administrative and economic division of the state in accordance with historically established economic regions. The work was carried out under the leadership of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the State Planning Committee. The transition to the NEP required the introduction into this work of the necessary element of decentralization, transfer of part management functions to place. Nation-state building and the formation of the USSR made adjustments to the project of administrative and territorial transformations. In fact, reform began in 1923 through the creation, as an experiment, of the Ural Region on the territory of the RSFSR and in 1924 of the North Caucasus Territory. In the second half of the 1920s. 6 more territories were formed (administrative units that have an external border or include autonomies): Siberian (1925), Far Eastern (1926), Middle Volga (1928), Lower Volga (1928), Northern (1929), Nizhny Novgorod ( 1929) and 5 regions, not counting the national entities equated to them: Leningrad (1927), Central Black Earth (1928), Moscow (1929), Ivanovo Industrial (1929) and Western (1929). The previous division into provinces, districts and volosts was abolished. Territories and regions were divided into districts (soon liquidated), districts into districts, districts into village councils. At the end of the 1920s, separate national districts (10 in total) and districts were identified.

NEW CONSTITUTION OF THE RSFSR 1925

The reason for replacing the Constitution of 1918 with the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1925 was the unification of the RSFSR with other independent republics into the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the adoption of the first Constitution of the USSR in 1924. The latter stated that “the Union republics, in accordance with this Constitution, make changes to their constitutions.”

Therefore, in the resolution of the XII All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which approved the text of the 1925 Constitution, it is called “the amended text of the Constitution.”

The continuity of this Constitution with the provisions of the 1918 Constitution is significant. In a number of cases there are references to the norms of the latter, which seems to prolong their effect. So, in Art. 20 was enshrined: “The All-Russian Congress of Soviets is constituted on the grounds established by Art. 25 of the Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, adopted by the V All-Russian Congress of Soviets.” At the same time, the corresponding norm was reproduced. A similar reference to the norms of the 1918 Constitution is also found in Art. 51 of the 1925 Constitution.

Unlike the Constitution of 1918, the Constitution of 1925 did not include in its text the Declaration of the Rights of Working and Exploited People, but it stated that it was based on its main provisions and reproduced many of them.

The new thing that characterizes the content of the 1925 Constitution is as follows.

1. It reflects the fact of the RSFSR joining the USSR. This is recorded in Art. 3, where it was written that, in accordance with the will of the peoples of the RSFSR, who made the decision at the X All-Russian Congress of Soviets on the formation of the USSR, the RSFSR, being part of the USSR, transfers to the Union the powers assigned in accordance with Art. 1 of the Constitution of the USSR to the jurisdiction of the bodies of the USSR.

In Art. 19 provided that, within the limits specified in the Constitution of the USSR, and on subjects within the competence of the Union, decisions of the supreme bodies of the USSR are binding on the territory of the RSFSR. With this exception, no bodies other than the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, its Presidium and the Council of People's Commissars have the right to issue legislative acts of national importance on the territory of the RSFSR. This indirectly confirmed the sovereign rights of the RSFSR outside the rights of the Union, but there was no direct reference to the sovereignty of the RSFSR in its Constitution. It also did not secure the preservation of the right of the RSFSR to secede from the USSR (although there was such a norm in relation to all union republics in the 1924 Constitution of the USSR).

The competence of the RSFSR as a state that is part of the Union, in contrast to subsequent constitutions, was not determined directly, but only through the jurisdiction of the supreme bodies of the RSFSR.

2. In connection with the emergence of the subjects of the RSFSR, provisions were included in its Constitution defining their status and the powers of the Federation in relation to them.

In the structure of the Constitution, Ch. 4 “On Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics and Regions”, which established the principles for the formation of government bodies in them, the procedure for the adoption of basic laws (constitutions) of the ASSR and Regulations on autonomous regions.

The final approval of the constitutions of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was assigned to the authority of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets. The joint responsibility of the Congress and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee included the establishment of the borders of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the approval of the constitutions of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, the resolution of disputes between the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and other parts of the Federation, the abolition of resolutions of the congresses of Soviets of the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and autonomous regions that violate this Constitution or resolutions of the supreme bodies of the RSFSR.

E.I. Kozlova, O.E. Kutafin. Constitutional law of Russia

The first Constitution of the USSR after the legal formation of the state outlined the foundations of legal relations between the republics and approved the procedure for the exercise of state power on the territory of the USSR.

Reasons for the adoption of the Constitution

December 30, 1922 is considered the date of creation of the USSR. It was on that day that the Treaty establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was signed. This document was signed by 4 subjects: the Ukrainian SSR, the Russian SSR, the Belarusian SSR and Transcaucasia. Until this time, the Bolshevik Constitution of 1918 was in force, but it definitely had to be changed.

The adoption of the first Constitution of the USSR was due to the new political reality. The period of the Civil War was characterized by political fragmentation, that is, there was no unity in society. The Constitution of 1918 could no longer effectively influence the development of social and political life in the state.

The first Constitution of the USSR: the history of its approval

The decision to develop a draft Constitution was made at the same Congress of People's Deputies that legitimized the creation of the state in December 1922. To develop the norms of the Basic Law, legislators decided to organize the work of six commissions. Of course, there is logic in this. Firstly, each commission was responsible for a specific topic. Secondly, at that time there were not many experienced lawyers working for the Soviet government, so in the case of writing several projects, the party leadership had to choose the most competent option that corresponded to the real situation.

After the commissions developed the draft Constitution and it was approved by the Central Executive Committee, the text was sent out to the republican governments for review and to make their own proposals. The logic of this action is quite clear: in the first period of its existence, the USSR was truly a “union” and not a centralized state.

After the proposed and approved amendments were made in the summer of 1923, the document was considered at the Plenum of the RCP (b) and at a meeting of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. He gets approval. But for the complete legal legalization of a normative legal act in the form of a fundamental law of the USSR, it was necessary to convene the Second Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR. The vote to adopt the Constitution took place on January 31, 1924.

Structure of the Constitution

As we have noticed, the formation of the USSR and the first Constitution of the USSR are interconnected phenomena. Before talking about the essence of the document in detail, let's consider the structure of the text. Having briefly looked at the main points, we will see that in the structure of the Constitution we can distinguish 2 main sections: the Declaration and the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. Unlike modern constitutions, there was no section on human rights and freedoms, local self-government (at the city and village level), the electoral process, etc.

Declaration as the first section of the Constitution

The first Constitution of the USSR, instead of a preamble, had a declaration in its text. This structure is a little atypical even for the Constitutions of the 20th century, but still... What was discussed in this section?

The first Constitution of the USSR was adopted in 1924. The years of war were still fresh in the people's memory, so the reflection in the declaration of the impact of these events on people's lives seemed quite logical. The victory of the dictatorship of the proletariat over the forces of imperialism was emphasized. In a few words, the facts of the severe consequences of military operations in terms of the economy (destroyed fields, destroyed enterprises, etc.) were stated.

In addition, the “shortcomings” of the capitalist system (exploitation of man by man, inequality of peoples, discrimination based on race) were very clearly shown. The Soviet system, on the contrary, was shown as the most humane of all possible. Only the dictatorship of the proletariat, according to the authors, could become a reliable support for every resident of the state. The first Constitution of the USSR was an ideologically strong document that guaranteed a strong basis for the initial development of the Soviet state.

Powers of the USSR and Union citizenship in the Constitution of 1924

The Treaty on the Founding of the USSR provided for the division of power between the center and the authorities of the union republics. The sphere of competence of the central authorities was specifically outlined in the first chapter of the second part of the Basic Law. So, the Moscow authorities were responsible for:

Relations with foreign countries;

Credit policy both within the country and abroad;

Issues of war and peace;

Trade issues with foreign partners and within the country;

For the Soviet army, its support and development;

Transport communication and postal business;

Judicial, health and educational systems.

The first Constitution of the USSR introduced the concept of all-Union citizenship. Chapter 2 of the Treaty established that the sovereignty of the Union republics extended to their entire territory. Each republic had its own citizenship. Such a legal form of a state as a union automatically implies the extension of the sovereignty of the union to its entire territory. Accordingly, citizens of the Union republics automatically received Soviet citizenship, which gave them the right to hassle-free travel throughout the entire territory of the huge state.

Legislature

The first Constitution of the USSR was adopted in the year of the death of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. The development of the Soviet state at that time was just beginning. Let us note that the system of power approved by the Constitution of 1924 was quite good. Role legislature performed by the Central Executive Committee. This body consisted of the Council of the Union and the Council of Nationalities. The Union Council consisted of 414 deputies. Representation from each union republic was proportional, depending on the size of the population. The Council of Nationalities included 5 representatives from full-fledged union republics and one delegate from various autonomous entities (Adjara, Abkhazia, etc.). At its meetings, the CEC considered draft legislative acts submitted by: the Presidium of the CEC (a permanent body that acted during breaks between sessions of the CEC), people's commissars, and the Council of People's Commissars.

Executive and Judicial Branch

The first Constitution of the USSR defined the Council of People's Commissars as the main body of executive power. In fact, this is a modern government. The Council of People's Commissars is created by the Central Election Commission as a body in charge of the executive branch. The first Constitution of the USSR says that the composition of the Council of People's Commissars is as follows:

Chairman (analogy in the modern world - prime minister);

Several deputies (vice prime ministers);

People's Commissars responsible for policy in the main sectors of Soviet life: foreign affairs, army and navy, trade, transport, mail and telegraph (very important means of communication at that time), national economy, labor, finance, food.

What was the year 1924 marked in history?

The year of the first Constitution of the USSR left another mark on the history of the USSR - on January 21, 1924, the leader died October revolution Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin. In addition, Great Britain this year recognized the existence of the USSR as a state. As a result of international negotiations in Italy, the USSR concluded the Treaty of Rapallo, which once again confirmed the international recognition of the USSR. In the winter of 1924, a monetary reform was carried out, leading to stability in the financial sector and the virtual disappearance of inflation.