Map: Formation of the USSR. Development of the Union State (1922-1940). 15 republics gradually united into one powerful country, which had a very strong military and economic potential. On December 30, 1922, at the Congress of Soviets, allied treaties and a declaration on the formation of the USSR were signed.

1. A month after the end of the civil war, on December 30, 1922, a new state was formed in most of the former Russian Empire - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). The USSR included four republics:

• Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR);
• Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (Ukrainian SSR);
• Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR);
• Transcaucasian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (TSFSR - a federation of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan).

Officially, the USSR was formalized as a federation of equal republics. However, in reality, the association was of a formal nature:

• three republics - the Ukrainian SSR, the BSSR and the ZSFSR - were artificial state formations created by the RSFSR with the help of military force (the Red Army), and were satellites of the RSFSR;
• in all four states, one party was in power - the Bolshevik Party, which created the appearance of national Bolshevik parties.

In fact, the created USSR was not a union of four states, but a new form of existence for the revived Russian Empire. The transformation of the Russian Empire into the USSR was the result of Lenin's national policy.

2. For the first time, the question of the structure of the future federation arose even before the creation of the USSR - during the preparation of the draft of the first Soviet Constitution in 1918. Two approaches were put forward, around which discussions were held:

• I.V.’s “autonomization” plan Stalin, according to which Russia must remain a single and indivisible state, but in which willing peoples will be allowed to create autonomies within Russia;
• plan of the federation V.I. Lenin, according to which all peoples who wish should receive independence and statehood, and then unite with Russia in an equal federation, where Russia will be one of the equal union republics.

3. Initially, I.V.'s plan took over. Stalin. As a result, the RSFSR was built according to Stalin's plan, and the USSR - according to Lenin's plan.

After the adoption of the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918 within Russia, in accordance with the plan of I.V. Stalin - the first people's commissar for nationalities, the creation of national autonomies began:

• in 1918 the first autonomy was created - the Labor Commune of the Volga Germans;
• then in 1920 - the Bashkir ASSR (Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic);
• Tatar ASSR;
• Kalmyk ASSR;
• Kirghiz ASSR (in 1925, Kyrgyzstan was renamed Kazakhstan, and another autonomy began to be called Kyrgyzstan)
• other autonomies (Yakutia, Buryatia, Mordovia, Udmurtia, etc.). The USSR was already built according to a different principle - as a federation of equal union republics (states), where the republics can secede from the USSR and have the same status with another republic - the RSFSR (according to the plan of V.I. Lenin). However, since the first union republics (Ukrainian SSR, BSSR and ZSFSR) were under the complete control of the Bolshevik Party and the RSFSR, at that time these norms were a formality - it was a democratic-looking and attractive for future members legal shell of an essentially centralized state. From the point of view of the expectation of a world revolution, this was the only correct form of unification. Future new members of the world socialist federation would hardly join Russia, while the form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics already in its name implied the global supranational nature of the new federation, which in time could unite the whole world.

4. The first Constitution of the USSR, adopted in January 1924, practically copied the structure of power in the RSFSR:

• the All-Union Congress of Soviets became the supreme body of power in the USSR;
• its working body between congresses is the All-Union Central Executive Committee (All-Union Central Executive Committee - the Soviet "mini-parliament") of the USSR;
• the supreme executive body became the Council of People's Commissars - the Council of People's Commissars (government) of the USSR;
• The USSR, just like the RSFSR before, was declared a state of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the poorest peasantry.

This system of state authorities (Congress-All-Russian Central Executive Committee-Sovnarkom) was subsequently copied in the constitutions of all the Union republics, which were adopted in 1925. Cardinal changes in the system of state power in the USSR occurred in 1936, when on December 5, 1936 it was adopted new, "Stalinist" Constitution of the USSR:

• such organs of the Leninist era as the All-Union Congress of Soviets and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee were liquidated;
• instead of them, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was created, elected by direct and equal elections;
• retained the Council of People's Commissars (Council of People's Commissars) as the highest executive body;
• all citizens of the USSR were endowed with equal rights (constitutional restrictions on the rights of the “exploiting classes” were excluded);
• the dictatorship of the proletariat and the power of the soviets were still proclaimed;
• fundamental human rights and freedoms were declared. Major changes have taken place in the composition of the federation - the USSR:
• an increase in the number of union republics began;
• the earlier division of the ZSFSR into the Georgian SSR, the Armenian SSR and the Azerbaijan USSR was constitutionally fixed;
• the separation of Central Asia from the territory of the RSFSR of Central Asia, which was previously carried out at the will of the Union and Russian leadership in one person, was constitutionally fixed;
• the creation of five Central Asian union republics on this territory is constitutionally fixed - the Kazakh SSR, the Kirghiz SSR, the Uzbek SSR, the Tajik SSR, the Turkmen SSR (formerly the autonomies of the RSFSR);
• as a result, the number of union republics increased to 11.

In all 11 republics, both old and new, standard Constitutions were adopted in 1937, largely repeating the Constitution of the USSR of 1936. Autonomous republics, autonomous regions and autonomous (originally national) districts were created in the union republics. Almost all the peoples of the USSR formally received statehood at various levels (from a union republic (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, etc.) to an autonomous district (Chukchi, Koryaks, Evenks, etc. Formally, a Jewish autonomous region was also artificially created in Siberia, although the bulk of the Jews did not live in it).Despite the outward democratic nature of the 1936 Constitution (which the Soviet press called "the most democratic Constitution in the world"), many of its provisions were fictitious.Under the conditions of Stalin's totalitarian dictatorship and repression, respect for human rights was entirely in the hands of the state, the role of the Supreme Soviet and the “nationwide elections” of 1937, held under the control of the party, was a formality; the sovereignty of the union republics was also nominal.

5. The following major changes in the composition of the Soviet federation took place in 1939-1940:

• the lands of Western Ukraine and Western Belorussia, torn away from Poland in 1939, were incorporated into the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR, respectively;
• in 1940 three new republics joined the USSR - Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia;
• in 1940, the Moldavian SSR was created on the territory of Bessarabia torn away from Romania and transferred to the USSR;
• in 1940, on a small territory of Finland, which passed to the USSR after the Soviet-Finnish war, and Karelia, an autonomy of the RSFSR, a union republic, the Karelian-Finnish SSR, was also created.

In all the new republics, following the model of the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, new, “Soviet” constitutions were adopted, bodies of power were formed according to the Soviet model (formal Supreme Soviets and Councils of People's Commissars subordinate to the center).

Thus, at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in 1941, the USSR included 16 union republics (in 1956, the Karelian-Finnish SSR was transformed into the Karelian ASSR and included in the RSFSR, the union republics again became 15). When creating new union republics, many of which did not "join" the USSR, but "separated" from the territory of the RSFSR, the borders were drawn artificially, without taking into account the national composition. Thus, significant (northern) territories populated by the ethnic Russian population found themselves in the composition of Kazakhstan; Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh), predominantly populated by Armenians, was transferred to Azerbaijan; the Moldavian SSR included territories inhabited by Russian and Ukrainian populations (Transnistria), etc. 6. The last changes in the composition of the USSR occurred during and after the end of the Great Patriotic War:

• On August 1, 1944, not without pressure from the USSR, the independent state of Tuva, a small Buddhist state located near Mongolia, joined the USSR;
• contrary to the general rule, the newly adopted republic of Tuva did not acquire the status of a union - it was included not in the USSR (as newly admitted states), but in the RSFSR as the Tuva ASSR;
• in 1945, the northern part of the former East Prussia, which became part of the USSR following the war, acquired the status of the Kaliningrad region of the RSFSR; its capital, Koenigsberg, was renamed Kaliningrad;
• the Transcarpathian region, which seceded from Czechoslovakia, became part of the Ukrainian SSR, and the Chernivtsi region, which was torn away from Romania, also became part of the Ukrainian SSR;
• in the east, the southern part of Sakhalin Island and the Kuril Islands, which became the Sakhalin Region of the RSFSR, passed to the USSR from Japan.

After that, the process of registration of the territory of the USSR was completed. The territory of the USSR did not expand further, despite the opportunities available.

The Soviet Union gave China Port Arthur, returned to the USSR after the Second World War, prevented Mongolia and Bulgaria from joining the USSR as two new union republics, which the leadership of these countries aspired to (1973).

In 1977, a new Constitution of the USSR was adopted:

• in fact, it was not a new document, an improved version of the “Stalinist” Constitution of the USSR of 1936;
• the cardinal difference between this Constitution and the previous one was the rejection of the dictatorship of the proletariat and the proclamation of the USSR as a state of the whole people;
• the article on the leading role of the Communist Party (6th article) was moved to the very beginning of the Constitution;
• confirmed the former system of organs of state power - the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Council, the Council of Ministers of the USSR;
• confirmed the existing national-state structure of the USSR - 15 union republics, autonomous republics, regions, districts within the union republics, regions and territories;
• also in the Constitution of 1977, an article was retained on the right to secede from the USSR, although at that time this article was already a complete formality. The actual leader of the USSR was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU. In the regions, direct leadership (including all other bodies) was carried out by the first secretaries of the regional committees of the CPSU. Despite the enormous power of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, the first secretaries of the regional committees, these positions were not provided for in the Constitution. In the USSR, a situation developed when unconstitutional bodies led constitutional ones. Since the post-war period, especially in the 1970s-1980s, the USSR pursued a policy of erasing national differences. All inhabitants of the USSR in the West began to be perceived as "Russians". L.I. Brezhnev and Soviet ideologists stated that a new community had formed in the USSR - the "Soviet people".

It hasn't been for over a quarter of a century. How has life changed since the collapse of the country? Which countries of the former USSR are thriving today? We will briefly try to answer this question. We will also list: which countries of the former USSR are on the world map today, which blocs and unions they belong to.

union state

Two countries that wanted to maintain economic and political ties were Belarus and Russia. After the collapse of the USSR, the presidents of the two countries signed an agreement on the creation of a union state.

Initially, it included full integration into a kind of confederation with broad autonomy within each. They even created a project for a single flag, coat of arms and anthem. However, the project stalled. The reason is different economic views on internal transformations. The Russian side accused Belarus of total state control over the economy, refusal to privatize many facilities.

President Lukashenko did not want "thieves' privatization." He believes that selling the public sector for a penny is a crime against the state. Currently, both countries are integrating into new economic associations - the Customs Union (CU) and the Eurasian Union (EAEU).

Eurasian Union (EAEU)

After the collapse of the USSR, an understanding came about the fallacy of destroying all economic ties between countries. This thought led to the creation of the EAEU. In addition to Russia and Belarus, it includes Kazakhstan, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan.

Not only the countries of the former USSR can enter it, but others as well. There was information in the media that Turkey would join him, but then all talk about this stopped. Today Tajikistan is the candidate from the former USSR.

Baltic countries

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia - three Baltic countries that traditionally stretched to the West. Today they are all members of the European Union. After the collapse of the USSR, they had one of the most developed economies: electrical engineering, perfumery, the maritime industry, mechanical engineering, shipping, etc. produced colossal production volumes.

In the Russian media, one of the favorite topics is to discuss how "bad" it has become in these countries. However, if we look at the level of GDP per capita, we will see that after the collapse of the USSR, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are among the top three leaders among all participating countries. Until 1996, Russia still kept the lead, after that the Baltic countries did not concede it.

However, there is still a trend of population decline in these countries. The reason is that the rest of the EU members live better, much more developed. This leads to the migration of young people from the Baltic states to Western Europe.

The countries of the former USSR that aspire to the EU and NATO

Other countries that want to join the EU and NATO are Georgia, Ukraine, Moldova. There is also Azerbaijan. But he does not reach the EU in the truest sense of the word, since geographically he is unlikely to be able to do this. However, Azerbaijan is a reliable friend and ally of Turkey, which, in turn, is a NATO member and a candidate for EU membership.

As for Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, they all want to join the EU, but the level of their socio-economic development does not yet allow it. The issue of NATO is even more difficult: all countries have territorial disputes, directly or indirectly connected with Russia. Ukraine makes claims on the Crimea and Donbass, which our country, in their opinion, has occupied. Georgia has lost South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Moldova has no control in Transnistria, which is also supported by Russia.

Countries that aspire to join the EAEU and the CU

There are also countries of the former USSR that want to become members of the EAEU and the CU, but so far they are not. Among them are Tajikistan (the official candidate), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Territory of the former USSR

The territory of the former USSR was about 22,400,000 square kilometers in area.

In total, it included 15 republics:

1. RSFSR.
2. Ukrainian SSR.
3. Uzbek SSR.
4. Kazakh SSR.
5. Byelorussian SSR.
6. Lithuanian SSR.
7. Latvian SSR.
8. Estonian SSR.
9. Armenian SSR.
10. Georgian SSR.
11. Turkmen SSR.
12. Tajik SSR.
13. Azerbaijan SSR.
14. Moldavian SSR.
15. Kirghiz SSR.

In addition to them, the Union included 20 autonomous republics, 18 autonomous regions and districts.

Such a division of the state with internal national autonomies was bound to lead to numerous conflicts after the collapse of the USSR. This is what happened in the end. Until now, we hear echoes in Ukraine, in Georgia, in Moldova, in Armenia.

The initial composition of the USSR was determined based on the fact that by the end of the Civil War, the power of the Bolsheviks had been established in a number of regions of the former Russian Empire. This created certain prerequisites for the unification of several regions into a single state. took place on December 30, 1922, when the All-Union Congress approved the treaty on the formation of this state, signed on December 29, 1922.

The first part of the USSR included the RSFSR, Belarus, Ukraine and the republics of Transcaucasia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia). All of them were considered independent and could theoretically leave the union at any time. In 1924, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan joined the above-mentioned republics, in 1929 - Tajikistan.

From the 18th century, the territories of present-day Kazakhstan were part of the Russian Empire on an unofficial basis. However, there was no state as such. The social system was represented by individual tribes (hordes). In 1936, the territories of Kazakhstan became part of the USSR in the format of the Kazakh ASSR. At the same time, the lands of Kyrgyzstan joined the union.

The path of the other republics to the USSR was longer and less simple. In 1940, Moldova (Bessarabia), which was part of Romania, was transferred to the USSR after the Molotov-Ribentrop Pact was signed. In the same year, the Lithuanian Seimas decided to join the USSR, and the Estonian parliament adopted a declaration of accession. Latvia was joined to the union at the same time.

Thus, we can say which republics were part of the USSR at the beginning of World War II - Ukrainian, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Russian, Moldavian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Estonian, Belarusian, Armenian and Azerbaijan.

All of them made up the most powerful state that won the Second World War, occupying one sixth of the land, on the territory of which almost all natural resources and a wide variety of cultures were represented. The USSR actively promoted communist ideas in all parts of the world, and many nations remember the cooperation of that period as a time without internecine wars, but with active construction, the flourishing of education, construction and culture.

The countries that were part of the USSR exercised the right to withdraw from the association in 1990-1991 with the formation of 15 states. As time has shown, this decision, partly due to the economic decline caused by the artificial fall in oil prices, was most likely the wrong one. As a state, the USSR was a well-oiled economic system that collapsed in the first place, causing even greater poverty on the territory of disparate states and a number of wars in which many people died.

Today, attempts are being made to close cooperation between the former republics of the collapsed empire - such a structure as the commonwealth of independent states and the customs union, which includes Belarus and the Republic of Kazakhstan, has been created.

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Soviet Union/USSR/Union SSR
Motto: "Workers of all countries, unite!"
Largest cities:	Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Tashkent, Baku, Kharkov, Minsk, Gorky, Novosibirsk, Sverdlovsk, Kuibyshev, Tbilisi, Dnepropetrovsk, Yerevan, Odessa
	Russian (de facto)
Currency unit:	Ruble of the USSR
Time Zones:
	22,402,200 km²
Population:	293 047 571 people
Form of government:	Soviet republic
Internet domain:
Telephone code:
Founding states	States after the collapse of the USSR

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics- a state that existed from 1922 to 1991 in Europe and Asia. The USSR occupied 1/6 of the inhabited land and was the largest country in the world in terms of area on the territory previously occupied by the Russian Empire without Finland, part of the Polish Kingdom and some other territories, but with Galicia, Transcarpathia, part of Prussia, Northern Bukovina, Southern Sakhalin and the Kuriles.

According to the Constitution of 1977, the USSR was proclaimed a single union multinational and socialist state.

After World War II, the USSR had land borders with Afghanistan, Hungary, Iran, China, North Korea (since September 9, 1948), Mongolia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Finland, Czechoslovakia, and only sea borders with the USA, Sweden and Japan.

Consisted of union republics (in different years from 4 to 16), according to the Constitution, they were sovereign states; each Union republic retained the right to freely secede from the Union. The Union Republic had 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. Among the 50 founding countries of the UN, along with the USSR, were its two union republics: the BSSR and the Ukrainian SSR.

Part of the republics included autonomous Soviet socialist republics (ASSR), territories, regions, autonomous regions (AO) and autonomous (until 1977 - national) districts.

After World War II, the USSR, along with the United States, was a superpower. The Soviet Union dominated the world socialist system and was also a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The collapse of the USSR was characterized by a sharp confrontation between representatives of the central allied power and the newly elected local authorities (Supreme Soviets, presidents of the union republics). In 1989-1990, all republican councils adopted declarations of state sovereignty, some of them - declarations of independence. On March 17, 1991, in 9 of the 15 republics of the USSR, an All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR was held, in which two-thirds of the citizens voted for the preservation of the renewed union. But the central authorities failed to stabilize the situation. The failed coup d'etat of the GKChP was followed by the official recognition of the independence of the Baltic republics. After the All-Ukrainian referendum on independence, where the majority of the population voted for the independence of Ukraine, the preservation of the USSR as a state entity became virtually impossible, as was announced in Agreement establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States, signed on December 8, 1991 by the heads of the three union republics - Yeltsin from the RSFSR (Russian Federation), Kravchuk from Ukraine (Ukrainian SSR) and Shushkevich from the Republic of Belarus (BSSR). The USSR officially ceased to exist on December 26, 1991. At the end of 1991, the Russian Federation was recognized as the successor state of the USSR in international legal relations and took its place in the UN Security Council.

Geography of the USSR

With an area of ​​22,400,000 square kilometers, the Soviet Union was the largest state in the world. It occupied a sixth of the land, and its size was comparable to the size of North America. The European part made up a quarter of the country's territory, and was its cultural and economic center. The Asian part (to the Pacific Ocean in the east and to the border with Afghanistan in the south) was much less populated. The length of the Soviet Union was more than 10,000 kilometers from east to west (across 11 time zones), and almost 7,200 kilometers from north to south. There are five climatic zones in the country.

The Soviet Union had the longest border in the world (over 60,000 km). The Soviet Union also bordered the United States, Afghanistan, China, Czechoslovakia, Finland, Hungary, Iran, Mongolia, North Korea, Norway, Poland, Romania and Turkey (from 1945 to 1991).

The longest river in the Soviet Union was the Irtysh. Highest mountain: Communism Peak (7495 m, now Ismail Samani Peak) in Tajikistan. Also within the USSR was the world's largest lake - the Caspian and the world's largest and deepest freshwater lake - Baikal.

History of the USSR

Formation of the USSR (1922-1923)

On December 29, 1922, at a conference of delegations from the congresses of Soviets of the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the BSSR and the ZSFSR, the Treaty on the Formation of the USSR was signed. This document was approved on December 30, 1922 by the First All-Union Congress of Soviets and signed by the heads of delegations. This date is considered the date of the formation of the USSR, although the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR (Government) and People's Commissariats (Ministries) were created only on July 6, 1923.

Pre-war period (1923-1941)

Since the autumn of 1923, and especially after the death of V. I. Lenin, a sharp political struggle for power unfolded in the country's leadership. The authoritarian methods of leadership used by I. V. Stalin to establish the regime of one-man power were established.

From the mid-1920s, the New Economic Policy (NEP) began to be curtailed, and then the forced industrialization and collectivization began; in 1932-1933 there was also a massive famine.

After a fierce factional struggle, by the end of the 1930s, Stalin's supporters completely subjugated the structures of the ruling party. A totalitarian, strictly centralized social system was created in the country.

In 1939, the Soviet-German treaties of 1939 (including the so-called Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) were concluded, dividing the spheres of influence in Europe, according to which a number of territories in Eastern Europe were defined as the sphere of the USSR. The territories designated in the agreements (with the exception of Finland) were changed in the autumn of that year and the following year. At the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, the USSR joined the Western Republic of Poland at that time.

Ukraine and Western Belarus; this territorial change is regarded in different ways: both as a “return” and as an “annexation”. Already in October 1939, the city of Vilna of the Byelorussian SSR was transferred to Lithuania, and part of Polissya to Ukraine.

In 1940, the USSR included Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bessarabia (annexed by Romania in 1918 . Bessarabia within Romania) and Northern Bukovina, the Moldavian, Latvian, Lithuanian (including 3 regions of the BSSR, which became part of the Lithuanian SSR in 1940) and the Estonian SSR were created. The accession of the Baltic States to the USSR is regarded by various sources as "voluntary accession" and as "annexation".

In 1939, the USSR offered Finland a non-aggression pact, but Finland refused. The Soviet-Finnish war (November 30, 1939 - March 12, 1940) launched by the USSR after the presentation of an ultimatum dealt a blow to the country's international authority (the USSR was expelled from the League of Nations). Due to the relatively large losses and the unpreparedness of the Red Army, the protracted war was over before the defeat of Finland; following its results, the Karelian Isthmus, Ladoga, Salla with Kuolajärvi and the western part of the Rybachy Peninsula departed from Finland to the USSR. On March 31, 1940, the Karelian-Finnish SSR (with its capital in Petrozavodsk) was formed from the Karelian ASSR and territories transferred from Finland (except for the Rybachy Peninsula, which became part of the Murmansk region).

USSR in World War II (1941-1945)

On June 22, 1941, Germany attacked the Soviet Union, violating the Non-Aggression Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. The Soviet troops managed to stop his invasion by the end of the autumn of 1941 and go on a counteroffensive from December 1941, the Battle of Moscow became the defining event. However, during the summer-autumn of 1942, the enemy managed to advance to the Volga, capturing a huge part of the country's territory. From December 1942 to 1943 there was a radical turning point in the war, the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk became decisive. In the period from 1944 to May 1945, Soviet troops liberated the entire territory of the USSR occupied by Germany, as well as the countries of Eastern Europe, victoriously ending the war by signing the Act of Germany's unconditional surrender.

The war brought great damage to the entire population of the Soviet Union, led to the death of 26.6 million people, the liquidation of a huge number of the population in the territories occupied by Germany, the destruction of part of the industry - on the one hand; the creation of a significant military-industrial potential in the eastern regions of the country, the revival of church and religious life in the country, the acquisition of significant territories, the victory over fascism - on the other hand.

In 1941-1945 a number of peoples were deported from their places of traditional residence. In 1944-1947. The USSR included:

• the Tuva People's Republic, which received the status of an autonomous region within the RSFSR;
• The northern part of East Prussia, which became part of the RSFSR as the Kaliningrad region;
• Transcarpathia (Transcarpathian region of the Ukrainian SSR);
• Pechenga, which became part of the Murmansk region;
• South Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, which formed the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk region as part of the Khabarovsk Territory of the RSFSR.

At the same time, the Belostok region, parts of the Grodno and Brest regions of the BSSR, as well as parts of the Lvov and Drogobych regions of the Ukrainian SSR became part of Poland.

Post-war period (1945-1953)

After the victory in the war, the demilitarization of the USSR economy was carried out, its restoration in the areas affected by the occupation. By 1950, industrial production had increased by 73% compared to pre-war levels. Agriculture recovered at a slower pace, with enormous difficulties, mistakes and miscalculations. Nevertheless, already in 1947 the food situation stabilized, cards for food and industrial goods were abolished, and a monetary reform was carried out, which made it possible to stabilize the financial situation.

In accordance with the decisions of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, the USSR established control over the respective occupation zones in Germany and Austria in 1945-1949. In a number of Eastern European countries, the establishment of communist regimes began, as a result of which a military-political bloc of states allied to the USSR (the socialist camp, the Warsaw Pact) was created. Immediately after the end of the World War, a period of global political and ideological confrontation began between the USSR and other socialist countries, on the one hand, and Western countries, on the other, which in 1947 was called the Cold War, accompanied by an arms race.

"Khrushchev thaw" (1953-1964)

At the 20th Congress of the CPSU (1956), N. S. Khrushchev criticized the personality cult of I. V. Stalin. The rehabilitation of the victims of repressions began, more attention was paid to raising the standard of living of the people, developing agriculture, housing construction, and light industry.

The political situation inside the country has become softer. Many members of the intelligentsia took Khrushchev's report as a call for publicity; samizdat appeared, which was only allowed to expose the "cult of personality", criticism of the CPSU and the existing system was still prohibited.

The concentration of scientific and production forces, material resources in certain areas of science and technology made it possible to achieve significant achievements: the world's first nuclear power plant was created (1954), the first artificial Earth satellite was launched (1957), the first manned spacecraft with a pilot-cosmonaut (1961) and others

In the foreign policy of this period, the USSR supported political regimes that were beneficial from the point of view of the country's interests in different countries. In 1956, Soviet troops participated in the suppression of the uprising in Hungary. In 1962, disagreements between the USSR and the USA almost led to a nuclear war.

In 1960, a diplomatic conflict with China began, which split the world communist movement.

"Stagnation" (1964-1985)

In 1964 Khrushchev was removed from power. Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev became the new first secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, in fact the head of state. The period of the 1970s-1980s was called in the sources of that time era of developed socialism.

During Brezhnev's rule, new cities and towns, plants and factories, palaces of culture and stadiums were built in the country; universities were created, new schools and hospitals were opened. The USSR came to the forefront in space exploration, the development of aviation, nuclear energy, fundamental and applied sciences. Certain achievements were observed in education, medicine, social security system. World-wide fame and recognition was given to the work of famous cultural figures. Soviet athletes achieved high results in the international arena. In 1980, the XXII Summer Olympiad was held in Moscow.

At the same time, there was a decisive turn towards curtailing the remnants of the thaw. With the advent of Brezhnev to power, the state security agencies intensified the fight against dissent - the first sign of this was the process of Sinyavsky - Daniel. In 1968, the USSR army entered Czechoslovakia in order to suppress the trend of political reforms. The resignation of A. T. Tvardovsky from the post of editor of the journal Novy Mir in early 1970 was perceived as a sign of the final elimination of the “thaw”.

In 1975, an uprising took place on the Watchtower - an armed manifestation of disobedience by a group of Soviet military sailors on a large anti-submarine ship (BPK) of the USSR Navy Watchtower. The leader of the uprising was the political officer of the ship, captain of the 3rd rank Valery Sablin.

Since the beginning of the 1970s, Jewish emigration has been coming from the USSR. Many famous writers, actors, musicians, athletes, and scientists emigrated.

In the field of foreign policy, Brezhnev did a lot to achieve political detente in the 1970s. American-Soviet treaties on the limitation of strategic offensive weapons were concluded (although, since 1967, the accelerated installation of intercontinental missiles in underground mines began), which, however, were not supported by adequate measures of trust and control.

Thanks to some liberalization, a dissident movement appeared, such names as Andrei Sakharov and Alexander Solzhenitsyn became famous. The ideas of the dissidents did not find the support of the majority of the population of the USSR. Since 1965, the USSR provided military assistance to North Vietnam in the fight against the United States and South Vietnam, which lasted until 1973 and ended with the withdrawal of American troops and the unification of Vietnam. In 1968, the USSR army entered Czechoslovakia in order to suppress the trend of political reforms. In 1979, the USSR introduced a limited military contingent into the DRA at the request of the Afghan government (see Afghan War (1979-1989)), which led to the end of détente and the resumption of the Cold War. From 1989 to 1994, Soviet troops were withdrawn from all controlled territories.

Perestroika (1985-1991)

In 1985, after the death of K. U. Chernenko, M. S. Gorbachev came to power in the country. In 1985-1986, Gorbachev pursued the so-called policy of accelerating socio-economic development, which consisted in recognizing certain shortcomings of the existing system and trying to correct them with several large administrative campaigns (the so-called "Acceleration") - an anti-alcohol campaign, "the fight against non-working income”, the introduction of state acceptance. After the January 1987 plenum, the country's leadership launched cardinal reforms. In fact, the new state ideology was declared "perestroika" - a set of economic and political reforms. In the course of perestroika (since the second half of 1989, after the first Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR), the political confrontation between the forces advocating the socialist path of development and parties and movements that link the country's future with the organization of life on the principles of capitalism sharply escalated, as well as confrontation over issues of the future the image of the Soviet Union, the relationship between union and republican bodies of state power and administration. By the early 1990s, perestroika reached a dead end. The authorities could no longer stop the approaching collapse of the USSR.

The USSR officially ceased to exist on December 26, 1991. In its place, a number of independent states have formed (currently 19, 15 of which are UN members, 2 are partially recognized by UN member countries, and 2 are not recognized by any of the UN member countries). As a result of the collapse of the USSR, the territory of Russia (the successor country of the USSR in terms of external assets and liabilities, and in the UN) decreased compared to the territory of the USSR by 24% (from 22.4 to 17 million km²), and the population decreased by 49% (from 290 to 148 million people) (at the same time, the territory of Russia has practically not changed compared to the territory of the RSFSR). The unified armed forces and the ruble zone disintegrated. A number of interethnic conflicts flare up on the territory of the USSR, the most acute of which is the Karabakh conflict, since 1988 there have been mass pogroms of both Armenians and Azerbaijanis. In 1989, the Supreme Council of the Armenian SSR announces the annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Azerbaijan SSR begins a blockade. In April 1991, a war actually begins between the two Soviet republics.

Political system and ideology

Article 2 of the USSR Constitution of 1977 proclaimed: “ All power in the USSR belongs to the people. The people exercise state power through the Soviets of People's Deputies, which constitute the political foundation of the USSR. All other state bodies are controlled and accountable to the Councils of People's Deputies.» Candidates from labor collectives, trade unions, youth organizations (VLKSM), amateur creative organizations and from the party (CPSU) were nominated in the elections.

Before the proclamation of socialism in the USSR by the Constitution of 1936, the dictatorship of the proletariat and peasantry was officially proclaimed in the USSR. Article 3 of the Constitution of 1936 stated: "All power in the USSR belongs to the working people of town and countryside represented by the Soviets of Working People's Deputies."

The Soviet political system rejected the principle of separation and independence of powers, putting the legislative power above the executive and judicial. Formally, only the decrees of the legislator, that is, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (V.S. USSR), were formally the source of law, although the actual practice differed significantly from the constitutional provisions. Day-to-day lawmaking in practice was carried out by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, which consisted of the Chairman, 15 Vice-Chairmen, the Secretary and 20 other members. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR, elected for 4 years, elected the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, formed the Council of Ministers of the USSR, elected judges of the Supreme Court of the USSR and appointed the Prosecutor General of the USSR.

Collective head of state in 1922-1937. there was the All-Union Congress of Soviets, in the intervals between congresses - its Presidium. In 1937-1989. the collective head of state was the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in the intervals between sessions - the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1989-1990 the sole head of state was the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, in 1990-1991. - President of the USSR.

The actual power in the USSR belonged to the leadership of the CPSU [VKP (b)], which functioned in accordance with its internal charter. Unlike earlier constitutions, the 1977 Constitution for the first time reflected the actual role of the CPSU in state governance: "The guiding and guiding force of Soviet society, the core of its political system, state and public organizations is the Communist Party of the Soviet Union." (Article 6th)

In the USSR, no ideology was legally proclaimed state or dominant; but, in view of the political monopoly of the Communist Party, such was the de facto ideology of the CPSU - Marxism-Leninism, which in the late USSR was called "socialist Marxist-Leninist ideology." The political system of the USSR was seen as a "socialist state", that is, as "the political part of the superstructure over the economic basis of socialism, a new type of state that will replace the bourgeois state as a result of the socialist revolution." However, as Western researchers of Soviet society noted, in the late USSR Marxism in reality transformed into a nationalist and etatic ideology, while classical Marxism proclaimed the withering away of the state under socialism.

The only institutions that legally remained (but were often subjected to persecution) as organized carriers of a fundamentally different ideology hostile to Marxism-Leninism were registered religious associations (religious societies and groups) ( see the Religion in the USSR section below for more details.).

Legal and judicial systems

The Marxist-Leninist ideology in the USSR considered the state and law in general as a political part of the superstructure over the economic basis of society and emphasized the class nature of law, which was defined as "the will of the ruling class elevated to law." A later modification of this interpretation of law read: “Law is the state will erected into law.”

The “socialist law” (“the highest historical type of law”) that existed in the late (nationwide) USSR was considered the will of the people elevated to law: it “for the first time in history establishes and really guarantees truly democratic freedoms”

Soviet socialist law was considered by some researchers in the West as a kind of Roman law, but Soviet jurists insisted on its independent status, which was recognized by the world community in practice after the Second World War by the election of judges representing it to the International Court of Justice - in accordance with Article 9 of the Charter of the Court , providing for the representation of the main forms of civilization and legal systems.

The foundations of the judicial system of the USSR were laid before its establishment - in the RSFSR - by a number of decrees, the first of which was the Decree of the Council of People's Commissars "On the Court" of November 22, 1917 ( see article Decrees on Judgment). The main element of the judicial system was proclaimed the "people's court" of the city or district (court of general jurisdiction), which was elected directly by citizens. The Constitution of 1977 set out the basic principles of the organization of the judicial system of the USSR in Chapter 20. The higher courts were elected by the respective Councils. The people's courts included a judge and people's assessors who took part in the consideration of civil and criminal cases (Article 154 of the 1977 Constitution).

The function of supreme supervision "over the exact and uniform execution of laws by all ministries, state committees and departments, enterprises, institutions and organizations, executive and administrative bodies of local Soviets of People's Deputies, collective farms, cooperative and other public organizations, officials, as well as citizens" was assigned to General Prosecutor's Office (Chapter 21st). The Constitution (Article 168) declared the independence of the prosecutor's office from any local authorities, although there is evidence that the prosecutors were under the direct operational control of the NKVD.

Leaders of the USSR and their contribution to the development of the USSR

Legally, the head of state was considered: since 1922 - Chairman of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, since 1938 - Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, since 1989 - Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, since 1990 - President of the USSR. The head of government was the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, since 1946 - the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, who was usually a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU.

head of state

Head of the government

Chairmen of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee: L. B. Kamenev (since October 27 (November 9), 1917), Ya. M. Sverdlov (from November 8 (November 21), 1917), M. I. Kalinin (since March 30, 1919). Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (Presidium of the Central Executive Committee) of the USSR: M. I. Kalinin 1938-1946 N. M. Shvernik 1946-1953 K. E. Voroshilov 1953-1960 L. I. Brezhnev 1960-1964, first (general) secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1964-1982 A. I. Mikoyan 1964-1965 N. V. Podgorny 1965-1977 L. I. Brezhnev (1977-1982), first (general) secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1964-1982 Yu. V. Andropov (1983-1984), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1982-1984 K. U. Chernenko (1984-1985), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU 1984-1985 A. A. Gromyko (1985-1988) M. S. Gorbachev (1985-1991), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1985-1991. USSR President: M. S. Gorbachev March 15, 1990 - December 25, 1991.

V. I. Lenin (1922-1924) A. I. Rykov (1924-1930) V. M. Molotov (1930-1941) I. V. Stalin (1941-1953), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (CPSU) in 1922-1934 G. M. Malenkov (March 1953-1955) N. A. Bulganin (1955-1958) N. S. Khrushchev (1958-1964), First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU in 1953-1964 A. N. Kosygin (1964-1980) N. A. Tikhonov (1980-1985) N. I. Ryzhkov (1985-1991) Prime Minister of the USSR: V. S. Pavlov (1991) Chairman of the KOUNKH of the USSR, IEC of the USSR: I. S. Silaev (1991)

There were eight actual leaders of the USSR in the entire history of its existence (including Georgy Malenkov): 4 chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars / Council of Ministers (Lenin, Stalin, Malenkov, Khrushchev) and 4 chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Council (Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev). Gorbachev was also the only president of the USSR.

Beginning with N. S. Khrushchev, the General (First) Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU (VKP (b)) was the actual head of state, usually also the chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Under Lenin, the treaty on the formation of the USSR laid the foundations for the state structure, enshrined in the first Constitution of the USSR. The founder of the USSR ruled the Soviet Union for a little over a year - from December 1922 to January 1924, during a period of sharp deterioration in health.

During the reign of I.V. Stalin, collectivization and industrialization were carried out, the Stakhanov movement began, and the result of intra-factional struggle in the CPSU (b) in the 1930s was Stalin's repressions (their peak came in 1937-1938). In 1936, a new Constitution of the USSR was adopted, which increased the number of union republics. The Great Patriotic War was won, new territories were annexed, and the world socialist system was formed. After the joint defeat of Japan by the allies, a sharp aggravation of relations between the USSR and its allies in the anti-Hitler coalition began - the Cold War, the formal beginning of which is often associated with the Fulton speech of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on March 5, 1946. At the same time, a treaty of eternal friendship was signed with Finland. In 1949, the USSR became a nuclear power. He was the first in the world to test the hydrogen bomb.

Under G. M. Malenkov, who after Stalin's death took over his post as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, an amnesty was held for prisoners for minor violations, the Doctors' Case was closed, and the first rehabilitations of victims of political repressions were carried out. In the field of agriculture: increasing purchase prices, reducing the tax burden. Under the personal supervision of Malenkov, the first industrial nuclear power plant in the world was launched in the USSR. In the field of economics, he proposed to remove the emphasis on heavy industry and move on to the production of consumer goods, but after his resignation, this idea was rejected.

N. S. Khrushchev condemned the personality cult of Stalin and carried out some democratization, which was called the Khrushchev thaw. The slogan "catch up and overtake" was put forward, calling for the shortest possible time to get ahead of the capitalist countries (in particular the United States) in terms of economic development. The development of virgin lands was continued. The USSR launched the first artificial satellite and put a man into space, was the first to launch spacecraft towards the Moon, Venus and Mars, built a nuclear power plant and a peaceful ship with a nuclear reactor - the Lenin icebreaker. During the reign of Khrushchev, the peak of the Cold War came - the Cuban Missile Crisis. In 1961, the building of communism until 1980 was announced. In agriculture, Khrushchev's policy (sowing corn, dividing regional committees, fighting subsidiary plots) gave negative results. In 1964, Khrushchev was removed from office and retired.

The time of L. I. Brezhnev's leadership in the USSR was generally peaceful and, according to the conclusion of Soviet theorists, culminated in the construction of developed socialism, the formation of a nationwide state and the formation of a new historical community - the Soviet people. These provisions were enshrined in the Constitution of the USSR in 1977. In 1979, Soviet troops entered Afghanistan. In 1980, the Moscow Olympics took place. The second half of the reign of L. I. Brezhnev is called a period of stagnation.

Yu. V. Andropov during his short leadership of the party and the state was remembered, first of all, as a fighter for labor discipline; K. U. Chernenko, who replaced him, was seriously ill, and the leadership of the country under him was actually concentrated in the hands of his entourage, who sought to return to the "Brezhnev" order. A significant drop in world oil prices in 1986 caused a deterioration in the economic situation of the USSR. The leadership of the CPSU (Gorbachev, Yakovlev and others) decided to start reforming the Soviet system, which went down in history as "Perestroika". In 1989, Soviet troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan. The reforms of MS Gorbachev were an attempt to change the political system of the USSR within the framework of the economic theory of Marxism. Gorbachev somewhat eased the oppression of censorship (the policy of glasnost), allowed alternative elections, introduced a permanent Supreme Soviet, and took the first steps towards a market economy. In 1990 he became the first president of the Soviet Union. In 1991 he retired.

Economy of the USSR

By the early 1930s, most of the economy, the entire industry and 99.9% of agriculture was state-owned or cooperative, which made it possible to use resources more rationally, distribute them fairly and significantly improve working conditions compared to pre-Soviet ones. The development of the economy required a transition to a five-year form of economic planning. The industrialization of the USSR was carried out over several years. Turksib, the Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Works, and new machine-building enterprises in the Urals were built.

By the beginning of the war, a significant part of the production was in Siberia, Central Asia, this made it possible to effectively switch to the wartime mobilization regime. After the Great Patriotic War, the restoration of the USSR began, new sectors of the economy appeared: the rocket industry, electrical engineering, and new power plants appeared. A significant volume of the economy of the USSR was military production.

The industry was dominated by heavy industry. In 1986, in the total volume of industrial output, group "A" (production of means of production) accounted for 75.3%, for group "B" (production of consumer goods) - 24.7%. Industries that ensure scientific and technological progress developed at an accelerated pace. Between 1940 and 1986, the output of the electric power industry increased 41 times, that of mechanical engineering and metalworking, 105 times, and that of the chemical and petrochemical industries, 79 times.

About 64% of the foreign trade turnover was accounted for by the socialist countries, including 60% by the CMEA member countries; over 22% - to the developed capitalist countries (Germany, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, etc.); over 14% - to developing countries.

The composition of the economic regions of the USSR changed in accordance with the tasks of improving the management and planning of the national economy in order to accelerate the pace and increase the efficiency of social production. Plans for the 1st five-year plan (1929-1932) were drawn up for 24 districts, the 2nd five-year plan (1933-1937) for 32 districts and the zone of the North, the 3rd (1938-1942) for 9 districts and 10 union republics, at the same time, the regions and territories were grouped into 13 main economic regions, according to which the planning of the development of the national economy in the territorial context was carried out. In 1963, a taxonomic grid was approved, refined in 1966, including 19 large economic regions and the Moldavian SSR.

Armed Forces of the USSR

Until February 1946, the USSR Armed Forces consisted of the Red Army (RKKA) and the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Fleet. By May 1945, the number was 11,300,000 people. From February 25, 1946 until the beginning of 1992, the USSR Armed Forces were called the Soviet Army. The Soviet army included the Strategic Missile Forces, SV, Air Defense Forces, Air Force and other formations, except for the Navy, the Border Troops of the KGB of the USSR, and the Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs. Throughout the history of the USSR Armed Forces, the post of Supreme Commander-in-Chief was introduced twice. The first time Joseph Stalin was appointed to it, the second time - Mikhail Gorbachev. The USSR Armed Forces consisted of five types: Strategic Missile Forces (1960), Ground Waxes (1946), Air Defense Forces (1948), Navy and Air Force (1946), and also included the rear of the USSR Armed Forces, the headquarters and troops of the Civil Defense (GO) of the USSR, the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR, the border troops of the State Security Committee (KGB) of the USSR.

The highest state leadership in the field of defense of the country, on the basis of laws, was carried out by the highest bodies of state power and administration of the USSR, guided by the policy of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), directing the work of the entire state apparatus in such a way that, when solving any issues of governing the country, the interests of strengthening its defense capability must be taken into account : - Council of Defense of the USSR (Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense of the RSFSR), Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Article (Art.) 73 and 108, Constitution of the USSR), Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Art. 121, Constitution of the USSR), Council of Ministers of the USSR (Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR) (Article 131, Constitution of the USSR).

The USSR Defense Council coordinated the activities of the bodies of the Soviet state in the field of strengthening defense, approving the main directions for the development of the USSR Armed Forces. The USSR Defense Council was headed by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

The penitentiary system and special services

1917—1954

In 1917, in connection with the threat of an anti-Bolshevik strike, the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (VChK) was formed, headed by F. E. Dzerzhinsky. On February 6, 1922, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the RSFSR adopted a resolution on the abolition of the Cheka and the formation of the State Political Directorate (GPU) under the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD) of the RSFSR. The troops of the Cheka were transformed into GPU troops. Thus, the management of the police and state security was in front of one department. After the formation of the USSR, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on November 15, 1923 adopted a resolution on the creation of the United State Political Administration (OGPU) under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and approves the "Regulations on the OGPU of the USSR and its bodies." Prior to this, the GPUs of the union republics (where they were created) existed as independent structures, with a single union executive power. People's Commissariats of Internal Affairs of the Union republics were exempted from the functions of ensuring state security.

On May 9, 1924, the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR adopts a resolution on the expansion of the rights of the OGPU in order to combat banditry, which provided for the operational subordination of the OGPU of the USSR and its local subdivisions of the police and criminal investigation departments. On July 10, 1934, the Central Executive Committee of the USSR adopted a resolution "On the Formation of the All-Union People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the USSR", which included the OGPU of the USSR, renamed the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB). The organs of the NKVD of the USSR carried out the Great Terror, the victims of which were hundreds of thousands of people. From 1934 to 1936 The NKVD was led by G. G. Yagoda. From 1936 to 1938, the NKVD was headed by N.I. Yezhov, from November 1938 to December 1945, L.P. Beria was the head of the NKVD.

On February 3, 1941, the NKVD of the USSR was divided into two independent bodies: the NKVD of the USSR and the People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB) of the USSR. In July 1941, the NKGB of the USSR and the NKVD of the USSR were again merged into a single people's commissariat - the NKVD of the USSR. The People's Commissar for State Security was V. N. Merkulov. In April 1943, the NKGB of the USSR was again separated from the NKVD. Most likely, the SMERSH GUKR was created on April 19, 1943. On March 15, 1946, the NKGB of the USSR was renamed the Ministry of State Security (MGB) of the USSR. In 1947, the Committee of Information (CI) was established under the Council of Ministers of the USSR, in February 1949 it was transformed into the CI under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR. Then intelligence was again returned to the system of state security organs - in January 1952, the First Main Directorate (PGU) of the USSR Ministry of State Security was organized. On March 7, 1953, a decision was made to merge the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of the USSR and the Ministry of State Security of the USSR into a single Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR.

Heads of the Cheka-GPU-OGPU-NKVD-NKGB-MGB

• F. E. Dzerzhinsky
• V. R. Menzhinsky
• G. G. Yagoda
• N. I. Ezhov
• L. P. Beria
• V. N. Merkulov
• V. S. Abakumov
• S. D. Ignatiev
• S. N. Kruglov

1954—1992

On March 13, 1954, the State Security Committee (KGB) was established under the Council of Ministers of the USSR (since July 5, 1978 - the KGB of the USSR). The KGB system included state security agencies, border troops and government communications troops, military counterintelligence agencies, educational institutions and research institutions. In 1978, Yu. V. Andropov, as Chairman, achieved an increase in the status of the State Security bodies and the withdrawal from the direct subordination of the Council of Ministers of the USSR. March 20, 1991 received the status of the central body of state administration of the USSR, headed by the Minister of the USSR. Abolished December 3, 1991.

Territorial division of the USSR

The total area of ​​the territory of the Soviet Union as of August 1991 was 22.4 million km².
Initially, according to the Treaty on the Formation of the USSR (December 30, 1922), the USSR included:

• Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic,
• Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic,
• Belarusian Socialist Soviet Republic(until 1922 - the Socialist Soviet Republic of Belarus, SSRB),
• Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic.

On May 13, 1925, the Uzbek SSR, separated on October 27, 1924 from the RSFSR, the Bukhara SSR, and the Khorezm NSR, entered the USSR.

On December 5, 1929, the Tajik SSR, separated on October 16, 1929 from the Uzbek SSR, entered the USSR.

On December 5, 1936, the Azerbaijan, Armenian and Georgian SSR, which left the Transcaucasian SFSR, entered the USSR. At the same time, the Kazakh and Kirghiz SSR, which left the RSFSR, entered the USSR.

In 1940, the Karelian-Finnish, Moldavian, Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian SSRs entered the USSR.

In 1956, the Karelian-Finnish Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was transformed into the Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the RSFSR.

On September 6, 1991, the State Council of the USSR recognized the withdrawal from the USSR of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

On December 25, 1991, the President of the USSR M. S. Gorbachev resigned. State structures of the USSR self-liquidated.

Administrative-territorial division of the USSR
	Territory, thousand km?	Population, thousand people (1966)	Population, thousand people (1989)	Number of cities	Number of towns	Administrative center
Uzbek SSR
Kazakh SSR
Georgian SSR
Azerbaijan SSR
Lithuanian SSR
Moldavian SSR
Latvian SSR
Kirghiz SSR
Tajik SSR
Armenian SSR
Turkmen SSR
Estonian SSR

Large republics, in turn, were divided into regions, ASSR and AO. Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian SSR (before 1952 and after 1953); Turkmen SSR (from 1963 to 1970) The Moldavian and Armenian SSRs were divided only into districts.

The RSFSR also included krais, and the krais included autonomous regions (there were exceptions, for example, the Tuva Autonomous Okrug until 1961). The regions and krais of the RSFSR also included national okrugs (later called autonomous okrugs). There were also cities of republican subordination, the status of which was not specified in the constitutions (until 1977): in fact, they were separate entities, since their Councils had the appropriate powers.

Some union republics (RSFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Georgian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Uzbek SSR, Tajik SSR) included Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (ASSR) and autonomous regions.

All the above administrative-territorial units were divided into districts and cities of regional, regional and republican subordination.