Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
Encyclopedia
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ' onMouseout='HidePop("69192")' href="/topics/Romanization_of_Russian">Translit.
: Rossiyskaya Sovetskaya Federativnaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic
in the former Soviet Union
.
The Soviet regime, governed by the Bolshevik
s, first came to power on 7 November 1917—immediately after the Russian Provisional Government
, which governed the Russian Republic
, was overthrown in the October Revolution
. Initially, the state did not have an official name and wouldn't be recognized by neighboring countries for five months.
On 25 January 1918—at the third meeting of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
—the unrecognized state was renamed the Soviet Russian Republic. On 3 March 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
was signed, giving away much of the land of the former Russian Empire
to Germany, in exchange for peace in World War I
. On 10 July 1918 the Russian Constitution of 1918 renamed the country the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. By 1918, during the Russian Civil War
, several states within the former Russian Empire seceded, reducing the size of the country even more.
The RSFSR was recognized as an independent state internationally by only Estonia
, Finland
, Latvia
, and Lithuania
, in the Treaty of Tartu
in 1920 and by the Irish Republic
in 1920.
On 30 December 1922, with the creation of the Soviet Union
, Russia became one of six republics within the federation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic—the final name of the Soviet era for the republic—was adopted in the Soviet Constitution of 1936.
On 25 December 1991—following the collapse of the Soviet Union—it was renamed
the Russian Federation, which it remains to this day.
The Republic comprised 16 autonomous republics, five autonomous oblast
s, 10 autonomous okrug
s, six krai
s, and 40 oblasts. Russians
formed the largest ethnic group
.
The RSFSR economy was heavily industrialized. The RSFSR accounted for about two-thirds of the electricity production
in the USSR. It was the third largest producer of petroleum, trailing only the United States
and Saudi Arabia
.
In 1974 there were 475 institutes of higher education in the republic providing education in 47 languages to some 23,941,000 students. Health care was provided through a network of territorially organized public health services.
on the west; Norway
and Finland
on the northwest; and to its southeast were the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolian People's Republic, and the People's Republic of China
. Within the Soviet Union, the RSFSR bordered the Ukrainian
, Belarusian, Estonian, Latvian
and Lithuanian
SSRs to its west and Azerbaijan
, Georgian and Kazakh
SSRs to the south.
Roughly 70% of the area in the RSFSR consisted of broad plain
s, with mountainous regions mainly concentrated in the east. The area is rich in mineral resources, including petroleum, natural gas, and iron ore.
, which governed the Russian Republic
, was overthrown in the October Revolution
—although the state it governed—which did not have an official name— would be unrecognized by neighboring countries for another five months.
On 25 January 1918—at the third meeting of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
—the unrecognized state was renamed the Soviet Russian Republic. On 3 March 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
was signed, giving away much of the land of the former Russian Empire
to Germany
, in exchange for peace in World War I
. On 10 July 1918 the Russian Constitution of 1918 renamed the country the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. By 1918, during the Russian Civil War
, several states within the former Russian Empire seceded, reducing the size of the country even more.
The RSFSR was recognized as an independent state internationally by only Estonia
, Finland, Latvia
, and Lithuania
, in the Treaty of Tartu
in 1920.
approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
, by which Russia was united with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Transcaucasian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic into a single federal state, the Soviet Union
. Later treaty was included in the 1924 Soviet Constitution
, adopted on 31 January 1924 by the Second Congress of Soviets of the USSR
.
The third article of the 1925 Constitution of the RSFSR states the following:
.
With the adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution
on 5 December 1936, the size of the RSFSR was significantly reduced. The Kazakh ASSR and Kirghiz ASSR
were transformed into the Kazakh SSR and Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
. The Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
was transferred to the Uzbek SSR
.
The final name for the republic during the Soviet era was adopted by the Russian Constitution of 1937, which renamed it the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
—the northern portion of the former German province of East Prussia
—was annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Russian SFSR.
transferred Crimea
from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR
in 1954.
The Karelo-Finnish SSR
was transferred back to the RSFSR as the Karelian ASSR
in 1956.
On 29 May 1990, on his third attempt, Boris Yeltsin was elected the chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR.
On 12 June 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian SFSR
, which was the beginning of the "War of Laws
", pitting the Soviet Union against the Russian Federation and other constituent republics.
On 17 March 1991, an all-Russian referendum
created the post of President of the RSFSR. On 12 June, Boris Yeltsin
was elected President of Russia by popular vote
.
During an unsuccessful coup attempt on 19–21 August 1991 in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union and Russia, President of Russia Yeltsin strongly supported the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev
.
On 23 August, after the failure of GKChP
, in the presence of Gorbachev, Yeltsin signed a decree suspending all activity by the Communist Party of the Russian SFSR in the territory of Russia. On 6 November, he went further, banning the Communist Parties of the USSR and the RSFSR from the territory of the RSFSR.
On 8 December 1991 at Viskuli
near Brest (Belarus), the President of the Russian SFSR and the heads of Byelorussian SSR
and Ukrainian SSR
signed the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States" (known in media as Belavezha Accords
). The document, consisting of a preamble and fourteen articles, stated that the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a subject of international law
and geopolitical realitiy. However, based on the historical community of peoples, relations between them, given the bilateral treaties, the desire for a democratic rule of law, the intention to develop their relations based on mutual recognition and respect for state sovereignty, the parties agreed to the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States
. On 12 December, the agreement was ratified by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR by an overwhelming majority: 188 votes for, 6 against, 7 abstentions. On the same day, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR denounced the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
and recalled all Russian deputies from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The legality of this act is the subject of discussions because, according to the the 1978 Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian SFSR, the Supreme Soviet Russian SFSR had no right to do so.
On 24 December the President of the Russian Federation informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the Russian Federation would assume the membership of the Soviet Union in all UN organs (including membership in the UN Security Council). Thus, Russia is considered to be an original member of the UN (since 24 October 1945) along with Ukraine
(Ukrainian SSR
) and Belarus
(Byelorussian SSR
).
On 25 December the Russian SFSR was renamed the Russian Federation, and remains so to this day. The change was originally published on 6 January 1992 (Rossiyskaya Gazeta
). According to law, during 1992, it was allowed to use the old name of the RSFSR for official business (forms, seals and stamps).
The name "Russian Federation" has been also used in Soviet times.
Romanization of Russian
Romanization of the Russian alphabet is the process of transliterating the Russian language from the Cyrillic alphabet into the Latin alphabet...
: Rossiyskaya Sovetskaya Federativnaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), commonly referred to as Soviet Russia, Bolshevik Russia, or simply Russia, was the largest, most populous and economically developed republic
Republics of the Soviet Union
The Republics of the Soviet Union or the Union Republics of the Soviet Union were ethnically-based administrative units that were subordinated directly to the Government of the Soviet Union...
in the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The Soviet regime, governed by the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
s, first came to power on 7 November 1917—immediately after the Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
, which governed the Russian Republic
Russian Republic
The Russian Republic was a short-lived political entity occupying the territory of the former Russian Empire during the 1917 struggle for power that ended with the October Revolution and the establishment the Soviet regime...
, was overthrown in the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Initially, the state did not have an official name and wouldn't be recognized by neighboring countries for five months.
On 25 January 1918—at the third meeting of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
All-Russian Congress of Soviets
The All-Russian Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917–22 and of the Soviet Union until 1936. The 1918 Constitution of the Russian SFSR mandated that Congress shall convene at least twice a year...
—the unrecognized state was renamed the Soviet Russian Republic. On 3 March 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
was signed, giving away much of the land of the former Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to Germany, in exchange for peace in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On 10 July 1918 the Russian Constitution of 1918 renamed the country the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. By 1918, during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, several states within the former Russian Empire seceded, reducing the size of the country even more.
The RSFSR was recognized as an independent state internationally by only Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, in the Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu
The Treaties of Tartu were peace treaties between the Russian SFSR on one side and newly independent Estonia and Finland, which had previously been parts of Imperial Russia, on the other. They were negotiated and signed in Tartu in Estonia in 1920 after the Civil War in Finland, and after war and a...
in 1920 and by the Irish Republic
Irish Republic
The Irish Republic was a revolutionary state that declared its independence from Great Britain in January 1919. It established a legislature , a government , a court system and a police force...
in 1920.
On 30 December 1922, with the creation of the Soviet Union
Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
The Treaty on the Creation of the USSR is a document that legalized the creation of a union of several Soviet republics in the form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
, Russia became one of six republics within the federation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic—the final name of the Soviet era for the republic—was adopted in the Soviet Constitution of 1936.
On 25 December 1991—following the collapse of the Soviet Union—it was renamed
Geographical renaming
Geographical renaming is the changing of the name of a geographical feature or area. This can range from the uncontroversial change of a street name to a highly disputed change to the name of a country. Some names are changed locally but the new names are not recognised by other countries,...
the Russian Federation, which it remains to this day.
The Republic comprised 16 autonomous republics, five autonomous oblast
Oblast
Oblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
s, 10 autonomous okrug
Okrug
Okrug is an administrative division of some Slavic states. The word "okrug" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "district", or "region"....
s, six krai
Krai
Krai or kray was a type of an administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR, and is one of the types of the federal subjects of modern Russia ....
s, and 40 oblasts. Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
formed the largest ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
.
The RSFSR economy was heavily industrialized. The RSFSR accounted for about two-thirds of the electricity production
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
in the USSR. It was the third largest producer of petroleum, trailing only the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
.
In 1974 there were 475 institutes of higher education in the republic providing education in 47 languages to some 23,941,000 students. Health care was provided through a network of territorially organized public health services.
Geography
The international borders of the RSFSR touched PolandPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
on the west; Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
on the northwest; and to its southeast were the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Mongolian People's Republic, and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Within the Soviet Union, the RSFSR bordered the Ukrainian
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
, Belarusian, Estonian, Latvian
Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Latvian SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the Soviet Union. Established on 21 July 1940 as a puppet state during World War II in the territory of the previously independent Republic of Latvia after it had been occupied by...
and Lithuanian
Lithuanian SSR
The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Lithuanian SSR, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union...
SSRs to its west and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan SSR
The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Azerbaijan SSR for short, was one of the republics that made up the former Soviet Union....
, Georgian and Kazakh
Kazakh SSR
The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kazakh SSR for short, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union.At in area, it was the second largest constituent republic in the USSR, after the Russian SFSR. Its capital was Alma-Ata . Today it is the independent state of...
SSRs to the south.
Roughly 70% of the area in the RSFSR consisted of broad plain
Plain
In geography, a plain is land with relatively low relief, that is flat or gently rolling. Prairies and steppes are types of plains, and the archetype for a plain is often thought of as a grassland, but plains in their natural state may also be covered in shrublands, woodland and forest, or...
s, with mountainous regions mainly concentrated in the east. The area is rich in mineral resources, including petroleum, natural gas, and iron ore.
Early years (1917–20)
The Soviet regime first came to power on 7 November 1917—immediately after the Russian Provisional GovernmentRussian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
, which governed the Russian Republic
Russian Republic
The Russian Republic was a short-lived political entity occupying the territory of the former Russian Empire during the 1917 struggle for power that ended with the October Revolution and the establishment the Soviet regime...
, was overthrown in the October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
—although the state it governed—which did not have an official name— would be unrecognized by neighboring countries for another five months.
On 25 January 1918—at the third meeting of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets
All-Russian Congress of Soviets
The All-Russian Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917–22 and of the Soviet Union until 1936. The 1918 Constitution of the Russian SFSR mandated that Congress shall convene at least twice a year...
—the unrecognized state was renamed the Soviet Russian Republic. On 3 March 1918 the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was a peace treaty signed on March 3, 1918, mediated by South African Andrik Fuller, at Brest-Litovsk between Russia and the Central Powers, headed by Germany, marking Russia's exit from World War I.While the treaty was practically obsolete before the end of the year,...
was signed, giving away much of the land of the former Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
to Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, in exchange for peace in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. On 10 July 1918 the Russian Constitution of 1918 renamed the country the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic. By 1918, during the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
, several states within the former Russian Empire seceded, reducing the size of the country even more.
The RSFSR was recognized as an independent state internationally by only Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, Finland, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, and Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, in the Treaty of Tartu
Treaty of Tartu
The Treaties of Tartu were peace treaties between the Russian SFSR on one side and newly independent Estonia and Finland, which had previously been parts of Imperial Russia, on the other. They were negotiated and signed in Tartu in Estonia in 1920 after the Civil War in Finland, and after war and a...
in 1920.
1920s
On 30 December 1922, the First Congress of the Soviets of the USSRCongress of Soviets
The Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and several other Soviet republics from 1917–36 and again from 1989-91. After the creation of the Soviet Union, the Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union functioned as its legislative branch...
approved the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
The Treaty on the Creation of the USSR is a document that legalized the creation of a union of several Soviet republics in the form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
, by which Russia was united with the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Transcaucasian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic into a single federal state, the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. Later treaty was included in the 1924 Soviet Constitution
1924 Soviet Constitution
The 1924 Soviet Constitution legitimated the December 1922 union of the Russian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Belarusian SSR, and the Transcaucasian SFSR to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics....
, adopted on 31 January 1924 by the Second Congress of Soviets of the USSR
Congress of Soviets
The Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and several other Soviet republics from 1917–36 and again from 1989-91. After the creation of the Soviet Union, the Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union functioned as its legislative branch...
.
The third article of the 1925 Constitution of the RSFSR states the following:
According to a quotation will of the peoples of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, have decided to Tenth All-Russian Congress of SovietsAll-Russian Congress of SovietsThe All-Russian Congress of Soviets was the supreme governing body of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1917–22 and of the Soviet Union until 1936. The 1918 Constitution of the Russian SFSR mandated that Congress shall convene at least twice a year...
on the formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the transmit powers of the Union, classified in accordance with Article 1 of the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the purview of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
1930s
Many regions in Russia were affected by the Soviet famine of 1932–1933: Volga, Central Black Soil Region, North Caucasus, the Urals, the Crimea, part of Western Siberia, and the Kazakh ASSRKazakh ASSR
The Kazak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic existing from 1925 until 1936....
.
With the adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution
1936 Soviet Constitution
The 1936 Soviet constitution, adopted on December 5, 1936, and also known as the "Stalin" constitution, redesigned the government of the Soviet Union.- Basic provisions :...
on 5 December 1936, the size of the RSFSR was significantly reduced. The Kazakh ASSR and Kirghiz ASSR
Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic existing from 1920 until 1925, when it took the name of Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic....
were transformed into the Kazakh SSR and Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic
The Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Kirghiz SSR, the Kyrgyz SSR, or even Kirghizia, was one of republics that made up the Soviet Union...
. The Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
The Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. Until 1932 July 20 it was the Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast. On 1936 December 5 it was joined to the Uzbek SSR...
was transferred to the Uzbek SSR
Uzbek SSR
The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
.
The final name for the republic during the Soviet era was adopted by the Russian Constitution of 1937, which renamed it the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic.
1940s
On 17 April 1946, the Kaliningrad OblastKaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
—the northern portion of the former German province of East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
—was annexed by the Soviet Union and made part of the Russian SFSR.
1950s
Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
transferred Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
in 1954.
The Karelo-Finnish SSR
Karelo-Finnish SSR
The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic was a short-lived republic that was a part of the former Soviet Union. The republic existed from 1940 until it was merged back into the Russian SFSR in 1956 ....
was transferred back to the RSFSR as the Karelian ASSR
Karelian ASSR
The Karelian ASSR was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, with the capital in Petrozavodsk.The Karelian ASSR was formed as a part of the Russian SFSR by the Resolution of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of June 27, 1923 and by the Decree of...
in 1956.
Early 1990s
On 12 June 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies of the Republic adopted the Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian SFSR
Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic
The Declaration on State Sovereignty of the RSFSR was a political act of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, then part of the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of constitutional reform in Russia...
, which was the beginning of the "War of Laws
War of Laws
The War of Laws was the series of conflicts between the Federal Government of the Soviet Union, and the governments of the Russian Federation and other constituent republics during the last years of the USSR, which eventually led to the dissolution of the union...
", pitting the Soviet Union against the Russian Federation and other constituent republics.
On 17 March 1991, an all-Russian referendum
Russian presidential referendum, 1991
A referendum was held in Russia on 7 March 1991, asking about the introduction of the post of President of RSFSR. This referendum was held at the same time as the referendum of the preservation of USSR....
created the post of President of the RSFSR. On 12 June, Boris Yeltsin
Boris Yeltsin
Boris Nikolayevich Yeltsin was the first President of the Russian Federation, serving from 1991 to 1999.Originally a supporter of Mikhail Gorbachev, Yeltsin emerged under the perestroika reforms as one of Gorbachev's most powerful political opponents. On 29 May 1990 he was elected the chairman of...
was elected President of Russia by popular vote
Russian presidential election, 1991
Presidential elections were held in the Russian Federation on 12 June 1991. It was the first presidential election in the country's history. Boris Yeltsin was elected President of the Russian SFSR. His running-mate, Alexander Rutskoi, became Vice-President....
.
During an unsuccessful coup attempt on 19–21 August 1991 in Moscow, the capital of the Soviet Union and Russia, President of Russia Yeltsin strongly supported the President of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
.
On 23 August, after the failure of GKChP
Gang of Eight (Soviet Union)
The State Committee on the State of Emergency was a group of eight high-level officials within the Soviet government, the Communist party and the KGB who attempted a coup against Mikhail Gorbachev on 18 August 1991...
, in the presence of Gorbachev, Yeltsin signed a decree suspending all activity by the Communist Party of the Russian SFSR in the territory of Russia. On 6 November, he went further, banning the Communist Parties of the USSR and the RSFSR from the territory of the RSFSR.
On 8 December 1991 at Viskuli
Viskuli
Viskuli is hunting estate in Belavezhskaya Pushcha forest, in Pruzhany Raion, Brest Voblast, Belarus, named after the former khutor Viskuli nearby, about 8km from the Poland-Belarus border, 2km south of Belarus Route P81....
near Brest (Belarus), the President of the Russian SFSR and the heads of Byelorussian SSR
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
and Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
signed the "Agreement on the Establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States" (known in media as Belavezha Accords
Belavezha Accords
The Belavezha Accords is the agreement which declared the Soviet Union effectively dissolved and established the Commonwealth of Independent States in its place...
). The document, consisting of a preamble and fourteen articles, stated that the Soviet Union ceased to exist as a subject of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and geopolitical realitiy. However, based on the historical community of peoples, relations between them, given the bilateral treaties, the desire for a democratic rule of law, the intention to develop their relations based on mutual recognition and respect for state sovereignty, the parties agreed to the formation of the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
. On 12 December, the agreement was ratified by the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR by an overwhelming majority: 188 votes for, 6 against, 7 abstentions. On the same day, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR denounced the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
Treaty on the Creation of the USSR
The Treaty on the Creation of the USSR is a document that legalized the creation of a union of several Soviet republics in the form of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics...
and recalled all Russian deputies from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The legality of this act is the subject of discussions because, according to the the 1978 Constitution (Basic Law) of the Russian SFSR, the Supreme Soviet Russian SFSR had no right to do so.
On 24 December the President of the Russian Federation informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations that the Russian Federation would assume the membership of the Soviet Union in all UN organs (including membership in the UN Security Council). Thus, Russia is considered to be an original member of the UN (since 24 October 1945) along with Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
(Ukrainian SSR
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
) and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
(Byelorussian SSR
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic was one of fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union. It was one of the four original founding members of the Soviet Union in 1922, together with the Ukrainian SSR, the Transcaucasian SFSR and the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
).
On 25 December the Russian SFSR was renamed the Russian Federation, and remains so to this day. The change was originally published on 6 January 1992 (Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Rossiyskaya Gazeta is a Russian government daily newspaper of record which publishes the official decrees, statements and documents of state bodies...
). According to law, during 1992, it was allowed to use the old name of the RSFSR for official business (forms, seals and stamps).
The name "Russian Federation" has been also used in Soviet times.
Government
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (ASSRs) within the Russian SFSR
- Turkestan ASSR – Formed on 30 April 1918, on the territory of the former Turkestan General-GovernorateRussian TurkestanRussian Turkestan was the western part of Turkestan within the Russian Empire , comprising the oasis region to the south of the Kazakh steppes, but not the protectorates of the Emirate of Bukhara and the Khanate of Khiva.-History:-Establishment:Although Russia had been pushing south into the...
. As part of the delimitation programme of Soviet Central AsiaSoviet Central AsiaSoviet Central Asia refers to the section of Central Asia formerly controlled by the Soviet Union, as well as the time period of Soviet administration . In terms of area, it is nearly synonymous with Russian Turkestan, the name for the region during the Russian Empire...
, the Turkestan ASSR along with the Khorezm SSR and the Bukharan PSRBukharan People's Soviet RepublicThe Bukharan People's Soviet Republic was a short-lived Soviet state which governed the former Emirate of Bukhara during the period immediately following the Russian Revolution from 1920-1925. In 1924 its name was changed to the Bukharan Soviet Socialist Republic...
were disbanded on 27 October 1924, and in their place came the Union republics of Turkmen SSRTurkmen SSRThe Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Turkmen SSR for short, was one of republics of the Soviet Union in Central Asia. It was initially established on 7 August 1921 as the Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR. On 13 May 1925 it was transformed into Turkmen SSR and became a...
and Uzbek SSRUzbek SSRThe Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
. The latter contained the Tajik ASSRTajik ASSRThe Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic within the Uzbek SSR in the Soviet Union. It was created in October 1924 by a series of legal acts that partitioned the three existing regional entities in Central Asia – Turkestan ASSR, Bukharan People's Soviet Republic,...
until December 1929 when it too became a full Union republic, the Tajik SSRTajik SSRThe Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Tajik SSR for short, was one of the 15 republics that made up the Soviet Union. Located in Central Asia, the Tajik SSR was created on 5 December 1929 as a national entity for the Tajik people within the Soviet Union...
. The RSFSR retained the newly formed Kara-Kirghiz and the Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Oblasts. The latter was part of the Kirgiz, then the Kazak ASSR until 1930, when it was directly subordinated to Moscow. - Bashkir ASSRBashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union. Currently it is known as Bashkortostan....
– Formed on 23 March 1919 from several northern districts of the Orenburg Guberniya populated by BashkirsBashkirsThe Bashkirs are a Turkic people indigenous to Bashkortostan extending on both parts of the Ural mountains, on the place where Europe meets Asia. Groups of Bashkirs also live in the republic of Tatarstan, Perm Krai, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Tyumen, Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Samara and Saratov Oblasts of...
. 11 October 1990 declares its sovereignty, as Bashkir SSR, which is renamed in 1992 as the Republic of Bashkortostan. - Tatar ASSRTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicTatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was part of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. It was created on May 27, 1920...
– Formed on 27 May 1920 on the territory of the western two thirds of the Kazan GovernorateKazan GovernorateThe Kazan Governorate or Government of Kazan was a governorate of Imperial Russia from 1708–1920, with the city of Kazan as its capital.-History:...
populated by TatarsTatarsTatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
. On 30 October 1990, declared sovereignty as the Republic of TatarstanTatarstanThe Republic of Tatarstan is a federal subject of Russia located in the Volga Federal District. Its capital is the city of Kazan, which is one of Russia's largest and most prosperous cities. The republic borders with Kirov, Ulyanovsk, Samara, and Orenburg Oblasts, and with the Mari El, Udmurt,...
and on 18 October 1991 – independence. The Russian constitutional court overturned the declaration on 13 March 1992. On February 1994 a separate agreement was reached with Moscow on the status of Tatarstan as an associate state in Russia with confederate status. - Kirgiz ASSR Formed on 26 August 1920, from the UralUral OblastUral Oblast was oblast of RSFSR, USSR. It existed since 1923 to 1934, was created November 3, 1923 by association of Perm, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk and Tyumen Governorates. Oblast’s centre was city Yekaterinburg...
, Turgay, Semipalatinsk Oblasts, and parts of TranscaspiaTranscaspian RegionTranscaspian Region , or Transcaspia, was the name used from the second half of the 19th century until 1924 for the section of Russian Empire to the east of the Caspian Sea, bounded to the south by Iran's Khorasan Province and Afghanistan, to the north by the former Russian province of Uralsk, and...
, Bukey HordeBukey HordeThe Bukey Horde , also known as the Inner Horde or Interior Horde was an autonomous Khanate of Kazakhs located north of the Caspian Sea in between Ural and Volga Rivers but never reached this rivers. The khanate officially existed from 1801 to 1845, when the position of khan was abolished and the...
and Orenburg Guberniya populated by Kirgiz-Kaysaks (former name of Kazakh people). Further enlarged in 1921 upon gaining land from Omsk Guberniya and again in 1924 from parts of Jetysui Guberniya and Syr Darya and Samarkand Oblasts. On 19 April 1925 renamed as the Kazak ASSR (see below) - Mountain ASSR Formed on 20 January 1921, after the Bolshevik Red Army evicted the short-lived Mountainous Republic of the Northern CaucasusMountainous Republic of the Northern CaucasusThe Mountainous Republic of the Northern Caucasus was a short-lived state situated in the Northern Caucasus...
. Initially composed of several national districts, one-by-one these left the republic until 7 November 1924, when the remains of the republic was partitioned into the Ingush Autonomous OblastIngush Autonomous OblastIngush Autonomous Oblast was created on 7 July 1924....
, the North Ossetian Autonomous OblastNorth Ossetian Autonomous OblastThe North Ossetian Autonomous Oblast was created 1924-07-07....
and the Sunzha Cossack district (all subordinates to the North Caucasus Kray). - Dagestan ASSRDagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union. This "Land of Mountains" was known also for having a "mountain of peoples," with more than 30 nationalities or ethnic groups indigenous to the territory...
– Formed on 20 January 1921, from the former Dagestan Oblast. On 17 September 1991, declares sovereignty as the Dagestan SSR and from 17 December 1991 the Republic of Dagestan. - Crimean ASSRCrimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicCrimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was created on October 18, 1921 as Crimean Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic of RSFSR in place of Taurida Governorate and within the Crimean Peninsula,...
Formed on 18 October 1921, on the territory of CrimeaCrimeaCrimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
n peninsula, following the Red ArmyRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
's eviction of Baron Wrangel's army, ending the Russian Civil War in Europe. On 18 May 1944 disbanded following the deportation of the Crimean TatarsCrimean TatarsCrimean Tatars or Crimeans are a Turkic ethnic group that originally resided in Crimea. They speak the Crimean Tatar language...
, and transformed into the Crimean OblastCrimean OblastThe Crimean Oblast was an oblast of the former Russian SFSR and Ukrainian SSR , which was at the time part of the Soviet Union. Its capital was the city of Simferopol....
. On 19 February 1954, transferred to the Ukrainian SSRUkrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
. Re-established on 12 February 1991, and on 4 September of that year declared sovereignty. On 5 May 1992 – declared independence as the Republic of Crimea, on 13 May the Verkhovna RadaVerkhovna RadaThe Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
of Ukraine overturned the declaration, but compromised on an Autonomous Republic of Crimea, which exists to this day. - Yakut ASSRYakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Russian SFSR within the Soviet Union.It was created on April 27, 1922, during the Yakut Revolt. It is now Sakha Republic of Russia. Yakut ASSR is known for its rich oil deposits, and refineries...
– Formed on 16 February 1922 upon the elevation of the Yakut Autonomous Oblast into an ASSR. On 27 September 1990, declared sovereignty as the Yakut-Sakha Soviet Socialist Republic. From 21 December 1991 – the Republic of Sakha (Yakutiya). - Buryat ASSRBuryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union....
– Formed on 30 March 1923 as due to merger of the Mongol-Buryat Autonomous Oblast of the RSFSR and the Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Oblast of the Far Eastern RepublicFar Eastern RepublicThe Far Eastern Republic , sometimes called the Chita Republic, was a nominally independent state that existed from April 1920 to November 1922 in the easternmost part of the Russian Far East...
. Until 7 July 1958 – Mongol-Buryat ASSR. 27 March 1991 – Republic of BuryatiaBuryatiaThe Republic of Buryatia is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the city of Ulan-Ude. Its area is with a population of 972,658 .-Geography:...
. - Karelian ASSR – Formed on 23 July 1923 when the Karelian Labour Commune was integrated into the RSFSR administrative structure. On 31 March 1940, elevated into a full Union republic as the Karelo-Finnish SSRKarelo-Finnish SSRThe Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic was a short-lived republic that was a part of the former Soviet Union. The republic existed from 1940 until it was merged back into the Russian SFSR in 1956 ....
. On 16 July 1956, downgraded back into an ASSR, and re-subordinated to RSFSR. Declared sovereignty on 13 October 1991, as the Republic of KareliaRepublic of KareliaThe Republic of Karelia is a federal subject of Russia .-Geography:The republic is located in the northwestern part of Russia, taking intervening position between the basins of White and Baltic seas...
. - Volga German ASSR – Formed on 19 December 1924, upon elevation of the Volga German Autonomous Oblast into an ASSR. On 28 August 1941, upon the deportation of Volga Germans to Kazakhstan, the ASSR was disbanded. The territory was partitioned between the SaratovSaratov OblastSaratov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Volga Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Saratov. Population: -Demographics:Population:...
and StalingradVolgograd OblastVolgograd Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Volgograd. Population: -Geography:*Area: 113,900 km²;*Borders length: 2221,9 km²....
Oblasts. - Kazak ASSR Formed on 19 April 1925, when the first Kirgiz ASSR was renamed and partitioned. Upon the ratification of the new Soviet constitution, the ASSR was elevated into a full Union Republic on 3 December 1936. On 25 October 1990 declares sovereignty and on 16 December 1991 – independence as the Republic of Kazakhstan.
- Chuvash ASSRChuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union.It occupied about 18,000 square kilometres along the east bank of the Volga River, about sixty kilometres west of the river's confluence with the Kama River and some 700...
– Formed on 21 April 1925 upon the elevation of the Chuvash Autonomous Olbast into an ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 26 October 1990 as the Chuvash SSR. From 13 February 1992 – Chuvash Republic. - Kirghiz ASSRKirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Kirghiz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union within the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic existing from 1920 until 1925, when it took the name of Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic....
Formed on 1 February 1926, upon elevation of the Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast. Upon the ratification of the new Soviet constitution, the ASSR was elevated into a full Union Republic on 3 December 1936. On 12 December 1990 declares sovereignty as the Republic of Kyrgyztan and on 31 August 1991 independence. - Kara-Kalpak ASSR – Formed on 20 March 1932, upon elevation of the Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Oblast into the Kara-Kalpak ASSR, from 5 December 1936, part of the Uzbek SSRUzbek SSRThe Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic , also known as the Uzbek SSR for short, was one of the republics of the Soviet Union since its creation in 1924...
. In 1964 renamed as the Karakalpak ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 14 December 1990, and from 9 January 1992 as the Republic of Karakalpakstan. - Mordovian ASSR – Formed on 20 December 1934 upon the elevation of the Mordovian Autonomous Oblast into an ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 13 December 1990 as the Mordovian SSR. From 25 January 1991 – Republic of Mordovia.
- Udmurt ASSR – Formed on 28 December 1934 upon the elevation of the Udmurt Autonomous OblastUdmurt Autonomous OblastThe Udmurt Autonomous Oblast was formed on 4 November 1920 as the Votsk Autonomous Oblast. It was renamed on 1 January 1932 and was reorganized into the Udmurt ASSR on December 28, 1934, which was reorganized into the Udmurt Republic on 20 September 1990....
into an ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 20 September 1990. From 11 October 1991 – Udmurt Republic. - Kalmyk ASSR – Formed on 20 October 1935, upon the elevation of the Kalmyk Autonomous OblastKalmyk Autonomous OblastKalmyk Autonomous Oblast was an autonomy of the Kalmyk people within the Russian SFSR that existed at two separate periods.It was first established in November 1920. Its administrative center was Astrakhan. In June 1928, it was included into Lower Volga Krai...
into an ASSR. On 27 December 1943, upon the deporation of the Kalmyks the ASSR was disbanded and split between the newly-established Astrakhan OblastAstrakhan OblastAstrakhan Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan.-Demographics:Population: Ethnic groups...
and parts adjoined to the Rostov OblastRostov OblastRostov Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in the Southern Federal District. Rostov Oblast has an area of and a population of making it the sixth most populous federal subject in Russia...
, Krasnodar Kray and Stavropol Kray. On 9 January 1957, the Kalmyk Autonomous Oblast was re-established in present borders, first as part of Stavropol Kray and from 19 July 1958 – the Kalmyk ASSR. On 18 October 1990 declared sovereignty as the Kamlmyk SSR and from 20 October 1992, as the Republic of Kalmykiya. - Kabardino-Balkar ASSRKabardino-Balkar Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Kabardino-Balkar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in the former Soviet Union, originally part of the Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. On 16 January 1922 the region was detached from the Mountain...
– Formed on 5 December 1936, upon the departure of the Kabardino-Balkar Autonomous OblastKabardino-Balkar Autonomous OblastKabardino-Balkar Autonomous Oblast was formed in 1921 as the Kabardin Autonomous Oblast. It was renamed in 1922....
from the North Caucasus Kray. After the deportation of the BalkarsBalkarsThe Balkars are a Turkic people of the Caucasus region, one of the titular populations of Kabardino-Balkaria. They are possibly Bulgars or are descended from them...
on 8 April 1944, the republic is renamed as Kabardin ASSR and parts of its territory transferred to Georgian SSR, upon the return of the Balkars, the KBASSR is re-instated on 9 January 1957. On 31 January 1991, the republic declares sovereignty as the Kabardino-Balkar SSR, and from 10 March 1992 – Kabardino-Balkarian RepublicKabardino-BalkariaThe Kabardino-Balkar Republic , or Kabardino-Balkaria , is a federal subject of Russia located in the North Caucasus. Population: -Geography:The republic is situated in the North Caucasus mountains, with plains in the northern part....
. - Northern Ossetian ASSR – Formed on 5 December 1936, upon the disbandment of the North Caucasus Kray, and its constituent North Ossetian Autonomous OblastNorth Ossetian Autonomous OblastThe North Ossetian Autonomous Oblast was created 1924-07-07....
was raised into an ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 26 December 1990 as the North Ossetian SSR. From 9 November 1993 – Republic of North Ossetia, from 10 November 1994 – Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. - Chechen-Ingush ASSRChechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Chechen–Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, or Chechen–Ingush ASSR ;) was an autonomous republic within the Russian SFSR...
– Formed on 5 December 1936, when the North Caucausus Kray was disestablished and its constituent Chechen-Ingush Autonomous OblastChechen-Ingush Autonomous OblastChechen-Ingush Autonomous Oblast was an autonomous oblast of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, created on January 15, 1934 by merging Chechen and Ingush Autonomous Oblasts....
was elevated into an ASSR and subordinated to Mosocow. Following the en masse deportation of the Chechens and IngushIngushIngush may refer to:* The Ingush language* The Ingush people, an ethnic group of the North Caucasus...
, on 7 March 1944, the ChIASSR was disbanded, and the Grozny Okrug was temporarily administered by Stavropol Kray until the 22 March, when the territory was portioned between North Ossetian and Dagestan ASSRs, and the Georgian SSR. The remaining land was merged with Stavropol Krays Kizlyar district and organised as Grozny OblastGrozny OblastGrozny Oblast was an administrative entity of the Russian SFSR that was established as Grozny Okrug on March 7, 1944 and abolished on January 9, 1957.-Formation:...
, which existed until 9 January 1957, when the ChIASSR was re-established, though only the southern border's original shape was retained. Declared sovereignty on 27 November 1990 as the Chechen-Ingush Republic. On 8 June 1991, the 2nd Chechen National Congress proclaimed a separate Chechen-Republic (Noxchi-Cho), and on 6 September, began a coup which overthrew the Soviet local government. De facto, all authority passed to the self-proclaimed government which was renamed as the Chechen Republic of IchkeriaChechen Republic of IchkeriaThe Chechen Republic of Ichkeria is the unrecognized secessionist government of Chechnya. The republic was proclaimed in late 1991 by Dzokhar Dudayev, and fought two devastating wars between separatists and the Russian Federation which denounced secession...
in early 1993. In response, the western Ingush districts after a referendum on 28 November 1991, were organised into an Ingush Republic which was officially established on 4 June 1992, by decree of Russian President as the Republic of IngushetiaIngushetiaThe Republic of Ingushetia is a federal subject of Russia , located in the North Caucasus region with its capital at Magas. In terms of area, the republic is the smallest of Russia's federal subjects except for the two federal cities, Moscow and Saint Petersburg...
. The same decree de jure created a Chechen republic, although it would be established only on 3 June 1994 and carry out partial governance during the First Chechen WarFirst Chechen WarThe First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
. The Khasavyurt Accord would again suspend the government on 15 November 1996. The present Chechen Republic government was re-established on 15 October 1999. - Komi ASSR – Formed on 5 December 1936 upon the elevation of the Komi (Zyryan) Autonomous Oblast into an ASSR. Declared sovereignty on 23 November 1990 as the Komi SSR. From 26 May 1992 – the Republic of Komi.
- Mari ASSRMari Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicMari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was the successor of Mari Autonomous Oblast. When the Soviet Union disintegrated, the Mari ASSR became known as the Mari El Republic, a federal subject of the Russian Federation....
– Formed on 5 December 1936 upon the elevation of the Mari Autonomous OblastMari Autonomous OblastMari Autonomous Oblast was created 1920-11-04,as a part of RSFSR. Later Mari ASSR was proclaimed, eventually developed to the modern Mari El Republic within Russian Federation.The early years: Povolzhye famine, 1921 Mari wildfires....
into an ASSR. Declared Sovereignty on 22 December 1990 as the Mari Soviet Socialist Republic (Mari El). From 8 July 1992 – the Mari El Republic. - Tuva ASSRTuva Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , or the Tuvan ASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. It was created on October 10, 1961 from the Tuvan Autonomous Oblast. On March 31, 1992, its successor, the Tuva Republic, became a constituent member of the Russian...
– Formed on 10 October 1961 when the Tuva Autonomous Oblast was elevated into an ASSR. On 12 December 1990 declared sovereignty as the Soviet Republic of Tyva. From 20 November 1993 – Republic of Tyva. - Gorno Altay ASSRGorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist RepublicThe Gorno-Altai Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was an autonomous republic of the Soviet Union. It was formed on 1 June 1922 as the Oyrot Autonomous Region and became the Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast on 7 January 1948...
– Formed on 25 October 1990, when the Gorno Altay Autonomous Oblast declared sovereignty, from 3 July 1991 – Gorno Altay SSR, from May 1992 Gorno Altay Republic, and from 12 December 1993 Republic of Altay. - Karachayevo-Cherkessian ASSR – Formed on 17 November 1990, when the Karachayevo-Cherkessian Autonomous Oblast was elevated into an ASSR and, instead of Stavropol Kray, subordinated directly to Moscow. Declared sovereignty on 3 July 1991 as the Karachayevo-Cherkessian SSR. From January 1993 – Karachayevo-Cherkessian Republic.