Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

The Council of Nationalities was elected by secret ballot on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage. The chamber was presided over by the chairman and his four deputies.

According to article 35 of the 1936 Constitution of the USSR, the Council of Nationalities was elected according to the norm: 25 deputies from each union republic, 11 deputies from each Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , 5 deputies from each autonomous region and one deputy from each national (since 1977 - autonomous) district ^[1] .

With the adoption of the 1977 Constitution of the USSR, the norm of representation from each Union Republic was increased to 32 deputies ^[2] .

The Council of Nationalities of the 12th convocation was elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR according to the norm: 11 deputies from each union republic, 5 deputies from each Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , 2 deputies from each autonomous region and one deputy from each autonomous region.

The Council of Nationalities did not represent directly “nationalities” in the meaning of the word adopted in the USSR (ethnic groups), but national territorial entities of all levels. For example, representatives of the regions and territories of the RSFSR with the predominant Russian population received in the Council of Nationalities 6-11 convocations only 32 out of 750 seats, along with other union republics , but much less than their share in the USSR population. Thus, the system of elections to the Council of Nationalities, based on the administrative-territorial division of the USSR , gave numerically equal representation of the same territorial status to national entities, in contrast to the Council of the Union , in which the large peoples of the country had a proportional advantage.

It also included the Council of Elders , whose status until 1989 was not legally fixed.

Actually abolished by the Law of the USSR of September 05, 1991 No. 2392-I: on October 21, 1991, the Council of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR was formed in accordance with this law, but no corresponding amendments were made to the USSR constitution and the Council of Nationalities continued to exist in Article 111 of the Constitution THE USSR. According to available photos from RIA Novosti , the chamber held its last session on December 24, 1991. ^[3]

At the time of the election

• 1 convocation - 683 members (12 union republics, 22 ASSR, 9 autonomous regions, 12 national districts)
• 2-4 convocations - 743 members (16 union republics, 16 ASSR, 9 autonomous regions, 10 national districts)
• 5 convocation - 738 members (15 union republics, 18 ASSR, 10 autonomous regions, 10 national districts)
• 6-11 convocations - 750 members (15 union republics, 20 ASSR, 8 autonomous regions, 10 national (autonomous) districts from 1977-78)
• 12 convocation - 271 members (15 union republics, 20 ASSR, 8 autonomous regions, 10 autonomous districts)

Chairman of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR - an official who was in charge of the meetings of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. The post was introduced by the Constitution of the USSR in 1936. He was elected by the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

List of Chairmen of the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR

• 1938-1946 Shvernik, Nikolai Mikhailovich (   RSFSR )
• 1946-1950 Kuznetsov, Vasily Vasilievich (   RSFSR )
• 1950-1954 Shayakhmetov, Zhumabay Shayakhmetovich (   Kazakh SSR )
• 1954-1958 Latsis, Vilis Tenisovich (   Latvian SSR )
• 1958-1966 Peyve, Jan Voldemarovich (   Latvian SSR )
• 1966-1970 Paleckis, Eustace Ignovich (   Lithuanian SSR )
• 1970-1974 Nasriddinova, Yadgar Sadykovna (   Uzbek SSR )
• 1974-1984 Ruben, Vitaly Petrovich (   Latvian SSR )
• 1984—1989 Voss, August Eduardovich (   Latvian SSR )
• 1989-1991 Nishanov, Rafik Nishanovich (   Uzbek SSR )

• Council of Nationalities in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (3rd edition)