Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

The Supreme Soviet of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSUSSR) was the main legislative body of the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1991, replacing the Congress of Soviets. The Supreme Soviet consisted of two chambers: the Soviet of the Union, the lower chamber which represented the interests of the Soviet people as a whole, and the Soviet of Nationalities, the upper chamber which represented the interests of each ethnic population of the Union individually. The body had the exclusive rights to issue the laws of the Soviet Union and has the duty of electing the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the Council of People's Commissars, and the Supreme Court.

The two chambers are equal in their powers; they each have the right to initiate legislation, and their sessions begin and end simultaneously. In order to pass a law both chambers had to pass a bill by a majority vote to make it a law. In the event of a disagreement between the chambers a compromise would be attempted but if this also fails the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet dissolved the session and called for new elections. The Supreme Soviet met at least twice a year, with the Presidium and Union Republics having the ability to convene additional sessions. When in session the chambers heard reports from the Presidium, Council of Ministers etc, on actions a made during the period between sessions, whilst also having the power to exercise control via permanent commissions of the chambers.

The Supreme Soviet is elected by the population via universal, direct, and equal suffrage by secret ballot. Deputies for the Soviet of the Union each represented the same number of number of people as a percentage of the total population. Deputies for the Soviet of Nationalities were elected in accordance to the principle of 32 deputies for each Union republic, 11 deputies for each autonomous republic, 5 deputies for each autonomous oblast, and 1 deputy for each national okrug. Under the 1936 constitution members of the Supreme Soviet were elected for four-year terms, and the Soviet of the Union had one deputy for every 300,000 people. This was changed in the 1977 constitution to five-year terms with the number of seats in the Soviet of the Union becoming the same as the Soviet of Nationalities, regardless of the population size.

Supreme Soviets of union and autonomous republics

In each Union republic or autonomous republic, the highest body of state power is the single-chamber Supreme Soviet of that republic. It is elected by the population of the respective republic according to the principles of representation established by its constitution.

Supreme soviets of union republics

Soviet Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
Russian SFSR	Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Верховный Совет РСФСР	1938	1993	Constitutional Conference (1993) Federal Assembly (1993–present)
Ukrainian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR Верховный Совет Украинской ССР Верховна Рада Української РСР	1937	1996	Verkhovna Rada
Byelorussian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Byelorussian SSR Верховный Совет Белорусской ССР Вярхоўны Савет Беларускай ССР	1938	1994	Supreme Council (1994–96) National Assembly (1996–present)
Uzbek SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Uzbek SSR Верховный Совет Узбекской ССР Ўзбекистон ССР Олий Совети	1938	1992	Supreme Council (1992–1995) Oliy Majlis (1995–present)
Kazakh SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR Верховный Совет Казахской ССР Қазақ ССР Жоғарғы Советі	1937	1993	Supreme Council (1993–95) Parliament (1996–present)
Georgian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Georgian SSR Верховный Совет Грузинской ССР საქართველოს სსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო	1938	1992	State Council (1992–1995) Parliament (1995–present)
Azerbaijan SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan SSR Верховный Совет Азербайджа́нской ССР Азәрбаjҹан ССР Али Совети	1938	1995	National Assembly
Lithuanian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR Верховный Совет Литовской ССР Lietuvos TSR Aukščiausioji Taryba	1940	1990	Supreme Council (1990–1992) Seimas (1992–present)
Moldavian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR Верховный Совет Молдавской ССР Совиетул Супрем ал РСС Молдовеняскэ (Moldovan Cyrillic) Sovietul Suprem al RSS Moldovenească (Latin alphabet)	1941	1993	Parliament
Latvian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR Верховный Совет Латвийской ССР Latvijas PSR Augstākā Padome	1940	1990	Supreme Council (1990–1993) Saeima (1993–present)
Kirghiz SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz SSR Верховный Совет Киргизской ССР Кыргыз ССР Жогорку Совети	1938	1994	Supreme Council
Tajik SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Tajik SSR Верховный Совет Таджикской ССР Совети Олӣ РСС Тоҷикистон	1937	1994	Supreme Assembly
Armenian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR Верховный Совет Армянской ССР Հայկական ՍՍՀ Գերագույն Խորհուրդ	1938	1995	National Assembly
Turkmen SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR Верховный Совет Туркменской ССР Түркменистан ССР Ёкары Советы	1938	1992	Assembly (1992–2021, 2023–present) National Council (2021–2023)
Estonian SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR Верховный Совет Эстонской ССР Eesti NSV Ülemnõukogu	1940	1990	Supreme Council (1990–92) Riigikogu (1992–present)
Karelo-Finnish SSR	Supreme Soviet of the Karelo-Finnish SSR Верховный Совет Карело-Финской ССР	1940	1956	Supreme Soviet

Supreme councils of autonomous republic

Autonomous Republic	Supreme Soviet	Established	Disbanded	Succeeded by
Bashkiria ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Bashkir ASSR Верховный Совет Башкирской АССР Башҡорт АССР-ы Юғары Советы	1938	1995	State Assembly
Buryatia ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Buryat ASSR Верховный Совет Бурятской АССР Буряадай АССР-эй Верховно Совет	1938	1994	People's Khural
Karelia ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Karelian ASSR Верховный Совет Карельской АССР	1938 1956	1940 1994	Legislative Assembly
Tatarstan ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Tatar ASSR Верховный Совет Татарской АССР Татарстан АССР Югары Советы	1938	1995	State Council
Tuva ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Tuvan ASSR Верховный Совет Тувинской АССР Тыва АССР-ниң Дээди Соведи	1961	1993	Great Khural
Chuvashia ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Chuvash ASSR Верховный Совет Чувашской АССР Чӑваш АССР Верховнӑй Совечӗ	1938	1994	State Council
Karakalpakstan ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Karakalpak ASSR Верховный Совет Каракалпакской АССР Қарақалпақстан АССР Жоқарғы Совети	1938	1994	Supreme Council
Abkhazia ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Abkhaz ASSR Верховный Совет Абхазской АССР Аҧснытәи АССР Иреиҳаӡоу Асовет	1938	1996	People's Assembly
Adjara ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Adjarian ASSR Верховный Совет Аджарской АССР აჭარის ასსრ უმაღლესი საბჭო	1938	1991	Supreme Council
Nakhichevan ASSR	Supreme Soviet of the Nakhichevan ASSR Верховный Совет Нахичеванской АССР Нахчыван МССР Али Совети	1938	1990	Supreme Assembly (Nakhchivan)