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{ Adopted on: 7 Oct 1977 }
{ ICL Document Status: 7 Oct 1977 }
[Preamble]
The Great October Socialist Revolution, made by the workers and peasants of Russia under the leadership of the Communist Party headed by Lenin, overthrew capitalist and landowner rule, broke the fetters of oppression, established the dictatorship of the proletariat, and created the Soviet state, a new type of state, the basic instrument for defending the gains of the revolution and for building socialism and communism. Humanity thereby began the epoch-making turn from capitalist to socialism.
After achieving victory in the Civil War and repulsing imperialist intervention, the Soviet government carried through far-reaching social and economic transformations, and put an end once and for all to exploitation of man by man, antagonisms between classes, and strive between nationalities. The unification of the Soviet Republics in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics multiplied the forces and opportunities of the peoples of the country in the building of socialism. Social ownership of the means of production and genuine democracy for the working masses were established. For the first time in the history of mankind a socialist society was created.
The strength of socialism was vividly demonstrated by the immortal feat of the Soviet people and their Armed Forces in achieving their historic victory in the Great Patriotic War. This victory consolidated the influence and international standing of the Soviet Union and created new opportunities for growth of the forces of socialism, national liberation, democracy, and peace throughout the world.
Continuing their creative endeavors, the working people of the Soviet Union have ensured rapid, all-round development of the country and steady improvement of the socialist system. They have consolidated the alliance of the working class, collective-farm peasantry, and people's intelligentsia, and friendship of the nations and nationalities of the USSR. Socio-political and ideological unity of Soviet society, in which the working class is the leading force, has been achieved. The aims of the dictatorship of the proletariat having been fulfilled, the Soviet state has become a state of the whole people. The leading role of the Communist Party, the vanguard of all the people, has grown.
In the USSR a developed socialist society has been built.
At this stage, when socialism is developing on its own foundations, the
creative forces of the new system and the advantages of the socialist way
of life are becoming increasingly evident, and the working people are more
and more widely enjoying the fruits of their great revolutionary gains.
It is a society in which powerful productive forces and
progressive science and culture have been created, in which the well-being
of the people is constantly rising, and more and more favorable conditions
are being provided for the all-round development of the individual.
It is a society of mature socialist social relations,
in which, on the basis of the drawing together of all classes and social
strata and of the juridical and factual equality of all its nations and
nationalities and their fraternal cooperation, a new historical community
of people has been formed -- the Soviet people.
It is a society of high organizational capacity, ideological
commitment, and consciousness of the working people, who are patriots and
internationalists.
It is a society in which the law of life is concern of
all for the good of each and concern of each for the good of all.
It is a society of true democracy, the political system
of which ensures effective management of all public affairs, ever more
active participation of the working people in running the state, and the
combining of citizen's real rights and freedoms with their obligations
and responsibility to society.
Developed socialist society is a natural, logical stage on the road to communism.
The supreme goal of the Soviet state is the building of a classless communist society in which there will be public, communist self-government. The main aims of the people's socialist state are: to lay the material and technical foundation of communism, to perfect socialist social relations and transform them into communist relations, to mould the citizen of communist society, to raise the people's living and cultural standards, to safeguard the country's security, and to further the consolidation of peace and development of international cooperation.
The Soviet people,
guided by the ideas of scientific communism and true
to their revolutionary traditions,
relying on the great social, economic, and political
gains of socialism,
striving for the further development of socialist democracy,
taking into account the international position of the
USSR as part of the world system of socialism, and conscious of their internationalist
responsibility,
preserving continuity of the ideas and principles of
the first Soviet Constitution of 1918, the 1924 Constitution of the USSR
and the 1936 Constitution of the USSR,
hereby affirm the principle so the social structure and
policy of the USSR, and define the rights, freedoms and obligations of
citizens, and the principles of the organization of the socialist state
of the whole people, and its aims, and proclaim these in this Constitution.
Part I Principles of Social Structure and Policy
Chapter 1 Political System
Article 1
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a socialist
state of the whole people, expressing the will and interests of the workers,
peasants, and intelligentsia, the working people of all the nations and
nationalities of the country.
Article 2
(1) All power in the USSR belongs to the people.
(2) The people exercise state power through Soviets of
People's Deputies, which constitute the political foundation of the USSR.
(3) All other state bodies are under the control of,
and accountable to, the Soviets of People's Deputies.
Article 3
The Soviet state is organized and functions on the principle
of democratic centralism, namely the electiveness of all bodies of state
authority from the lowest to the highest, their accountability to the people,
and the obligation of lower bodies to observe the decisions of higher ones.
Democratic centralism combines central leadership with local initiative
and creative activity and with the responsibility of the each state body
and official for the work entrusted to them.
Article 4
(1) The Soviet state and all its bodies function on the
basis of socialist law, ensure the maintenance of law and order, and safeguard
the interests of society and the rights and freedoms of citizens.
(2) State organizations, public organizations and officials
shall observe the Constitution of the USSR and Soviet laws.
Article 5
Major matters of state shall be submitted to nationwide
discussion and put to a popular vote (referendum).
Article 6
(1) The leading and guiding force of the Soviet society
and the nucleus of its political system, of all state organizations and
public organizations, is the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The CPSU
exists for the people and serves the people.
(2) The Communist Party, armed with Marxism-Leninism,
determines the general perspectives of the development of society and the
course of the home and foreign policy of the USSR, directs the great constructive
work of the Soviet people, and imparts a planned, systematic and theoretically
substantiated character to their struggle for the victory of communism.
(3) All party organizations shall function within the
framework of the Constitution of the USSR.
Article 7
Trade unions, the All-Union Leninist Young Communist
League cooperatives, and other public organizations, participate, in accordance
with the aims laid down in their rules, in managing state and public affairs,
and in deciding political, economic, and social an cultural matters.
Article 8
(1) Work collectives take part in discussing and deciding
state and public affairs, in planning production and social development,
in training and placing personnel, and in discussing and deciding matters
pertaining to the management of enterprises and institutions, and the use
of funds allocated both for developing production and for social and cultural
purposes and financial incentives.
(2) Work collectives promote socialist emulation, the
spread of progressive methods of work, and the strengthening of production
discipline, educate their members in the spirit of communist morality,
and strive to enhance their political consciousness and raise their cultural
level and skills and qualifications.
Article 9
The principal direction in the development of the political
system of Soviet society is the extension of socialist democracy, namely
ever broader participation of citizens in managing the affairs of society
and the state, continuous improvement of the machinery of state, heightening
of the activity of public organizations, strengthening of the system of
people's control, consolidation of the legal foundations of the functioning
of the state and of public life, greater openness and publicity, and constant
responsiveness to public opinion.
Chapter 2 Economic System
Article 10 [Socialist Ownership]
(1) The foundation of the economic system of the USSR
is socialist ownership of the means of production in the form of state
property, and collective cooperative property.
(2) Socialist ownership also embraces the property of
trade unions and other public organizations which they require to carry
out their purposes under these rules.
(3) The state protects socialist property and provides
conditions for its growth.
(4) No one has the right to use socialist property for
personal gain or other selfish ends.
Article 11 [State Property]
(1) State property, i.e. the common property of the Soviet
people, is the principal form of socialist property.
(2) The land, its minerals, waters, and forests are the
exclusive property of the state. The state owns the basic means of production
in industry, construction, and agriculture; means of transport and communication;
the banks; the property of state-run trade organizations and public utilities,
and other state-run undertakings; most urban housing; and other property
necessary for state purposes.
Article 12 [Cooperative Property]
(1) The property of collective farms and other cooperative
organizations, and of their joint undertakings, comprises the means of
production and other assets which they require for the purposes laid down
in their rules.
(2) The land held by collective farms is secured to them
for their free use in perpetuity.
(3) The state promotes development of collective cooperative
property and its approximation to state property.
(4) Collective farms, like other land users, are obliged
to make effective and thrifty use of the land and to increase its fertility.
Article 13 [Personal Property]
(1) Earned income forms the basis of the personal property
of Soviet citizens. The personal property of citizens of the USSR may include
articles of everyday use, personal consumption and convenience, the implements
and other objects of a small-holding, a house, and earned savings. The
personal property of citizens and the right to inherit it are protected
by the state.
(2) Citizens may be granted the use of plots of land,
in the manner prescribed by law, for a subsidiary small-holding (including
the keeping of livestock and poultry), for fruit and vegetable growing
or for building an individual dwelling. Citizens are required to make rational
use of the land allotted to them. The state, and collective farms provide
assistance to citizens in working their small-holdings.
(3) Property owned or used by citizens shall not serve
as a means of deriving unearned income or be employed to the detriment
of the interests of society.
Article 14
(1) The source of the growth of social wealth and of the
well-being of the people, and of each individual, is the labor, free from
exploitation, of Soviet people.
(2) The state exercises control over the measure of labor
and of consumption in accordance with the principle of socialism: "From
each according to his ability, to each according to his work". It fixes
the rate of taxation on taxable income.
(3) Socially useful work and its results determine a
person's status in society. By combining material and moral incentives
and encouraging innovation and a creative attitude to work, the state helps
transform labor into the prime vital need of every Soviet citizen.
Article 15
(1) The supreme goal of social production under socialism
is the fullest possible satisfaction of the people's growing material,
and cultural and intellectual requirements.
(2) Relying on the creative initiative of the working
people, socialist emulation, and scientific and technological progress,
and by improving the forms and methods of economic management, the state
ensures growth of the productivity of labor, raising of the efficiency
of production and of the quality of work, and dynamic, planned, proportionate
development of the economy.
Article 16
(1) The economy of the USSR is an integral economic complex
comprising all the elements of social production, distribution, and exchange
on its territory.
(2) The economy is managed on the basis of state plans
for economic and social development, with due account of the sectoral and
territorial principles, and by combining centralized direction with the
managerial independence and initiative of individual and amalgamated enterprises
and other organizations, for which active use is made of management accounting,
profit, cost, and other economic levers and incentives.
Article 17
In the USSR, the law permits individual labor in handicrafts,
farming, the provision of services for the public, and other forms of activity
based exclusively on the personal work of individual citizens and members
of their families. The state makes regulations for such work to ensure
that it serves the interest of society.
Article 18
In the interests of the present and future generations,
the necessary steps are taken in the USSR to protect and make scientific,
rational use of the land and its mineral and water resources, and the plant
and animal kingdoms, to preserve the purity of air and water, ensure reproduction
of natural wealth, and improve the human environment.
Chapter 3 Social Development, Culture
Article 19
(1) The social basis of the USSR is the unbreakable alliance
of the workers, peasants, and intelligentsia.
(2) The state helps enhance the social homogeneity of
society, namely the elimination of class differences and of the essential
distinctions between town and country and between mental and physical labor,
and the all-round development and drawing together of all the nations and
nationalities of the USSR.
Article 20
In accordance with the communist ideal -- "The free development
of each is the condition of the free development of all" -- the state pursues
the aim of giving citizens more and more real opportunities to apply their
creative energies, abilities, and talents, and to develop their personalities
in every way.
Article 21
The state concerns itself with improving working conditions,
safety and labor protection and the scientific organization of work, and
with reducing and ultimately eliminating all arduous physical labor through
comprehensive mechanization and automation of production processes in all
branches of the economy.
Article 22
A program is being consistently implemented in the USSR
to convert agricultural work into a variety of industrial work, to extend
the network of educational, cultural, and medical institutions, and of
trade, public catering, service and public utility facilities in rural
localities, and transform hamlets and villages into well-planned and well-appointed
settlements.
Article 23
(1) The state pursues a steady policy of raising people's
pay levels and real incomes through increase in productivity.
(2) In order to satisfy the needs of Soviet people more
fully social consumption funds are created. The state, with the broad participation
of public organizations and work collectives, ensures the growth and just
distribution of these funds.
Article 24
(1) In the USSR, state systems of health protection, social
security, trade and public catering, communal services and amenities, and
public utilities, operate and are being extended.
(2) The state encourages cooperatives and other public
organizations to provide all types of services for the population. It encourages
the development of mass physical culture and sport.
Article 25
In the USSR there is a uniform system of public education,
which is being constantly improved, that provides general education and
vocational training for citizens, serves the communist education and intellectual
and physical development of the youth, and trains them for work and social
activity.
Article 26
In accordance with society's needs, the state provides
for planned development of science and the training of scientific personnel
and organizes introduction of the results of research in the economy and
other spheres of life.
Article 27
(1) The state concerns itself with protecting, augmenting
and making extensive use of society's cultural wealth for the moral and
aesthetic education of the Soviet people, for raising their cultural level.
(2) In the USSR development of the professional, amateur
and folk arts is encouraged in every way.
Chapter 4 Foreign Policy
Article 28
(1) The USSR steadfastly pursues a Leninist policy of
peace and stands for strengthening of the security of nations and broad
international cooperation.
(2) The foreign policy of the USSR is aimed at ensuring
international conditions favorable for building communism in the USSR,
safeguarding the state interests of the Soviet Union, consolidating the
positions of world socialism, supporting the struggle of peoples for national
liberation and social progress, preventing wars of aggression, achieving
universal and complete disarmament, and consistently implementing the principle
of the peaceful coexistence of states with different social systems.
(3) In the USSR war propaganda is banned.
Article 29
The USSR's relations with other states are based on observance
of the following principles:
- sovereign equality;
- mutual renunciation of the use or threat of force;
- inviolability of frontiers;
- territorial integrity of states;
- peaceful settlement of disputes;
- non-intervention in internal affairs;
- respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms;
- the equal rights of peoples and their right to decide
their own destiny;
- cooperation among states; and
- fulfillment in good faith of obligations arising from
the generally recognized principles and rules of international law, and
from the international treaties signed by the USSR.
Article 30
The USSR, as part of the world system of socialism and
of the socialist community, promotes and strengthens friendship, cooperation,
and comradely mutual assistance with other socialist countries on the basis
of the principle of socialist internationalism, and takes an active part
in socialist economic integration and the socialist international division
of labor.
Chapter 5 Defence
Article 31
(1) Defence of the Socialist Motherland is one of the
most important functions of the state, and is the concern of the whole
people.
(2) In order to defend the gains of socialism, the peaceful
labor of the Soviet people, and the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of the state, the USSR maintains armed forces and has instituted universal
military service.
(3) The duty of the Armed Forces of the USSR to the people
is to provide reliable defence of the socialist Motherland and to be in
constant combat readiness, guaranteeing that any aggressor is instantly
repulsed.
Article 32
(1) The state ensures the security and defence capability
of the country, and supplies the Armed Forces of the USSR with everything
necessary for that purpose.
(2) The duties of state bodies, public organizations,
officials, and citizens in regard to safeguarding the country's security
and strengthening its defence capacity are defined by the legislation of
the USSR.
Part II State and Individual
Chapter 6 Citizenship, Equality
Article 33 [Citizenship]
(1) Uniform federal citizenship is established for the
USSR. Every citizen of a Union Republic is a citizen of the USSR.
(2) The grounds and procedure for acquiring or forfeiting
Soviet citizenship are defined by the Law on Citizenship of the USSR.
(3) When abroad, citizens of the USSR enjoy the protection
and assistance of the Soviet state.
Article 34 [Equality]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are equal before the law, without
distinction of origin, social or property status, race or nationality,
sex, education, language, attitude to religion, type and nature of occupation,
domicile, or other status.
(2) The equal rights of citizens of the USSR are guaranteed
in all fields of economic, political, social, and cultural life.
Article 35
(1) Women and men have equal rights in the USSR.
(2) Exercise of these rights is ensured by according
women equal access with men to education and vocational and professional
training, equal opportunities in employment, remuneration, and promotion,
and in social and political, and cultural activity, and by special labor
and health protection measures for women; by providing conditions enabling
mothers to work; by legal protection, and material and moral support for
mothers and children, including paid leaves and other benefits for expectant
mothers and mothers, and gradual reduction of working time for mothers
with small children.
Article 36
(1) Citizens of the USSR of different races and nationalities
have equal rights.
(2) Exercise of these rights is ensured by a policy of
all-round development and drawing together of all the nations and nationalities
of the USSR, by educating citizens in the spirit of Soviet patriotism and
socialist internationalism, and by the possibility to use their native
language and the languages of other peoples in the USSR.
(3) Any direct or indirect limitation of the rights of
citizens or establishment of direct or indirect privileges on grounds of
race or nationality, and any advocacy of racial or national exclusiveness,
hostility, or contempt, are punishable by law.
Article 37
(1) Citizens of other countries and stateless persons
in the USSR are guaranteed the rights and freedoms provided by law, including
the right to apply to a court and other state bodies for the protection
of their personal, property, family, and other rights.
(2) Citizens of other countries and stateless persons,
when in the USSR, are obliged to respect the Constitution of the USSR and
observe Soviet laws.
Article 38
The USSR grants the right of asylum to foreigners persecuted
for defending the interests of the working people and the cause of peace,
or for participation in the revolutionary and national-liberation movement,
or for progressive social and political, scientific, or other creative
activity
Chapter 7 Basic Rights, Freedoms, Duties
Article 39 [Freedom]
(1) Citizens of the USSR enjoy in full the social, economic,
political and personal rights and freedoms proclaimed and guaranteed by
the Constitution of the USSR and by Soviet laws. The socialist system ensures
enlargement of the rights and freedoms of citizens and continuous improvement
of their living standards as social, economic, and cultural development
programs are fulfilled.
(2) Enjoyment by citizens of their rights and freedoms
must not be to the detriment of the interests of society or the state,
or infringe the rights of other citizens.
Article 40 [Work]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to work (that
is, to guaranteed employment and pay in accordance wit the quantity and
quality of their work, and not below the state-established minimum), including
the right to choose their trade or profession, type of job and work in
accordance with their inclinations, abilities, training and education,
with due account of the needs of society.
(2) This right is ensured by the socialist economic system,
steady growth of the productive forces, free vocational and professional
training, improvement of skills, training in new trades or professions,
and development of the systems of vocational guidance and job placement.
Article 41 [Rest]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to rest and leisure.
(2) This right is ensured by the establishment of a working
week not exceeding 41 hours, for workers and other employees, a shorter
working day in a number of trades and industries, and shorter hours for
night work; by the provision of paid annual holidays, weekly days of rest,
extension of the network of cultural, educational, and health-building
institutions, and the development on a mass scale of sport, physical culture,
and camping and tourism; by the provision of neighborhood recreational
facilities, and of other opportunities for rational use of free time.
(3) The length of collective farmers' working and leisure
time is established by their collective farms.
Article 42 [Health]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to health protection.
(2) This right is ensured by free, qualified medical
care provided by state health institutions; by extension of the network
of therapeutic and health-building institutions; by the development and
improvement of safety and hygiene in industry; by carrying out broad prophylactic
measures; by measures to improve the environment; by special care for the
health of the rising generation, including prohibition of child labor,
excluding the work done by children as part of the school curriculum; and
by developing research to prevent and reduce the incidence of disease and
ensure citizens a long and active life.
Article 43 [Welfare]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to maintenance
in old age, in sickness, and in the event of complete or partial disability
or loss of the breadwinner.
(2) The right is guaranteed by social insurance of workers
and other employees and collective farmers; by allowances for temporary
disability; by the provision by the state or by collective farms of retirement
pensions, disability pensions, and pensions for loss of the breadwinner;
by providing employment for the partially disabled; by care for the elderly
and the disabled; and by other forms of social security.
Article 44 [Housing]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the rights to housing.
(2) This right is ensured by the development and upkeep
of state and socially-owned housing; by assistance for cooperative and
individual house building; by fair distribution, under public control,
of the housing that becomes available through fulfillment of the program
of building well-appointed dwellings, and by low rents and low charges
for utility services. Citizens of the USSR shall take good care of the
housing allocated to them.
Article 45 [Education]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to education.
(2) This right is ensured by free provision of all forms
of education, by the institution of universal, compulsory secondary education,
and broad development of vocational, specialized secondary, and higher
education, in which instruction is oriented toward practical activity and
production; by the development of extramural, correspondence and evening
courses, by the provision of state scholarships and grants and privileges
for students; by the free issue of school textbooks; by the opportunity
to attend a school where teaching is in the native language; and by the
provision of facilities for self-education.
Article 46 [Culture]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to enjoy cultural
benefits.
(2) This rights is ensured by broad access to the cultural
treasures of their own land and of the world that are preserved in state
and other public collections; by the development and fair distribution
of cultural and educational institutions throughout the country; by developing
television and radio broadcasting and the publishing of books, newspapers
and periodicals, and by extending the free library service; and by expanding
cultural exchanges with other countries.
Article 47 [Research]
(1) Citizens of the USSR, in accordance with the aims
of building communism, are guaranteed freedom of scientific, technical,
and artistic work. This freedom is ensured by broadening scientific research,
encouraging invention and innovation, and developing literature and the
arts. The state provides the necessary material conditions for this and
support for voluntary societies and unions of workers in the arts, organizes
introduction of inventions and innovations in production and other spheres
of activity.
(2) The rights of authors, inventors and innovators are
protected by the state.
Article 48 [Public Affairs]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to take part in
the management and administration of state and public affairs and in the
discussion and adoption of laws and measures of All-Union and local significance.
(2) This right is ensured by the opportunity to vote
and to be elected to Soviets of People's Deputies and other elective state
bodies, to take part in nationwide discussions and referendums, in people's
control, in the work of state bodies, public organizations, and local community
groups, and in meetings at places of work or residence.
Article 49 [Proposals]
(1) Every citizen of the USSR has the right to submit
proposals to state bodies and public organizations for improving their
activity, and to criticize shortcomings in their work.
(2) Officials are obliged, within established time-limits,
to examine citizens' proposals and requests, to reply to them, and to take
appropriate action.
(3) Persecution for criticism is prohibited. Persons
guilty of such persecution shall be called to account.
Article 50 [Expression]
(1) In accordance with the interests of the people and
in order to strengthen and develop the socialist system, citizens of the
USSR are guaranteed freedom of speech, of the press, and of assembly, meetings,
street processions and demonstrations.
(2) Exercise of these political freedoms is ensured by
putting public buildings, streets, and squares at the disposal of the working
people and their organizations, by broad dissemination of information,
and by the opportunity to use the press, television, and radio.
Article 51 [Association]
(1) In accordance with the aims of building communism,
citizens of the USSR have the right to associate in public organizations
that promote their political activity and initiative and satisfaction of
their various interests.
(2) Public organizations are guaranteed conditions for
successfully performing the functions defined in their rules.
Article 52 [Religion]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed freedom of conscience,
that is, the right to profess or not to profess any religion, and to conduct
religious worship or atheistic propaganda. Incitement of hostility or hatred
on religious grounds is prohibited.
(2) In the USSR, the church is separated from the state,
and the school from the church.
Article 53 [Family, Marriage]
(1) The family enjoys the protection of the state.
(2) Marriage is based on the free consent of the woman
and the man; the spouses are completely equal in their family relations.
(3) The state helps the family by providing and developing
a broad system of child-care institutions, by organizing and improving
communal services and public catering, by paying grants on the birth of
a child, by providing children's allowances and benefits for large families,
and other forms of family allowances and assistance.
Article 54 [Personal Freedom]
Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed inviolability of
the person. No one may be arrested except by a court decision or on the
warrant of a procurator.
Article 55 [Home]
Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed inviolability of
the home. No one may, without lawful grounds, enter a home against the
will of those residing in it.
Article 56 [Privacy]
The privacy of citizens, and of their correspondence,
telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications is protected by
law.
Article 57 [Legal Remedies]
(1) Respect for the individual and protection of the rights
and freedoms of citizens are the duty of all state bodies, public organizations,
and officials.
(2) Citizens of the USSR have the right to protection
by the courts against encroachments on their honor and reputation, life
and health, and personal freedom and property.
Article 58 [Complaint]
(1) Citizens of the USSR have the right to lodge a complaint
against the actions of officials, state bodies and public bodies. Complaints
shall be examined according to the procedure and within the time-limit
established by law.
(2) Actions by officials that contravene the law or exceed
their powers, and infringe the rights of citizens, may be appealed against
in a court in the manner prescribed by law.
(3) Citizens of the USSR have the right to compensation
for damage resulting from unlawful actions by state organizations and public
organizations, or by officials in the performance of their duties.
Article 59 [General]
(1) Citizens' exercise of their rights and freedoms is
inseparable from the performance of their duties and obligations.
(2) Citizens of the USSR are obliged to observe the Constitution
of the USSR and Soviet laws, comply with the standards of socialist conduct,
and uphold the honor and dignity of Soviet citizenship.
Article 60 [Duty to Work]
It is the duty of, and matter of honor for, every able-bodied
citizen of the USSR to work conscientiously in his chosen, socially useful
occupation, and strictly to observe labor discipline. Evasion of socially
useful work is incompatible with the principles of socialist society.
Article 61 [Socialist Property]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are obliged to preserve and protect
socialist property. It is the duty of a citizen of the USSR to combat misappropriation
and squandering of state and socially-owned property and to make thrifty
use of the people's wealth.
(2) Persons encroaching in any way on socialist property
shall be punished according to the law.
Article 62 [Interest of State]
(1) Citizens of the USSR are obliged to safeguard the
interests of the Soviet state, and to enhance its power and prestige.
(2) Defence of the Socialist Motherland is the sacred
duty of every citizen of the USSR.
(3) Betrayal of the Motherland is the gravest of crimes
against the people.
Article 63 [Military Service]
Military service in the ranks of the Armed Forces of
the USSR is an honorable duty of Soviet citizens.
Article 64 [Peacekeeping Duty]
It is the duty of every citizen of the USSR to respect
the national dignity of other citizens, and to strengthen friendship of
the nations and nationalities of the multinational Soviet state.
Article 65 [Social Behavior]
A citizen of the USSR is obliged to respect the rights
and lawful interests of other persons, to be uncompromising toward anti-social
behavior, and to help maintain public order.
Article 66 [Childcare]
Citizens of the USSR are obliged to concern themselves
with the upbringing of children, to train them for socially useful work,
and to raise them as worthy members of socialist society. Children are
obliged to care for their parents and help them.
Article 67 [Protection of Nature]
Citizens of the USSR are obliged to protect nature and
conserve its riches.
Article 68 [Preservation of Culture]
Concern for the preservation of historical monuments
and other cultural values is a duty and obligation of citizens of the USSR.
Article 69 [Internationalist Duties]
It is the internationalist duty of citizens of the USSR
to promote friendship and cooperation with peoples of other lands and help
maintain and strengthen world peace.
Part III State Structure
Chapter 8 Federal State
Article 70
(1) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is an integral,
federal, multinational state formed on the principle of socialist federalism
as a result of the free self-determination of nations and the voluntary
association of equal Soviet Socialist Republics.
(2) The USSR embodies the state unity of the Soviet people
and draws all its nations and nationalities together for the purpose of
jointly building communism.
Article 71
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics unites:
- the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic,
- the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Azerbeijan Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Moldovian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,
- the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic, and
- the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.
Article 72
Each Union Republic shall retain the right freely to
secede from the USSR.
Article 73
The jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
as represented by its highest bodies of state authority and administration,
shall cover:
1. the admission of new republics to the USSR; endorsement
of the formation of new autonomous republics and autonomous regions within
Union Republics;
2. determination of the state boundaries of the USSR
and approval of changes in the boundaries between Union Republics;
3. establishment of the general principles for the organization
and functioning of republican and local bodies of state authority and administration;
4. the ensurance of uniformity of legislative norms throughout
the USSR and establishment of the fundamentals of the legislation of the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Union Republics;
5. pursuance of a uniform social and economic policy;
direction of the country's economy; determination of the main lines of
scientific and technological progress and the general measures for rational
exploitation and conservation of natural resources; the drafting and approval
of state plans for the economic and social development of the USSR, and
endorsement of reports on their fulfillment;
6. the drafting and approval of the consolidated Budget
of the USSR, and endorsement of the report on its execution; management
of a single monetary and credit system; determination of the taxes and
revenues forming the Budget of the USSR; and the formulation of prices
and wages policy;
7. direction of the sectors of the economy, and of enterprises
and amalgamations under Union jurisdiction, and general direction of industries
under Union-Republican jurisdiction;
8. issues of war and peace, defence of the sovereignty
of the USSR and safeguarding of its frontiers and territory, and organization
of defence; direction of the Armed Forces of the USSR;
9. state security;
10. representation of the USSR in international relations;
the USSR's relations with other states and with international organizations;
establishment of the general procedure for, and co-ordination of, the relations
of Union Republics with other states and with international organizations;
foreign trade and other forms of external economic activity on the basis
of state monopoly;
11. control over observance of the Constitution of the
USSR, and ensurance of conformity of the Constitutions of Union Republics
to the Constitution of the USSR;
12. and settlement of other matters of All-Union importance.
Article 74
The laws of the USSR shall have the same force in all
Union Republics. In the event of a discrepancy between a Union Republic
law and an All-Union law, the law of the USSR shall prevail.
Article 75
(1) The territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
is a single entity and comprises the territories of the Union Republics.
(2) The sovereignty of the USSR extends throughout its
territory.
Chapter 9 Union Republics
Article 76
(1) A Union Republic is a sovereign Soviet socialist state
that has united with other Soviet Republics in the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics.
(2) Outside the spheres listed in Article 73 of the Constitution
of the USSR, a Union Republic exercises independent authority on its territory.
(3) A Union Republic shall have its own Constitution
conforming to the Constitution of the USSR with the specific features of
the Republic being taken into account.
Article 77
(1) Union Republics take part in decision-making in the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR, the Government of the USSR, and other bodies of the Union of Soviet
Socialist Republics.
(2) A Union Republic shall ensure comprehensive economic
and social development on its territory, facilitate exercise of the powers
of the USSR on its territory, and implement the decisions of the highest
bodies of state authority and administration of the USSR.
(3) In matters that come within its jurisdiction, a Union
Republic shall co-ordinate and control the activity of enterprises, institutions,
and organizations subordinate to the Union.
Article 78
The territory of a Union Republic may not be altered
without its consent. The boundaries between Union Republics may be altered
by mutual agreement of the Republics concerned, subject to ratification
by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
Article 79
A Union Republic shall determine its division into territories,
regions, areas, and districts, and decide other matters relating to its
administrative and territorial structure.
Article 80
A Union Republic has the right to enter into relations
with other states, conclude treaties with them, exchange diplomatic and
consular representatives, and take part in the work of international organizations.
Article 81
The sovereign rights of Union Republics shall be safeguarded
by the USSR.
Chapter 10 Autonomous Republics
Article 82
(1) An Autonomous Republic is a constituent part of a
Union Republic.
(2) In spheres not within the jurisdiction of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Union Republic, an Autonomous Republic
shall deal independently with matters within its jurisdiction.
(3) An autonomous Republic shall have its own Constitution
conforming to the Constitutions of the USSR and the Union Republic with
the specific features of the Autonomous Republic being taken into account.
Article 83
(1) An Autonomous Republic takes part in decision-making
through the highest bodies of state authority and administration of the
USSR and of the Union Republic respectively, in matters that come within
the jurisdiction of the USSR and the Union Republic.
(2) An Autonomous Republic shall ensure comprehensive
economic and social development on its territory, facilitate exercise of
the powers of the USSR and the Union Republic on its territory, and implement
decisions of the highest bodies of state authority and administration of
the USSR and the Union Republic.
(3) In matters within its jurisdiction, an Autonomous
Republic shall co-ordinate and control the activity of enterprises, institutions,
and organizations subordinate to the Union or the Union Republic.
Article 84
The territory of an Autonomous Republic may not be altered
without its consent.
Article 85
(1) The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic includes
the Bashkir, Buryat, Daghestan, Kabardin-Balkar, Kalmyk, Karelian, Komi,
Mari, Mordovian, North Ossetian, Tatar, Tuva, Udmurt, Chechen-Ingush, Chuvash,
and Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics.
(2) The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic includes the
Kara-Kalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
(3) The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic includes the
Abkhasian and Adzhar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics.
(4) The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic include
the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic.
Chapter 11 Autonomous Regions and Areas
Article 86
An Autonomous Region is a constituent part of a Union
Republic or Territory. The Law on an Autonomous Region, upon submission
by the Soviet of People's Deputies of the Autonomous Region concerned,
shall be adopted by the Supreme Soviet of the Union Republic.
Article 87
(1) The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic includes
the Adygei, Gorno-Altai, Jewish, Karachai-Circassian, and Khakass Autonomous
Regions.
(2) The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic includes the
South Ossetian Autonomous Region.
(3) The Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic include
the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region.
(4) The Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic includes the
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
Article 88
An autonomous Area is a constituent part of a Territory
or Region. The Law on an Autonomous Area shall be adopted by the Supreme
Soviet of the Union Republic concerned.
Part IV Deputies, Election
Chapter 12 System of Deputies
Article 89
The Soviets of People's Deputies, i.e. the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR, the Supreme Soviets of Union Republics, the Supreme Soviets
of Autonomous Republics, the Soviets of People's Deputies of Territories
and Regions, the Soviets of People's Deputies of Autonomous Regions and
Autonomous Areas, and the Soviets of People's Deputies of districts, cities,
city districts, settlements and villages shall constitute a single system
of bodies of state authority.
Article 90
(1) The term of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Supreme
Soviets of Union Republics, and the Supreme Soviets of Autonomous Republics
shall be five years.
(2) The term of local Soviets of People's Deputies shall
be two and a half years.
(3) Elections to Soviets of People's Deputies shall be
called not later than two months before the expiry of the term of the Soviet
concerned.
Article 91
(1) The most important matters within the jurisdiction
of the respective Soviets of People's Deputies shall be considered and
settled at their sessions.
(2) Soviets of People's Deputies shall elect standing
commissions and form executive-administrative, and other bodies accountable
to them.
Article 92
(1) Soviets of People's Deputies shall form people's control
bodies combining state control with control by the working people at enterprises,
collective farms, institutions, and organizations.
(2) People's control bodies shall check on the fulfillment
of state plans and assignments, combat breaches of state discipline, localist
tendencies, narrow departmental attitudes, mismanagement, extravagance
and waste, red tape and bureaucracy, and help improve the working of the
state machinery.
Article 93
Soviets of People's Deputies shall direct all sectors
of state economic, and social and cultural development, either directly
or through bodies instituted by them, take decisions and ensure their execution,
and verify their implementation.
Article 94
Soviets of People's Deputies shall function publicly
on the basis of collective, free, constructive discussion and decision-making,
of systematic reporting back to them and the people by their executive-administrative
and other bodies, and of involving citizens on a broad scale in their work.
Chapter 13 Electoral System
Article 95
Deputies to all Soviets shall be elected on the basis
of universal, equal, and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
Article 96
(1) Elections shall be universal: all citizens of the
USSR who have reached the age of 18 shall have the right to vote and to
be elected, with the exception of persons who have been certified insane.
(2) To be eligible for election to the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR a citizen of the USSR must have reached the age of 21.
Article 97
Elections shall be equal: each citizen shall have one
vote; all voters shall exercise the franchise on an equal footing.
Article 98
Elections shall be direct: deputies to all Soviets of
People's Deputies shall be elected by direct vote.
Article 99
Voting at elections shall be secret: control over voters'
exercise of the franchise is inadmissible.
Article 100
(1) The following shall have the right to nominate candidates:
branches and organizations of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union,
trade unions, and the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League; cooperatives
and other public organizations; work collectives, and meetings of servicemen
in their military units.
(2) Citizens of the USSR and public organizations are
guaranteed the right to free and all-round discussion of the political
and personal qualities and competence of candidates, and the right to campaign
for them at meetings, in the press, and on television and radio.
(3) The expenses involved in holding elections to Soviets
of People's Deputies shall be met by the state.
Article 101
(1) Deputies to Soviets of People's Deputies shall be
elected by constituencies.
(2) A citizen of the USSR may not, as a rule, be elected
to more than two Soviets of People's Deputies.
(3) Elections to the Soviets shall be conducted by electoral
commissions consisting of representatives, and of meetings of servicemen
in military units.
(4) The procedure for holding elections to Soviets of
People's Deputies shall be defined by the laws of the USSR, and of Union
and Autonomous Republics.
Article 102
(1) Electors give mandates to their Deputies.
(2) The appropriate Soviets of People's Deputies shall
examine electors' mandates, take them into account in drafting economic
and social development plans and in drawing up the budget, organize implementation
of the mandates, and inform citizens about it.
Chapter 14 Deputies
Article 103
(1) Deputies are the plenipotentiary representatives of
the people in the Soviets of People's Deputies.
(2) In the Soviets, Deputies deal with matters relating
to state, economic, and social and cultural development, organize implementation
of the decisions of the Soviets, and exercise control over the work of
state bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations.
(3) Deputies shall be guided in their activities by the
interests of the state, and shall take the needs of their constituents
into account and work to implement their electors' mandates.
Article 104
(1) Deputies shall exercise their powers without discontinuing
their regular employment or duties.
(2) During sessions of the Soviet, and so as to exercise
their deputy's powers in other cases stipulated by law, Deputies shall
be released from their regular employment or duties, with retention of
their average earnings at their permanent place of work.
Article 105
(1) A Deputy has the right to address inquiries to the
appropriate state bodies and officials, who are obliged to reply to them
at a session of the Soviet.
(2) Deputies have the right to approach any state or
public body, enterprise, institution, or organization on matters arising
from their work as Deputies and to take part in considering the questions
raised by them. The heads of the state or public bodies, enterprises, institutions
or organizations concerned are obliged to receive Deputies without delay
and to consider their proposals within the time-limit established by law.
Article 106
(1) Deputies shall be ensured conditions for the unhampered
and effective exercise of their rights and duties.
(2) The immunity of Deputies, and other guarantees of
their activity as Deputies, are defined in the Law on the Status of Deputies
and other legislative acts of the USSR and of Union and Autonomous Republics.
Article 107
(1) Deputies shall report on their work and on that of
the Soviet to their constituents, and to the work collectives and public
organizations that nominated them.
(2) Deputies who have not justified the confidence of
their constituents may be recalled at any time by decision of a majority
of the electors in accordance with the procedure established by law.
Part V State Authority and Administration
Chapter 15 Supreme Soviet
Article 108 [Supreme Soviet]
(1) The highest body of state authority of the USSR shall
be the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
(2) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR is empowered to deal
with all matters within the jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, as defined by this Constitution.
(3) The adoption and amendment of the Constitution of
the USSR; admission of new Republics to the USSR; endorsement of the formation
of new Autonomous Republics and Autonomous Regions; approval of the state
plans for economic an social development, of the Budget of the USSR, and
of reports on their execution; and the institution of bodies of the USSR
accountable to it, are the exclusive prerogative of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR.
(4) Laws of the USSR shall be enacted by the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR or by a nationwide vote (referendum) held by decision
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 109 [Two Chambers]
(1) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall consist of two
chambers: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities.
(2) The two chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
shall have equal rights.
Article 110 [Elections]
(1) The Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities
shall have equal numbers of deputies.
(2) The Soviet of the Union shall be elected by constituencies
with equal populations.
(3) The Soviet of Nationalities shall be elected on the
basis of the following representation: 32 deputies from each Union Republic,
11 deputies from each Autonomous Republic, five deputies from each Autonomous
Region, and one deputy from each Autonomous Area.
(4) The Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities,
upon submission by the credentials commissions elected by them, shall decide
on the validity of Deputies' credentials, and, in cases in which the election
law has been violated, shall declare the election of the Deputies concerned
null and void.
Article 111 [Chairmen]
(1) Each chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall
elect a Chairman and four Vice-Chairmen.
(2) The Chairmen of the Soviet of the Union and of the
Soviet of Nationalities shall preside over the sittings of the respective
chambers and conduct their affairs.
(3) Joint sittings of the chambers of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR shall be presided over alternately by the Chairman of the Soviet
of the Union and the Chairman of the Soviet of Nationalities.
Article 112 [Sessions]
(1) Sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall be
convened twice a year.
(2) Special sessions shall be convened by the Presidium
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR at its discretion or on the proposal
of a Union Republic, or of not less than one-third of the Deputies of one
of the chambers.
(3) A session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall
consist of separate and joint sittings of the chambers, and of meetings
of the standing commissions of the chambers or commissions of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR held between the sittings of the chambers. A session
may be opened and closed at either separate or joint sittings of the chambers.
Article 113 [Initiative]
The right to initiate legislation in the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR is vested in the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities,
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Council of Ministers
of the USSR, Union Republics through their highest bodies of state authority,
commissions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and standing commissions
of its chambers, Deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the Supreme
Court of the USSR, and the Procurator-General of the USSR.
(4) The right to initiate legislation is also vested
in public organizations through their All-Union bodies.
Article 114 [Debate]
(1) Bills and other matters submitted to the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR shall be debated by its chambers at separate or joint sittings.
Where necessary, a bill or other matter may be referred to one or more
commissions for preliminary or additional consideration.
(2) A law of the USSR shall be deemed adopted when it
has been passed in each chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR by a
majority of the total number of its Deputies. Decisions and other acts
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR are adopted by a majority of the total
number of Deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
(3) Bills and other very important matters of state may
be submitted for nationwide discussion by a decision of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR or its Presidium taken on their own initiative or on the proposal
of a Union Republic.
Article 115 [Concilitation Commission]
In the event of a disagreement between the Soviet of
the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities, the matter at issue shall be
referred for settlement to a conciliation commission formed by the chambers
on a parity basis, after which it shall e considered for a second time
by the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities at a joint sitting.
If agreement is again not reached, the matter shall be postponed for debate
at the next session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR or submitted by the
Supreme Soviet to a nationwide vote (referendum)
Article 116 [Publication]
Laws of the USSR and decisions and other acts of the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall be published in the languages of the Union
Republics over the signatures of the Chairman and Secretary of the Presidium
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 117 [Inquiries]
Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR has the right
to address inquiries to the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and to Ministers
and the heads of other bodies formed by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
The Council of Ministers of the USSR, or the official to whom the inquiry
is addressed, is obliged to give a verbal or written reply within three
days at the given session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 118 [Immunity]
A Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR may not be
prosecuted, or arrested, or incur a court-imposed penalty, without the
sanction of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR or, between its sessions, of
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 119
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR, at a joint sitting of
its chambers, shall elect a Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR,
which shall be a standing body of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, accountable
to it for all its work and exercising the functions of the highest body
of state authority of the USSR between sessions of the Supreme Soviet,
within the limits prescribed by the Constitution.
Article 120
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall
be elected from among the Deputies and shall consist of a Chairman, First
Vice-Chairman, 15 Vice-Chairmen (one from each Union Republic), a Secretary,
and 21 members.
Article 121
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall:
1. name the date of elections to the Supreme Soviet of
the USSR;
2. convene sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;
3. co-ordinate the work of the standing commissions of
the chambers of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR;
4. ensure observance of the Constitution of the USSR
and conformity of the Constitutions and laws of Union Republics to the
Constitution and laws of the USSR;
5. interpret the laws of the USSR;
6. ratify and denounce international treaties of the
USSR;
7. revoke decisions and ordinances of the Council of
Ministers of the USSR and of the Councils of Ministers of Union Republics
should they fail to conform to the law;
8. institute military and diplomatic ranks and other
special titles; and confer the highest military and diplomatic ranks and
other special titles;
9. institute orders and medals of the USSR, and honorific
titles of the USSR; award orders and medals of the USSR; and confer honorific
titles of the USSR.
10. grant citizenship of the USSR, and rule on matters
of the renunciation or deprivation of citizenship of the USSR and of granting
asylum;
11. issue All-Union acts of amnesty and exercise the
right of pardon;
12. appoint and recall diplomatic representatives of
the USSR to other countries and to international organizations;
13. receive the letters of credence and recall of the
diplomatic representatives of foreign states accredited to it;
14. form the Council of Defence of the USSR and confirm
its composition; appoint and dismiss the high command of the Armed Forces
of the USSR;
15. proclaim martial law in particular localities or
throughout the country in the interests of defence of the USSR;
16. order general or partial mobilization;
17. between sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR,
proclaim a state of war in the event of an armed attack on the USSR, or
when it is necessary to meet international treaty obligations relating
to mutual defence against aggression;
18. and exercise other powers vested in it by the Constitution
and laws of the USSR.
Article 122
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, between
sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and subject to submission for
its confirmation at the next session, shall:
1. amend existing legislative acts of the USSR when necessary;
2. approve changes in the boundaries between Union Republics;
3. form and abolish Ministries and State Committees of
the USSR on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers of the USSR;
4. relieve individual members of the Council of Ministers
of the USSR of their responsibilities and appoint persons to the Council
of Ministers on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers
of the USSR.
Article 123
The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR promulgates
decrees and adopts decisions.
Article 124
(1) On expiry of the term of the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall retain its
powers until the newly elected Supreme Soviet of the USSR has elected a
new Presidium.
(2) The newly elected Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall
be convened by the outgoing Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
within two months of the elections.
Article 125
(1) The Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities
shall elect standing commissions from among the Deputies to make a preliminary
review of matters coming within the jurisdiction of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR, to promote execution of the laws of the USSR and other acts
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and its Presidium, and to check on the
work of state bodies and organizations. The chambers of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR may also set up joint commissions on a parity basis.
(2) When it deems necessary, the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR sets up commissions of inquiry and audit, and commissions on any other
matter.
(3) All state and public bodies, organizations and officials
are obliged to meet the requests of the commissions of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR and of its chambers, and submit the requisite materials and
documents to them.
(4) The commissions' recommendations shall be subject
to consideration by state and public bodies, institutions and organizations.
The commissions shall be informed, within the prescribed time-limit, of
the results of such consideration or of the action taken.
Article 126
(1) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall supervise the
work of all state bodies accountable to it.
(2) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall form a Committee
of People's Control of the USSR to head the system of people's control.
(3) The organization and procedure of people's control
bodies are defined by the Law on People's Control in the USSR.
Article 127
The procedure of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and of
its bodies shall be defined in the Rules and Regulations of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR and other laws of the USSR enacted on the basis of the
Constitution of the USSR.
Chapter 16 Council of Ministers
Article 128
The Council of Ministers of the USSR, i.e. the Government
of the USSR, is the highest executive and administrative body of state
authority of the USSR.
Article 129
(1) The Council of Ministers of the USSR shall be formed
by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR at a joint sitting of the Soviet of the
Union and the Soviet of Nationalities, and shall consist of the Chairman
of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, First Vice Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen,
Ministers of the USSR, and Chairmen of State Committees of the USSR.
(2) The Chairmen of the Councils of Ministers of Union
Republics shall be ex officio members of the Council of Ministers of the
USSR.
(3) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR, on the recommendation
of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, may include in
the Government of the USSR the heads of other bodies and organizations
of the USSR.
(4) The Council of Ministers of the USSR shall tender
its resignation to a newly elected Supreme Soviet of the USSR at its first
session.
Article 130
(1) The Council of Minister of the USSR shall be responsible
and accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and, between sessions
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
of the USSR.
(2) The Council of Ministers of the USSR shall report
regularly on its work of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 131
(1) The Council of Ministers of the USSR is empowered
to deal with all matters of state administration within the jurisdiction
of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics insofar as, under the Constitution,
they on not come within the competence of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR
or the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
(2) Within its powers the Council of Ministers of the
USSR shall:
1. ensure direction of economic, social and cultural
development; draft and implement measures to promote the well-being and
cultural development of the people, to develop science and engineering,
to ensure rational exploitation and conservation of natural resources,
to consolidate the monetary and credit system, to pursue a uniform prices,
wages, and social security policy, and to organize state insurance and
a uniform system of accounting and statistics; and organize the management
of industrial, constructional, and agricultural enterprises and amalgamations,
transport and communications undertakings, banks, and other organizations
and institutions of All-Union subordination;
2. draft current and long-term state plans for the economic
and social development of the USSR and the Budget of the USSR, and submit
them to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR; take measures to execute the state
plans and Budget; and report to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the implementation
of the plans and Budget;
3. implement measures to defend the interests of the
state, protect socialist property and maintain public order, and guarantee
and protect citizens' rights and freedoms;
4. take measures to ensure state security;
5. exercise general direction of the development of the
Armed Forces of the USSR, and determine the annual contingent of citizens
to be called up for active military service;
6. provide general direction in regard to relations with
other states, foreign trade, and economic, scientific, technical, and cultural
cooperation of the USSR with other countries; take measures to ensure fulfillment
of the USSR's international treaties; and ratify and denounce intergovernmental
international agreements;
7. and when necessary, form committees, central boards
and other departments under the Council of Ministers of the USSR to deal
with matters of economic, social and cultural development, and defence.
Article 132
A Presidium of the Council of Ministers of the USSR,
consisting of the Chairman, the First Vice-Chairmen, and Vice-Chairmen
of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, shall function as a standing body
of the Council of Ministers of the USSR to deal with questions relating
to guidance of the economy, and with other matters of state administration.
Article 133
The Council of Ministers of the USSR, on the basis of,
and in pursuance of, the laws of the USSR and other decision of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR and its Presidium, shall issue decisions and ordinances
and verify their execution. The decisions and ordinances of the Council
of Ministers of the USSR shall be binding throughout the USSR.
Article 134
The Council of Ministers of the USSR has the right, in
matters within the jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,
to suspend execution of decisions and ordinances of the Councils of Minister
of Union Republics, and to rescind acts of ministries and state committees
of the USSR, and of the other bodies subordinate to it.
Article 135
(1) The Council of Ministers of the USSR shall co-ordinate
and direct the work of All-Union and Union-Republican ministries, state
committees of the USSR, and other bodies subordinate to it.
(2) All-Union ministries and state committees of the
USSR shall direct the work of the branches of administration entrusted
to them, or exercise inter-branch administration, throughout the territory
of the USSR directly or through bodies set up by them.
(3) Union-Republican ministries and state committees
of the USSR direct the work of the branches of administration entrusted
to them, or exercise inter-branch administration, as a rule, through the
corresponding ministries and state committees, and other bodies of Union
Republics, and directly administer individual enterprises and amalgamations
of Union subordination. The procedure for transferring enterprises and
amalgamations from Republic or local subordination to Union subordination
shall be defined by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
(4) Ministries and state committees of the USSR shall
be responsible for the condition and development of the spheres of administration
entrusted to them; within their competence, they issue orders and other
acts on the basis of, and in execution of, the laws of the USSR and other
decisions of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and its Presidium, and of decisions
and ordinances of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and organize and
verify their implementation.
Article 136
The competence of the Council of Ministers of the USSR
and its Presidium, the procedure for their work, relationships between
the Council of Ministers and other state bodies, and the list of All-Union
and Union-Republican ministries and state committees of the USSR are defined,
on the basis of the Constitution, in the Law on the Council of Minister
of the USSR.
Part VI Structure of Administration
Chapter 17 Higher Bodies of State Authority
Article 137
(1) The highest body of state authority of a Union Republic
shall be the Supreme Soviet of that Republic.
(2) The Supreme Soviet of a Union Republic is empowered
to deal with all matters within the jurisdiction of the Republic under
the Constitutions of the USSR and the Republic.
(3) Adoption and amendment of the Constitution of a Union
Republic; endorsement of state plans for economic and social development,
of the Republic's Budget, and of reports on their fulfillment; and the
formation of bodies accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the Union Republic
are the exclusive prerogative of that Supreme Soviet.
(4) Laws of a Union Republic shall be enacted by the
Supreme Soviet of the Union Republic or by a popular vote (referendum)
held by decision of the Republic's Supreme Soviet.
Article 138
The Supreme Soviet of a Union Republic shall elect a
Presidium, which is a standing body of that Supreme Soviet and accountable
to it for all its work. The composition and powers of the Presidium of
the Supreme Soviet of a Union Republic shall be defined in the Constitution
of the Union Republic.
Article 139
(1) The Supreme Soviet of a Union Republic shall form
a Council of Ministers of the Union Republic, i.e. the Government of that
Republic, which shall be the highest executive and administrative body
of state authority in the Republic.
(2) The Council of Ministers of a Union Republic shall
be responsible and accountable to the Supreme Soviet of that Republic or,
between sessions of the Supreme Soviet, to its Presidium.
Article 140
The Council of Ministers of a Union Republic issues decisions
and ordinances on the basis of, and in pursuance of, the legislative acts
of the USSR and of the Union Republic, and of decisions and ordinances
of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and shall organize and verify
their execution.
Article 141
The Council of Ministers of a Union Republic has the
right to suspend the execution of decisions and ordinances of the Councils
of Ministers of Autonomous Republics, to rescind the decisions and orders
of the Executive Committees of Soviets of People's Deputies of Territories,
Regions, and cities (i.e. cities under Republic jurisdiction) and of Autonomous
Regions, and in Union Republics not divided into regions, of the Executive
Committees of district and corresponding city Soviets of People's Deputies.
Article 142
(1) The Council of Ministers of a Union Republic shall
co-ordinate and direct the work of the Union-Republican and Republican
ministries and of state committees of the Union Republic, and other bodies
under its jurisdiction.
(2) The Union-Republican ministries and state committees
of a Union Republic shall direct the branches of administration entrusted
to them, or exercise inter-branch control and shall be subordinate to both
the Council of Ministers of the Union Republic and the corresponding Union-Republican
ministry or state committee of the USSR.
(3) Republican ministries and state committees shall
direct the branches of administration entrusted to them, or exercise inter-branch
control, and shall be subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the Union
Republic.
Chapter 18 Higher Bodies of Autonomous Republics
Article 143
(1) The highest body of state authority of an Autonomous
Republic shall be the Supreme Soviet of that Republic.
(2) Adoption and amendment of the Constitution of an
Autonomous Republic; endorsement of state plans for economic and social
development, and of the Republic's Budget; and the formation of bodies
accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic are the exclusive
prerogative of that Supreme Soviet.
(3) Laws of an Autonomous Republic shall be enacted by
the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic.
Article 144
The Supreme Soviet of an Autonomous Republic shall elect
a Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic and shall
form a Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic, i.e. the Government
of that Republic.
Chapter 19 Local Bodies
Article 145
The bodies of state authority in Territories, Regions,
Autonomous Areas, districts, cities, city districts, settlements, and rural
communities shall be the corresponding Soviets of People's Deputies.
Article 146
(1) Local Soviets of People's Deputies shall deal with
all matters of local significance in accordance with the interest of the
whole state and of the citizens residing in the area under their jurisdiction,
implement decisions of higher bodies of state authority, guide the work
of lower Soviets of People's Deputies, take part in the discussion of matters
of Republican and All-Union significance, and submit their proposals concerning
them.
(2) Local Soviets of People's Deputies shall direct state,
economic, social and cultural development within their territory; endorse
plans for economic and social development an the local budget; exercise
general guidance over state bodies, enterprises, institutions and organizations
subordinate to them; ensure observance of the laws, maintenance of law
and order; and protection of citizens' rights; and help strengthen the
country's defence capacity.
Article 147
Within their powers, local Soviets of People's Deputies
shall ensure the comprehensive, all-round economic and social development
of their area; exercise control over the observance of legislation by enterprises,
institutions and organizations subordinate to higher authorities and located
in their area; and co-ordinate and supervise their activity as regards
land use, nature conservation, building, employment of manpower, production
of consumer goods, and social, cultural, communal and other services and
amenities for the public.
Article 148. Local Soviets of People's Deputies shall
decide matters within the powers accorded them by the legislation of the
USSR and of the appropriate Union Republic and Autonomous Republic. Their
decisions shall be binding on all enterprises, institutions, and organizations
located in their area and on officials and citizens.
Article 149
(1) The executive-administrative bodies of local Soviets
shall be the Executive Committees elected by them from among their deputies.
(2) Executive Committees shall report on their work at
least once a year to the Soviets that elected them and to meetings of citizens
at their places of work or residence.
Article 150
Executive Committees of local Soviets of People's Deputies
shall be directly accountable both to the Soviet that elected them and
to the higher executive and administrative body.
Part VII Justice
Chapter 20 Courts and Arbitration
Article 151
(1) In the USSR justice is administered only by the courts.
(2) In the USSR there are the following courts: the Supreme
Court of the USSR, the Supreme Courts of Union Republics, the Supreme Courts
of Autonomous Republics, Territorial, Regional, and city courts, courts
of Autonomous Regions, courts of Autonomous Areas, district (city) people's
courts, and military tribunals in the Armed Forces.
Article 152
(1) All courts in the USSR shall be formed on the principle
of the electiveness of judges and people's assessors.
(2) People's judges of district (city) people's courts
shall be elected for a term of five years by the citizens of the district
(city) on the basis of universal, equal and direct suffrage by secret ballot.
People's assessors of district (city) people's courts shall be elected
for a term of two and a half years at meetings of citizens at their places
of work or residence by a show of hands.
(3) Higher courts shall be elected for a term of five
years by the corresponding Soviet of People's Deputies.
(4) The judges of military tribunals shall be elected
for a term of five years by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the
USSR and by people's assessors for a term of two and a half years by meetings
of servicemen.
(5) Judges and people's assessors are responsible and
accountable to their electors or the bodies that elected them, shall report
to them, and may be recalled by them in the manner prescribed by law.
Article 153
(1) The Supreme Court of the USSR is the highest judicial
body in the USSR and supervises the administration of justice by the courts
of the USSR and Union Republics within the limits established by law.
(2) The Supreme Court of the USSR shall be elected by
the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and shall consist of a Chairman, Vice-Chairmen,
members, and people's assessors. The Chairmen of the Supreme Courts of
Union Republics are ex officio members of the Supreme Court of the USSR.
(3) The organization and procedure of the Supreme Court
of the USSR are defined in the Law on the Supreme Court of the USSR.
Article 154
The hearing of civil and criminal cases in all courts
is collegial; in courts of first instance cases are heard with the participation
of people's assessors. In the administration of justice people's assessors
have all the rights of a judge.
Article 155
Judges and people's assessors are independent and subject
only to the law.
Article 156
Justice is administered in the USSR on the principle
of the equality of citizens before the law and the court.
Article 157
Proceedings in all courts shall be open to the public.
Hearings in camera are only allowed in cases provided for by law, with
observance of all the rule of judicial procedure.
Article 158
A defendant in a criminal action is guaranteed the right
to legal assistance.
Article 159
Judicial proceedings shall be conducted in the language
of the Union Republic, Autonomous Republic, Autonomous Region, or Autonomous
Area, or in the language spoken by the majority of the people in the locality.
Persons participating in court proceedings, who do not know the language
in which they are being conducted, shall be ensured the right to become
fully acquainted with the materials in the case; the services of an interpreter
during the proceedings; and the right to address the court in their own
language.
Article 160
No one may be adjudged guilty of a crime and subjected
to punishment as a criminal except by the sentence of a court and in conformity
with the law.
Article 161
(1) Colleges of advocates are available to give legal
assistance to citizens and organizations. In cases provided for by legislation
citizens shall be given legal assistance free of charge.
(2) The organization and procedure of the bar are determined
by legislation of the USSR and Union Republics.
Article 162
Representatives of public organizations and of work collectives
may take part in civil and criminal proceedings.
Article 163
(1) Economic disputes between enterprises, institutions,
and organizations are settled by state arbitration bodies within the limits
of their jurisdiction.
(2) The organizations and manner of functioning of state
arbitration bodies are defined in the Law on State Arbitration in the USSR.
Chapter 21 Procurator
Article 164
Supreme power of supervision over the strict and uniform
observance of laws by all ministries, state committees and departments,
enterprises, institutions and organizations, executive-administrative bodies
of local Soviets of People's Deputies, collective farms, cooperatives and
other public organizations, officials and citizens is vested in the Procurator-General
of the USSR and procurators subordinate to him.
Article 165
The Procurator-General of the USSR is appointed by the
Supreme Soviet of the USSR and is responsible and accountable to it and,
between sessions of the Supreme Soviet, to the Presidium of the Supreme
Soviet of the USSR.
Article 166
The procurators of Union Republics, Autonomous Republics,
Territories, Regions and Autonomous Regions are appointed by the Procurator-General
of the USSR. The procurators of Autonomous Areas and district and city
procurators are appointed by the Procurators of Union Republics, subject
to confirmation by the Procurator-General of the USSR.
Article 167
The term of office of the Procurator-General of the USSR
and all lower-ranking procurators shall be five years.
Article 168
(1) The agencies of the Procurator's Office exercise their
powers independently of any local bodies whatsoever, and are subordinate
solely to the Procurator-General of the USSR.
(2) The organization and procedure of the agencies of
the Procurator's Office are defined in the Law on the Procurator's Office
of the USSR.
Part VIII Emblem, Flag, Anthem, Capital
Article 169
The State Emblem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
is a hammer and sickle on a globe depicted in the rays of the sun and framed
by ears of wheat, with the inscription "Workers of All Countries, Unite!"
in the languages of the Union Republics. At the top of the Emblem is a
five-pointed star.
Article 170
The State Flag of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
is a rectangle of red cloth with a hammer and sickle depicted in gold in
the upper corner next to the staff and with a five-pointed red star edged
in gold above them. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is
1:2
Article 171
The State Anthem of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
is confirmed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Article 172
The Capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
is the city of Moscow.
Part IX Legal Force and Amendments
Article 173
The Constitution of the USSR shall have supreme legal
force. All laws and other acts of state bodies shall be promulgated on
the basis of and in conformity with it.
Article 174
The Constitution of the USSR may be amended by a decision
of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted by a majority of not less than
two-thirds of the total number of Deputies of each of its chambers.
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