Soviet of the Republic

The Soviet of the Republic was a legislative chamber of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR, subsequently referred to as the Russian Federation during the transition period after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It formed part of the institutional restructuring of the Russian legislature at the end of the Soviet era, when the formerly unicameral Supreme Soviet was divided into two chambers. The chamber was established in 1989 through amendments to the constitutional and legislative framework of the Russian SFSR. It was intended to provide territorial representation within the republic's highest representative body. The chamber was elected in 1990 by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation from among the deputies representing territorial constituencies. In making those selections, the Congress took account of the number of voters in each region. Between 1990 and 1993, the Soviet of the Republic consisted of 126 deputies. It operated alongside the Soviet of the Union, the other chamber of the Supreme Soviet. Together, the two chambers formed the Supreme Soviet, which functioned as the standing legislative body between sessions of the Congress of People's Deputies. The chamber existed during a period of rapid constitutional change, political conflict, and institutional competition in Russia. Its tenure coincided with the final years of the Soviet political system, the emergence of the Russian Federation as an independent state, and disputes over the distribution of authority between the legislature and the presidency. The institutional arrangement was ultimately terminated during the constitutional crisis of 1993. On 21 September 1993, President of Russia Boris Yeltsin dissolved the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies, thereby also dissolving the Soviet of the Republic. The decision precipitated the armed confrontation commonly associated with the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis. The chamber did not continue under the post-1993 constitutional order, which replaced the former legislative structure with the Federal Assembly of Russia, consisting of the State Duma and the Federation Council.

The Soviet of the Republic was created in 1989 as part of the reorganization of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR. Before the reform, the Supreme Soviet had been a unicameral representative institution. The constitutional changes introduced two chambers: the Soviet of the Republic and the Soviet of the Union. This arrangement reflected an effort to combine territorial representation with a broader institutional structure for the republic's legislature during the political reforms of the late Soviet period. The chamber was elected in 1990 by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation. Its members were chosen from among deputies elected from territorial constituencies, with the allocation process taking account of regional voter numbers. The resulting body contained 126 deputies. It functioned as one of the two chambers of the Supreme Soviet, which served as the standing legislative organ between sessions of the Congress of People's Deputies. The Soviet of the Republic operated during the transition from the Russian SFSR to the Russian Federation. This was a period marked by the weakening of the Soviet Union's central authority, the declaration of Russian sovereignty, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, and continuing disputes over the constitutional balance between the legislature and the executive. The chamber was therefore part of a temporary institutional order rather than a permanent constitutional settlement. Its existence ended during the constitutional crisis of 1993. On 21 September of that year, the president dissolved the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies. The action also terminated the Soviet of the Republic. The confrontation between the executive and the parliament escalated into an armed siege of the parliament building before the old legislative institutions were replaced by the constitutional system established later in 1993. The successor federal legislature was the Federal Assembly, composed of the State Duma and the Federation Council.

• 1993

  Dissolution during the constitutional crisis

  [1]Soviet of the Republicen.wikipedia.org

  The chamber was dissolved on 21 September 1993 when the Russian president dissolved the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies.

• 1990

  First election of the chamber

  [1]Soviet of the Republicen.wikipedia.org

  The chamber was elected by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian Federation from among deputies representing territorial constituencies.

• 1989

  Creation as a chamber of the restructured Supreme Soviet

  [1]Soviet of the Republicen.wikipedia.org

  The Soviet of the Republic was established when the formerly unicameral Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR was reorganized into two chambers.

A constituent chamber of Russia's late-Soviet and transitional republican legislature, focused on territorial representation rather than commercial offerings.

• 1993

  Dissolution of the Supreme Soviet and its chambersStrategy

  Background

  The Soviet of the Republic operated within the Supreme Soviet during a wider constitutional conflict between Russia's presidency and legislature.

  Action taken

  On 21 September 1993, the president dissolved the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies, which also ended the Soviet of the Republic.

  Aftermath

  The dissolution contributed to the armed parliamentary siege and was followed by the replacement of the former legislative structure under Russia's 1993 constitutional order.

  Source

1. 1Soviet of the Republicen.wikipedia.org