The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, abbreviated USSR (Russian: Сою́з Сове́тских Социалисти́ческих Респу́блик (СССР) listen ▶ (help·info); tr.: Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik [SSSR]), more commonly known as the Soviet Union (Russian: Сове́тский Сою́з; tr.: Including:

• Soviet Union - History
• Soviet Union - Politics
• Soviet Union - Leaders of the Soviet Union
• Soviet Union - Foreign relations
• Soviet Union - Republics
• Soviet Union - Related articles

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Soviet Union, Soviet Union - History, Soviet Union - Politics, Soviet Union - Leaders of the Soviet Union, Soviet Union - Foreign relations, Soviet Union - Republics, Soviet Union - Related articles

Read more here: » Soviet Union: Encyclopedia II - Soviet Union - History

The Soviet Union was a federation of Soviet Socialist Republics (SSR). The first Republics were established shortly after the October Revolution of 1917. At that time, republics were technically independent from one another but their governments acted in closely coordinated confederation, as directed by the CPSU leadership. In 1922, four Republics (Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Belarusian SSR, and Transcaucasian SFSR) joined into the Soviet Union. Between 1922 and 1940, the number of Republics grew to sixteen. S ...

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Soviet Union, Soviet Union - History, Soviet Union - Politics, Soviet Union - Leaders of the Soviet Union, Soviet Union - Foreign relations, Soviet Union - Republics, Soviet Union - Related articles

Read more here: » Soviet Union: Encyclopedia II - Soviet Union - Republics

Blat is a term which appeared in the Soviet Union to denote the use of informal agreements, Party contacts, or black market deals to achieve results or get ahead. The adverbial usage of the word is po blatu, meaning "by blat". Because, in the Soviet Union, the Gosplan wasn't able to calculate efficient or even feasible plans, enterprises often had to rely on people with connections, who could then use blat to help fulfill the quotas. Eventually most enterprises came to have a supply expediter - a < ...

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Blat, Blat - Soviet Union, Blat - Command-line Emailer, Blat - Bioinformatics Software

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According to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, three main types of localites were included under the description P.G.T.: Workers' settlement: a locality with factories, mining industry, power stations, construction industry, with a maximum of 3,000 inhabitants. Health resort: a locality with a focus on sanatarium and health facilities. Dacha locality: settlement with a focus on private recreation at summer and on weekends with agricultural activities not more than 25%. < ...

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Townlet, Townlet - Soviet Union, Townlet - Ukrainian SSR

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Karelia, Chechnya and Tatarstan republics of Russia also tried to switch their alphabets to Latin, but the Latin alphabet was officially banned for Russia's official languages. This position was officially explained by two reasons: a) switching needs finances, but they are limited; b) it is difficult to make adult people accept the changes. Sometimes this move has been viewed as remnants of policy of Russification. In the Soviet Union, publications in technical and scientific journals were mostly in Russian; this led to underdevelopme ...

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Russification, Russification - History, Russification - Moldova, Russification - Soviet Union, Russification - Present times, Russification - Reference

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Main article: Passport system of the Soviet Union. Internal passports were used in the Soviet Union for identification of persons for various purposes. In particular, passports were used to control and monitor the place of residence by means of propiska. Officially, propiska was introduced for statistical reasons: since in the planned economy of the Soviet Union the distribution of goods and services was centralized, the overall distribution of population was to be monitored. For example, a valid propiska was necessary ...

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Internal passport, Internal passport - Soviet Union, Internal passport - People's Republic of China, Internal passport - Other

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Soviet Guards (Советская Гвардия in Russian, Sovetskaya Gvardiya), units and formations of the Soviet Army, which distinguished themselves in combat during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The title of the Soviet Guards was first introduced on September 18, 1941 in accordance with the decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief (Ставка Верховного Главнокомандующего, or Stavka Verkhovnogo Glavnokomanduyuschego) and by the order №308 of the ...

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Russian Guards, Russian Guards - Imperial Russia, Russian Guards - Russian Revolution, Russian Guards - Soviet Union, Russian Guards - Russian Federation

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The Soviet Union made extensive use of the term (Russian language: враг народа, "vrag naroda"), as it fit in well with the idea that the people were in control. Indeed, so great a number of people were labeled with the term that most modern connotations of the phrase associate it with communism. It was in official use under the Bolsheviks' rule after the October Revolution. Soviet leaders abolished its use ...

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Enemy of the people, Enemy of the people - Soviet Union

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Main article: History of the Soviet Union History of Russia - Creation of the Soviet Union. The history of Russia between 1922 and 1991 is essentially the history of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or Soviet Union. This ideologically-based union, established in December 1922 by the leaders of the Russian Communist Party, was roughly coterminous with the Russian Empire. At that time, the new nation included four constituent republics: the Russian SFSR, the Ukrainian ...

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History of Russia, History of Russia - Early history, History of Russia - Early East Slavs, History of Russia - Khazaria, History of Russia - Kievan Rus', History of Russia - Volga Bulgaria, History of Russia - Mongol Invasion, History of Russia - Golden Horde, History of Russia - Muscovy, History of Russia - The rise of Moscow, History of Russia - Ivan III the Great, History of Russia - Ivan IV the Terrible, History of Russia - Time of Troubles, History of Russia - The Romanovs, History of Russia - Peasant uprisings, History of Russia - Imperial Russia, History of Russia - Peter the Great, History of Russia - Ruling the Empire 1725–1825, History of Russia - Imperial Russia since the Decembrist Revolt 1825–1917, History of Russia - Russian Revolution, History of Russia - Russian Civil War, History of Russia - Soviet Union, History of Russia - Creation of the Soviet Union, History of Russia - War communism and the New Economic Policy, History of Russia - Changes in Russian society, History of Russia - Industrialization and collectivization, History of Russia - The Soviet Union on the international stage, History of Russia - The Khrushchev and Brezhnev years, History of Russia - Impending breakup of the Union, History of Russia - The emergence of the Russian republic in the Soviet Union, History of Russia - Russian Federation, History of Russia - Notes, History of Russia - Related histories

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The Soviet Union is traditionally considered to be the successor of the Russian Empire. The last Russian czar, Nicholas II, ruled until March 1917 and was eventually executed. The Soviet Union was established in December 1922 as the union of the Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Transcaucasian Soviet republics ruled by Bolshevik parties. By Soviet historiography, revolutionary activity in Russia began with the Decembrist Revolt of 1825, and although serfdom was abolished in 1861, its abolition was achieved on terms unfavorable to th ...

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Soviet Union, Soviet Union - History, Soviet Union - Politics, Soviet Union - Leaders of the Soviet Union, Soviet Union - Foreign relations, Soviet Union - Republics

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The term bard (барды) came to be used in the Soviet Union in the early 1960s (and continues to be used in Russia today) for popular poets and singers who wrote songs outside the Soviet establishment. Bard poetry differs from other poetry mainly in the fact that it is sung along with a simple guitar melody as opposed to being spoken. Another difference is that this form of poetry focuses less on style and more on meaning. This means that fewer stylistic devices are used, and the poetry often takes the form of narrative. What separ ...

Including:

• Bard Soviet Union - Types of songs
• Bard Soviet Union - Tourist song
• Bard Soviet Union - Political song
• Bard Soviet Union - Outlaw song
• Bard Soviet Union - Other songs
• Bard Soviet Union - Famous bards of Soviet epoch
• Bard Soviet Union - Pictures

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The year 1985 marked the accession of Mikhail Gorbachev to the position of General Secretary of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. Despite efforts to introduce concepts such as glasnost (political openness) and perestroika (economic restructuring), Gorbachev found himself presiding over a declining empire. The Union faced opposition abroad through the Western assumption of military superiority and the internal struggle within the restless republics led by Boris Yeltsin that asserted sovereignity. A fa ...

Including:

• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - The rise of Gorbachev and reform
• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - Yeltsin and the dissolution of the USSR
• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - The August Coup
• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - Formation of the CIS
• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - Summary
• History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991 - Post-Soviet restructuring

Read more here: » History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991: Encyclopedia - History of the Soviet Union 1985-1991

The republics played an important role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Under Mikhail Gorbachev, glasnost and perestroika were intended to revive the Soviet Union. However, they had a number of effects which caused the power of the republics to increase. First, political liberalization allowed the governments within the republics to gain legitimacy by invoking democracy, nationalism or a combination of both. In addition, liberalization led to fractures within the party hierarchy which reduced Soviet control over the republics. Finally, p ...

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Republics of the Soviet Union, Republics of the Soviet Union - The Republics and the Collapse of the Soviet Union, Republics of the Soviet Union - Soviet Union in its final state, Republics of the Soviet Union - Soviet Republics, Republics of the Soviet Union - Independent Countries, Republics of the Soviet Union - Sorted by region, Republics of the Soviet Union - Other Soviet republics, Republics of the Soviet Union - Timeline

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Culture of the Soviet Union - The Lenin years. The main feature of communist attitudes towards the arts and artists in the years 1918-1929 was to cut their freedom down and to encourage Soviet style of art. Lenin wanted art to be accessible to the Russian people. At first artists and writers were given a fair amount of freedom but many fled Russia because of their opposition to the Bolshevik government. Lenin was a traditional man in art. He hated the new 'isms' (Futurism, Expressionism) and wanted art to ...

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Culture of the Soviet Union, Culture of the Soviet Union - History, Culture of the Soviet Union - The Lenin years, Culture of the Soviet Union - Stalin era, Culture of the Soviet Union - Late Soviet Union, Culture of the Soviet Union - Control over information, Culture of the Soviet Union - References and further reading

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Politics of the Soviet Union - Communist Party. Main article: Communist Party of the Soviet Union The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU), the only party permitted by Constitution, controlled the government apparatus and took decisions affecting economy and society. The CPSU followed the ideology of Marxism-Leninism and operated on the principle of democratic centralism. The primary CPSU bodies were the Politburo, the highest decision-making organ; the Secretariat, the controller of p ...

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Politics of the Soviet Union, Politics of the Soviet Union - Background, Politics of the Soviet Union - Soviet state, Politics of the Soviet Union - Communist Party, Politics of the Soviet Union - Government, Politics of the Soviet Union - Judicial system, Politics of the Soviet Union - Administrative divisions, Politics of the Soviet Union - Internal politics, Politics of the Soviet Union - Perestroika and glasnost, Politics of the Soviet Union - External politics, Politics of the Soviet Union - International agreements and memberships

Read more here: » Politics of the Soviet Union: Encyclopedia II - Politics of the Soviet Union - Soviet state

Catholics accounted for a substantial and active religious body in the Soviet Union. Their number increased dramatically with the annexation of western Ukraine in 1939 and the Baltic republics in 1940. Catholics in the Soviet Union were divided between those belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, recognized by the government, and those remaining loyal to the Ukrainian Catholic Church, banned since 1946. Rel ...

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Religion in the Soviet Union, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodox, Religion in the Soviet Union - Russian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Georgian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Armenian Apostolic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Roman Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Greko-Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Protestant, Religion in the Soviet Union - Muslim, Religion in the Soviet Union - Policy toward religions in practice, Religion in the Soviet Union - Nationalities and religion, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodoxy, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholicism and Protestantism, Religion in the Soviet Union - Islam, Religion in the Soviet Union - Judaism

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Based on a system of state ownership, the Soviet economy was managed through Gosplan (the State Planning Commission), Gosbank (the State Bank) and the Gossnab (State Commission for Materials and Equipment Supply). Beginning in 1928, the economy was directed by a series of five-year plans, with a brief attempt at seven-year planning. For every enterprise, planning ministries (also known as the "fund holders" or fondoderzhateli) defined the mix of economic inputs (e.g., labor and raw materials), a schedule for comple ...

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Economy of the Soviet Union, Economy of the Soviet Union - Planning, Economy of the Soviet Union - Drafting the five-year plans, Economy of the Soviet Union - Economic development, Economy of the Soviet Union - Agriculture, Economy of the Soviet Union - Foreign trade and currency, Economy of the Soviet Union - Forms of property, Economy of the Soviet Union - Individual property, Economy of the Soviet Union - Collective property, Economy of the Soviet Union - Finances

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In the late 1980s, Islam had the second largest number of believers in the Soviet Union, with between 45 and 50 million people identifying themselves as Muslims. But the Soviet Union had only about 500 working Islamic mosques, a fraction of the mosques in prerevolutionary Russia, and Soviet law forbade Islamic religious activity outside working mosques and Islamic schools. All working mosques, religious schools, and Islamic publications were supervised by four "spiritual directorates" established by Soviet authorities to provide governmental ...

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Religion in the Soviet Union, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodox, Religion in the Soviet Union - Russian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Georgian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Armenian Apostolic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Roman Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Greko-Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Protestant, Religion in the Soviet Union - Muslim, Religion in the Soviet Union - Policy toward religions in practice, Religion in the Soviet Union - Nationalities and religion, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodoxy, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholicism and Protestantism, Religion in the Soviet Union - Islam, Religion in the Soviet Union - Judaism

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Orthodox Christians constituted a majority of believers in the Soviet Union. In the late 1980s, three Orthodox churches claimed substantial memberships in the Soviet Union: the Russian Orthodox Church, the Georgian Orthodox Church, and the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church. They were members of the major confederation of Orthodox churches in the world, generally referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The first two churches functioned openly and were tolerated by the regime. The Ukrainian AOC was not permitted to function openly. P ...

See also:

Religion in the Soviet Union, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodox, Religion in the Soviet Union - Russian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Georgian Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Armenian Apostolic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholic, Religion in the Soviet Union - Roman Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Ukrainian Greko-Catholic Church, Religion in the Soviet Union - Protestant, Religion in the Soviet Union - Muslim, Religion in the Soviet Union - Policy toward religions in practice, Religion in the Soviet Union - Nationalities and religion, Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodoxy, Religion in the Soviet Union - Catholicism and Protestantism, Religion in the Soviet Union - Islam, Religion in the Soviet Union - Judaism

Read more here: » Religion in the Soviet Union: Encyclopedia II - Religion in the Soviet Union - Orthodox