Declaration on the Formation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Source: Tom 17

The Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (RSFSR), the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (UkSSR), the Belorussian Socialist Soviet Republic (BSSR), and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic (TSFSR -- Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia) hereby conclude the present union treaty on their unification into a single union state -- the "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics" -- on the following principles:

1. The jurisdiction of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, exercised through its supreme organs, shall include:
a) Representation of the Union in international relations;
b) Alteration of the external borders of the Union;
c) Conclusion of treaties on the admission of new republics into the Union;
d) Declaration of war and conclusion of peace;
e) Conclusion of foreign state loans;
f) Ratification of international treaties;
g) Establishment of the systems of foreign and domestic trade;
h) Establishment of the foundations and the general plan of the entire national economy of the Union, as well as the conclusion of concession agreements;
i) Regulation of transport and postal-telegraph services;
j) Establishment of the foundations for the organization of the armed forces of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
k) Approval of the unified state budget of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, establishment of the monetary and credit system, as well as the system of union, republican, and local taxes;
l) Establishment of the general principles of land tenure and land use, as well as the use of mineral resources, forests, and waters throughout the territory of the Union;
m) General union legislation on resettlement;
n) Establishment of the foundations of judicial organization and procedure, as well as civil and criminal union legislation;
o) Establishment of the fundamental laws on labor;
p) Establishment of the general principles of public education;
q) Establishment of general measures in the field of public health protection;
r) Establishment of the system of weights and measures;
s) Organization of union-wide statistics;
t) Fundamental legislation in the field of union citizenship with respect to the rights of foreigners;
u) The right of general amnesty;
v) Annulment of resolutions of congresses of Soviets, Central Executive Committees, and Councils of People's Commissars of the union republics that violate the union treaty.

2. The supreme organ of power of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the intervals between congresses -- the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

3. The Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be composed of representatives of city Soviets at the ratio of 1 delegate per 25,000 voters and representatives of provincial congresses of Soviets at the ratio of 1 delegate per 125,000 inhabitants.

4. Delegates to the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be elected at provincial congresses of Soviets.

5. Regular congresses of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be convened by the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics once a year; extraordinary congresses shall be convened by the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics either on its own initiative or at the demand of not fewer than two union republics.

6. The Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall elect the Central Executive Committee from representatives of the union republics in proportion to the population of each, totaling 371 members.

7. Regular sessions of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be convened three times a year. Extraordinary sessions shall be convened by resolution of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union, or at the demand of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or of the Central Executive Committee of one of the union republics.

8. Congresses of Soviets and sessions of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be convened in the capitals of the union republics, in an order to be determined by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

9. The Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall elect a Presidium, which shall be the supreme organ of power of the Union in the intervals between sessions of the Central Executive Committee of the Union.

10. The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be elected in a composition of 19 members, of whom the Central Executive Committee of the Union shall elect four chairmen of the Central Executive Committee of the Union, corresponding to the number of union republics.

11. The executive organ of the Central Executive Committee of the Union shall be the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Sovnarkom of the Union), elected by the Central Executive Committee of the Union for the duration of the latter's term, composed of:
the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union,

Deputy Chairmen,

People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs,

People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs,

People's Commissar of Foreign Trade,

People's Commissar of Communications,

People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraphs,

People's Commissar of Workers' and Peasants' Inspection,

Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council,

People's Commissar of Labor,

People's Commissar of Food Supply,

People's Commissar of Finance.

12. For the purpose of establishing revolutionary legality on the territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and unifying the efforts of the union republics in the struggle against counter-revolution, there shall be established under the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics a Supreme Court with the functions of supreme judicial oversight, and under the Council of People's Commissars of the Union a unified organ of the State Political Administration, the chairman of which shall sit on the Council of People's Commissars of the Union with a consultative vote.

13. Decrees and resolutions of the Sovnarkom of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be binding upon all union republics and shall be carried out directly throughout the territory of the Union.

14. Decrees and resolutions of the Central Executive Committee and the Sovnarkom of the Union shall be printed in the languages commonly used in the union republics (Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Georgian, Armenian, and Turkic).

15. The Central Executive Committees of the union republics may protest decrees and resolutions of the Sovnarkom of the Union to the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics without suspending their execution.

16. Resolutions and orders of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be annulled only by the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its Presidium; orders of individual People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be annulled by the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, its Presidium, and the Sovnarkom of the Union.

17. Orders of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be suspended by the Central Executive Committees or the Presidiums of the Central Executive Committees of the union republics only in exceptional cases, in the event of manifest non-conformity of a given order with the resolutions of the Sovnarkom or the Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Central Executive Committee or the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the union republic shall immediately notify the Council of People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the corresponding People's Commissar of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the suspension of the order.

18. The Council of People's Commissars of the union republics shall include:
the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars,

Deputy Chairmen,

Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council,

People's Commissar of Agriculture,

People's Commissar of Food Supply,

People's Commissar of Finance,

People's Commissar of Labor,

People's Commissar of Internal Affairs,

People's Commissar of Justice,

People's Commissar of Workers' and Peasants' Inspection,

People's Commissar of Education,

People's Commissar of Public Health,

People's Commissar of Social Welfare,

People's Commissar for Nationalities Affairs,
and also, with a consultative vote, authorized representatives of the Union commissariats: for foreign affairs, military and naval affairs, foreign trade, communications, and posts and telegraphs.

19. The Supreme Economic Council and the people's commissariats of food supply, finance, labor, and workers' and peasants' inspection of the union republics, while directly subordinate to the Central Executive Committees and Sovnarkoms of the union republics, shall be guided in their activity by the orders of the corresponding People's Commissars of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

20. The republics comprising the Union shall have their own budgets, which shall be component parts of the all-union budget approved by the Central Executive Committee of the Union. The budgets of the republics, in their revenue and expenditure parts, shall be determined by the Central Executive Committee of the Union. The list of revenues and the amounts of revenue allocations going to form the budgets of the union republics shall be determined by the Central Executive Committee of the Union.

21. A single union citizenship is established for the citizens of the union republics.

22. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall have its own flag, coat of arms, and state seal.

23. The capital of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics shall be the city of Moscow.

24. The union republics shall make amendments to their constitutions in conformity with the present treaty.

25. The approval, amendment, and supplementation of the union treaty shall be the exclusive prerogative of the Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

26. Each of the union republics retains the right of free secession from the Union.