Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union

Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union Съезд Советов Советский Союз
Soviet Union
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Established	30 December 1922
Disbanded	5 December 1936
Preceded by	Congresses of Soviet republics All-Russian Congress of Soviets All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets All-Belarussian Congress of Soviets All-Caucasian Congress of Soviets
Succeeded by	Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union
Leadership
Chairman of the Presidium of the Congress	Mikhail Kalinin
Elections
Voting system	Indirect elections

The Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union (Russian: Съезд Советов Советский Союз), was the supreme governing body in the Soviet Union since the formation of the USSR (30 December 1922) and until adoption of the 1936 Soviet Constitution.

Election

Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union was composed of representatives from the councils of all the Soviet republics on the following standards: from the City Council - 1 member from 25 thousand voters, from provincial (regional, territorial) and Republican congresses - 1 member from the 125 thousand residents. Delegates to the All-Union Congress were elected at the provincial (regional, territorial) autonomous republican congresses of the Soviets, or (if republic did not have provincial (and then provincial, regional) congresses) - directly at the Congress of Soviets of the union republic.

Powers

The exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress of Soviets consists of:

• Amending of the Constitution of the USSR.
• Admission of new republics into the USSR.
• Establishment of the principles of plans for development of the Soviet economy and State budget of the USSR, as well as approval of general principles of current legislation.

Congress of the Soviets shall determine the general direction of all public bodies, elect a Central Executive Committee of the USSR, responsible to Congress accountable to it.

The only chairman of the Presidium of the Congress was Mikhail Kalinin.