query: the first of the former republics of the soviet union to be recognized as completely independent

pos: Post-Soviet states Security Treaty (CST). Uzbekistan which (alongside Georgia and Azerbaijan) withdrew from the CST in 1999, joined GUAM. Then in 2005 it withdrew from GUAM and joined the CSTO in 2006. On 28 June 2012, Uzbekistan suspended its membership in the CSTO. Three former Soviet states are members of NATO: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Poland, a former socialist nation, is also a NATO member. Georgia, where both public opinion and the ruling government favor NATO membership, is in the Intensified Dialogue program with NATO. Ukraine also declared joining NATO as its geopolitical goal once again in 2017 (first time being right

pos: Commonwealth of Independent States Cup Commonwealth of Independent States Cup The Commonwealth of Independent States Cup () is a defunct annual regional association football tournament, recognized by FIFA. The tournament was initially established for football clubs of the former Soviet Union republics in 1993 (a year later since the collapse). On several occasions, some national football organizations of the former Soviet republics as well as individual clubs refused participation in the tournament for different reasons. Usually the invitation was sent to the best clubs of the Commonwealth of Independent States member states, as well as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, i.e. either a champion or a runner-up,

pos: Dissolution of the Soviet Union former Soviet Republics competed as separate independent nations, with FIFA allocating the Soviet team's record to Russia. Before the start of the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, "The Olympic Committee of the USSR" formally existed until March 12, 1992, when it disbanded but it was succeeded by the Russian Olympic Committee. However, 12 of the 15 former Soviet Republics competed together as the Unified Team and marched under the Olympic Flag in Barcelona, where they finished first in the medal rankings. Separately, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia also competed as independent nations in the 1992

pos: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic during the subsequent Russian Civil War several states within the former Russian Empire seceded, reducing the size of the country even more. Internationally, the RSFSR was recognized as an independent state in 1920 only by bordering neighbors of Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania in the Treaty of Tartu and by the short-lived Irish Republic in Ireland. On 30 December 1922, with the treaty on the creation of the Soviet Union, Russia, alongside the Transcaucasian SFSR, the Ukrainian SSR and the Byelorussian SSR formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The final Soviet name for the constituent republic, the Russian Soviet

pos: Dissolution of the Soviet Union constituent republics. Gorbachev strongly opposed such a move during debate but was defeated. The vote expanded the power of republics in local elections, enabling them to decide for themselves how to organize voting. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia had already proposed laws for direct presidential elections. Local elections in all the republics had already been scheduled to take place between December and March 1990. The six Warsaw Pact countries of Eastern Europe, while nominally independent, were widely recognized in the international community as the Soviet satellite states. All had been occupied by the Soviet Red Army in 1945, had Soviet-style socialist

pos: Russia human-made satellite and the launching of the first humans in space. By the end of 1990, the Soviet Union had the world's second largest economy, largest standing military in the world and the largest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, twelve independent republics emerged from the USSR: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Baltic states regained independence: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania; the Russian SFSR reconstituted itself as the Russian Federation and is recognized as the continuing legal personality and a successor of the Soviet

pos: Republics of the Soviet Union Throughout the unravelling of the restructuring, the Soviet government attempted to find a new structure which would reflect the increased power of the republics. Some autonomous republics, like Tatarstan, Checheno-Ingushetia, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Crimea, Transnistria, Gagauzia sought the union statute in New Union Treaty. Efforts to found a Union of Sovereign States proved unsuccessful and the republics began to secede from the Union. By 6 September 1991, the Soviet Union's State Council recognized the independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania bringing the number of union republics down to 12. On 8 December 1991, the remaining leaders of the republics signed

pos: 51st Guards Mechanized Brigade (Ukraine) Ivan Bagramyan, the 1st Baltic Front commander, it liberated the Belorussian cities of Vitebsk and Polotski. Continuing its advance to the west, the 51st Guards Division took part in pushing Army Group North out of the former Soviet republics the Soviet Union had annexed in 1940, Latvia and Lithuania. Its sacrifice and courage in recapturing Vitebsk were recognized as it was bestowed with the honorary title of "Vitebskyan" in October 1944. One of the division's artillerymen Aramais Sarkisyan was killed in combat in Belorussia on June 25, 1944, and was recognized as a Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest

pos: Estonian Sovereignty Declaration this anomalous situation until the ultimate restoration of Baltic independence. In the 1980s new policies of Perestroika and Glasnost were introduced and political repression in the Soviet Union came to an end. As a result, during the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt a 20 August 1991 declaration proclaimed the reestablishment of the independent Estonian republic almost three years after the declaration was made, becoming the last of the Baltic republics to declare the reestablishment of independence (after Lithuania and Latvia in 1990). On September 6, 1991, the Soviet Union recognized the independence of Estonia and the country was admitted to

pos: Commonwealth the 16 member states known as Commonwealth realms. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a loose alliance or confederation consisting of 10 of the 15 former Soviet Republics, the exceptions being Turkmenistan (a CIS associate member), Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine, and Georgia. Georgia left the CIS in August 2008 after a clash with Russia over South Ossetia. Its creation signalled the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its purpose being to "allow a civilised divorce" between the Soviet Republics. The CIS has developed as a forum by which the member-states can co-operate in economics, defence, and foreign policy. Labour MP

pos: Alma-Ata Protocol Alma-Ata Protocol The Alma-Ata Protocols are the founding declarations and principles of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus had agreed to the Belavezha Accords on 8 December 1991, dissolving the Soviet Union and forming the CIS. On 21 December 1991, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan agreed to the Alma-Ata Protocols, joining the CIS. The latter agreement included the original three Belavezha signatories, as well as eight additional former Soviet republics. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Georgia were the only former republics that have not participated. More surprisingly,

pos: Hero (title) other than the Soviet Union, many part of the Warsaw Pact, adopted their own hero titles. These titles closely followed the Soviet model. Not all communist or socialist nations issued hero titles. Conversely, some nations that issued hero titles were not affiliated with the Soviet Union or communism. The titles "Hero of the Soviet Union" and "Hero of Socialist Labor" were awarded until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which resulted in 15 independent republics. Each nation eventually began issuing their own titles, orders and decorations. Some republics, like the Baltic republics of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, did

pos: Operation Ring were rejected by General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The demands to annex the region came in the middle of Gorbachev's reform policies, Glasnost and Perestroika. First implemented in 1985, when Gorbachev came into power, the liberalization of political and economical constraints in the Soviet Union gave birth to numerous nationalist groups in the different Soviet republics who insisted that they be given the right to secede and form their own independent countries. By late 1989, the Communist Parties of the republics of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania had largely been weakened in power. In Nagorno-Karabakh, the intercommunal relations between

pos: National anthems of the Soviet Union and Union Republics ASSR within the Russian SFSR. With the exception of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union (ASSRs) did not have their own anthems. Like the hammer and sickle and red star, the public performance of the anthems of the Soviet republics and the anthem of the Soviet Union itself are considered as occupation symbols as well as symbols of totalitarianism and state terror by several countries formerly either members of or occupied by the Soviet Union. Accordingly, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, and Ukraine have banned those anthems amongst other things deemed to be symbols of fascism,

pos: Algirdas Brazauskas communist, states. In seeing the tide of an independent democracy, he joined the reformist cause observing in 1990 that "We are realists now, and we cannot be propagating any utopian ideas. It's no secret [that] the Communist Party has a dirty history." Though he sought to avoid a breach with Moscow in 1989, as leader of Lithuania's Communist Party, he formally severed the party's links with Moscow. This was rare in that no other former Soviet republics dared to take this step. Some believe that this act confirmed the inevitability of the demise of the Soviet Union. He took various

pos: Cold War Bush, who strove to maintain friendly relations, condemned the January 1991 killings in Latvia and Lithuania, privately warning that economic ties would be frozen if the violence continued. The USSR was fatally weakened by a failed coup and a growing number of Soviet republics, particularly Russia, who threatened to secede from the USSR. The Commonwealth of Independent States, created on 21 December 1991, is viewed as a successor entity to the Soviet Union but, according to Russia's leaders, its purpose was to "allow a civilized divorce" between the Soviet Republics and is comparable to a loose confederation. The USSR was

neg: Republics of the Soviet Union by it between the 1700 Great Northern War and the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. In 1944, amendments to the All-Union Constitution allowed for separate branches of the Red Army for each Soviet Republic. They also allowed for Republic-level commissariats for foreign affairs and defense, allowing them to be recognized as "de jure" independent states in international law. This allowed for two Soviet Republics, Ukraine and Byelorussia, (as well as the USSR as a whole) to join the United Nations General Assembly as founding members in 1945. All of the former Republics of the Union are now independent countries, with ten

neg: Commonwealth of Independent States Cup but nevertheless, nothing came out from those talks and efforts. In October 2009, Bunyodkor coach Luis Felipe Scolari announced that his Uzbek side would not enter the 2010 tournament due to focusing on the Asian Champions League. Commonwealth of Independent States Cup The Commonwealth of Independent States Cup () is a defunct annual regional association football tournament, recognized by FIFA. The tournament was initially established for football clubs of the former Soviet Union republics in 1993 (a year later since the collapse). On several occasions, some national football organizations of the former Soviet republics as well as individual clubs refused

neg: Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia The Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (ФНПР, FNPR, Федерация Независимых Профсоюзов России, Federatsiya Nezavisimykh Profsoyuzov Rossii) is the largest national trade union center in Russia, with a membership estimated between 28 and 31.5 million (down from 70 million at its formation). The FNPR is widely recognized as the de facto successor to the Soviet era trade unions system, although the General Confederation of Trade Unions (GFTC), as the umbrella organization of trade unions in the former Soviet Republics, is technically the equivalent of the former system. The FNPR was established in

neg: Commonwealth of Independent States chances of the Soviet Union staying together low, the Commonwealth of Independent States was founded in it place on 8 December 1991 by the Byelorussia SSR, the Russian SFSR, and the Ukraine SSR, when the leaders of the three republics, met in the Belovezhskaya Pushcha Natural Reserve, about north of Brest in Belarus and signed the "Agreement Establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States", known as the "Creation Agreement" (, "Soglasheniye"). The CIS announced that the new organization would be open to all republics of the former Soviet Union, and to other nations sharing the same goals. The CIS charter stated

neg: Azerbaijan–United States relations Soviet Union as a part of the Transcaucasian Federative Soviet Socialist Republic. No direct inter-state relations existed between Azerbaijan SSR and the United States. On October 18, 1991, the Azerbaijani parliament adopted a declaration of independence. Subsequently, on December 25, 1991, Soviet Union ceased its existence and the United States formally recognized 12 former Soviet republics, including Azerbaijan, as independent states. On March 6, 1992, Azerbaijan opened its embassy in Washington, and on March 16, 1992, the United States opened its embassy in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. In 2005, as a freshman Senator, Barack Obama visited Azerbaijan on a

neg: Dissolution of the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union The dissolution of the Soviet Union occurred on 26 December 1991, officially granting self-governing independence to the Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). It was a result of the declaration number 142-Н of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The declaration acknowledged the independence of the former Soviet republics and created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), although five of the signatories ratified it much later or did not do so at all. On the previous day, 25 December, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, the eighth and final leader of the USSR,

neg: Commonwealth of Independent States that all the members were sovereign and independent nations and thereby effectively abolished the Soviet Union. On 21 December 1991, the leaders of eight additional former Soviet Republics (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) signed the Alma-Ata Protocol which can either be interpreted as expanding the CIS to these states or the proper foundation or refoundation date of the CIS, thus bringing the number of participating countries to 11. Georgia joined two years later, in December 1993. At this point, 12 of the 15 former Soviet Republics participated in the CIS. The three Baltic states did not,

neg: Soviet Union and the United Nations made many new allies this way. The USSR initially protested the membership of India and the Philippines, whose independence was then largely theoretical (being basically colonies of the United Kingdom and the United States, respectively, in all but name). A demand by the Soviet Union that all fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics be recognized as member states in the UN was counter-demanded by the United States that all then 48 states be similarly recognized. Ultimately two Soviet Republics (Ukraine and Byelorussia) were admitted as full members of the UN, so between 1945 and 1991, the Soviet Union was represented by three

neg: Aeroflot 1990s, the Soviet Union underwent massive political upheavals, culminating in the dissolution of the State. Former republics of the Soviet Union declared their independence during January 1990 – December 1991, resulting in the establishment of several independent countries, along with fifteen republics and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Up until that time, Aeroflot had been the only establishment providing air services throughout the Soviet Union, but with its breakup Aeroflot branches of these countries began their own services, and the airline itself came under control of Russia, the largest of the CIS republics, and was renamed "AeroflotRussian International Airlines

neg: Russia men's national ice hockey team being won by the Russian national team, rather than by the CIS. However, the International Olympic Committee has not recognized Russia as the Olympic champions for this Winter Games. Russia joined the IIHF as an independent state on 6 May 1992, along with 10 other states, including seven other former Soviet republics. Unlike the others, which applied as new member states and had to begin playing at the bottom tiers of the World Championship, Russia was allowed to replace the Soviet Union in its position, and was thus entered into the elite division for the 1992 World Championship. Russia's first

neg: Republics of the Soviet Union the Belavezha Accords which agreed that the USSR would be dissolved and replaced with a Commonwealth of Independent States. On 25 December, President Gorbachev announced his resignation and turned all executive powers over to Yeltsin. The next day the Council of Republics voted to dissolve the Union. Since then, the republics have been governed independently with some adopting significantly more liberal policies while others, particularly in Central Asia, have retained leadership personnel from the Soviet time to this day. Republics of the Soviet Union The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics () of the

neg: Communism Comintern and Titoism was branded "deviationist". Albania also became an independent Marxist–Leninist state after World War II. Communism was seen as a rival of and a threat to western capitalism for most of the 20th century. The Soviet Union was dissolved on December 26, 1991. It was a result of the declaration number 142-Н of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The declaration acknowledged the independence of the former Soviet republics and created the Commonwealth of Independent States, although five of the signatories ratified it much later or did not do it at

neg: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic the Treaty of Kars. Borders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, like elsewhere in the USSR, were redrawn several times, yet neither side was completely satisfied with the results. On 12 March 1922 the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenian, and Georgian Soviet Socialist Republics established a union known as the Transcaucasian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic (TSFSR). This was the first attempt at a union of Soviet republics, preceding the USSR. The Union Council of TSFSR consisted of the representatives of the three republics – Nariman Narimanov (Azerbaijan), Polikarp Mdivani (Georgia), and Aleksandr Fyodorovich Miasnikyan (Armenia). The First Secretary of the Transcaucasian Communist Party

neg: Post-Soviet states Post-Soviet states The post-Soviet states, also collectively known as the former Soviet Union (FSU) or former Soviet Republics, and in Russian as the "near abroad" (discussed below) are the states that emerged and re-emerged from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in its breakup in 1991, with Russia internationally recognised as the successor state to the Soviet Union after the Cold War. The three Baltic states were the first to declare their independence, between March and May 1990, claiming continuity from the original states that existed prior to their annexation by the Soviet Union in 1940. The remaining 12 republics

neg: Belarus at the Olympics Belarus at the Olympics Athletes from Belarus began their Olympic participation at the 1952 Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland as part of the Soviet Union (IOC code: URS). After the Soviet Union disbanded in 1991, Belarus, along with four of the other fourteen former Soviet republics, competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics (held in Albertville, France) as the Unified Team. Later in 1992, eleven republics joined Belarus to compete as the Unified Team at the Summer Games in Barcelona, Spain. Two years later, Belarus competed for the first time as an independent nation in the 1994 Winter Olympics, held in

neg: Occupation of the Baltic states acknowledged its presence in the Baltics as an occupation or that it annexed these states and considered the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republics as three of its constituent republics. On the other hand, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic recognized in 1991 the events of 1940 as "annexation". Nationalist-patriotic Russian historiography and school textbooks continue to maintain that the Baltic states voluntarily joined the Soviet Union after their peoples all carried out socialist revolutions independent of Soviet influence. The post-Soviet government of the Russian Federation and its state officials insist that incorporation of the Baltic states was in

neg: Soviet Union coup d'état attempted by Communist Party hardliners. On 25 December 1991, Gorbachev resigned, and on 26 December 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union met and formally dissolved the Soviet Union, thereby ending the Cold War, and the remaining twelve constituent republics emerged as independent post-Soviet states. The Russian Federation—formerly the Russian SFSR—assumed the Soviet Union's rights and obligations and is recognized as the successor state of the Soviet Union. In summing up the international ramifications of these events, Vladislav Zubok stated: "The collapse of the Soviet empire was an event of epochal geopolitical, military, ideological and economic significance".

neg: Anthem own national anthem and these songs may be officially recognized. Fourteen of the fifteen republics of the Soviet Union had their own official song which was used at events connected to that republic, and also written and sung in that republic's own language. The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic used the Soviet state's national anthem until 1990. Some republics retained the melodies of those songs after the dissolution of the Soviet regime (see the article National anthems of the Soviet Union and Union Republics). The United Kingdom's national anthem is "God Save the Queen" but its constituent countries and Crown

neg: Football in the Soviet Union clubs. In 1990, Dinamo Tbilisi and Žalgiris Vilnius left the competitions of the Soviet Union. Other clubs had similar intentions but these plans were not implemented before the actual collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1991, the history of the football championships of the Soviet Union ended with the victory of FC CSKA Moscow. The Commonwealth of Independent States Cup, traditionally attended by the winners of national championships from the former Soviet republics, was a reminder of the existence of the USSR Championships. For the correspondent article on each one of the republics, please see: Others: Football in the Soviet

neg: Defender of the Motherland Day Defender of the Motherland Day Defender of the Motherland Day (; ) also known as Uzbek Army Day is a holiday observed in Uzbekistan. It is celebrated on 14 January.It is the official professional holiday of the Uzbek Armed Forces. On 14 January 1992, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Uzbekistan was established. This was considered to be the official holiday of the Armed Forces. Before this, Uzbekistan as part of the Soviet Union recognized Soviet Army and Navy Day as the armed forces official holiday. Following the fall of the USSR, some former republics of the Soviet Union

neg: Russian Constitution of 1918 November 1917 until the adoption of the 1918 constitution July 10 by the Congress of Soviets.) One of the first Soviet iterations of a perennial biblical phrase appeared in Article 18, which declares labour to be the duty of all citizens of the Republic, and sloganeers: 'He who does not work, neither shall he eat!' Importantly, the 1918 Russian Constitution's main principles served as a precursor to the ensuing constitutions of both united and autonomous Soviet republics. They were recognized as fundamental to the 1924 Soviet Constitution, which was the formative document of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Russian

neg: Languages of the Soviet Union to the separate development of the literary languages. Some of the former Soviet republics, now independent states, continue to use the Cyrillic alphabet at present (such as Kyrgyzstan), while others have opted to use the Latin alphabet instead (such as Turkmenistan and Moldova – although the unrecognized Transnistria officially uses the Cyrillic alphabet). The Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union and other subdivision of the USSR lacked even this "de jure" autonomy, and their languages had virtually no presence at the national level (and often, not even in the urban areas of the republic itself). They were, however, present in

neg: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic war in the east of the country (Transnistria), where the central government in Chișinău battled with separatists, who were supported by pro-Soviet forces and later by different forces from Russia. The conflict left the breakaway regime (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) in control of Transnistria - a situation that persists today. The Soviet Union ceased to exist on December 26, 1991 and Moldova was officially recognized as an independent state. In the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty, the Soviet Union and Romania reaffirmed each other's borders, recognizing Bessarabia, northern Bukovina and the Herza region as territory of the respective Soviet republics. Throughout the

neg: All Union First Programme the USSR, the All Union First Programme ceased its transmission in December 1991. In Russia, Radio-1 began broadcasting on the former frequencies of the All Union First Programme. The other open frequencies of the All Union First Programme were taken over by the state radio channels of the newly independent republics. All Union First Programme The All-Union First Programme () was a radio channel in the Soviet Union. It had a political focus and discussed events in the Soviet Union. Since 1991 it was a small commercial radio station broadcasting with the name "Radio-1". "Radio-1" ceased broadcasting on 21 June

neg: Eurasian Economic Union and pressure on EU, the project was abandoned. Analysts believe Russia backs the Eurasian Economic Union in order to limit western influence in the region. Western analysts generally see the Eurasian Economic Union as a way to reunite many of the former Soviet republics. For example, "Washington Post" author Abigail Hauslohner wrote the treaty was intended "to further bolster [Russia]'s ties to former Soviet republics." The United States expressed its opposition to the Eurasian Union, claiming it is "an attempt" to re-establish a USSR-type union among the former Soviet republics. In December 2012, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton claimed

neg: Flag of the Soviet Union time the flag ceased to be a national flag. Today, the Soviet flag is used by the opposition, mainly left-wing rallies and demonstrations in the former Soviet space. The flags often used are those of the union republics (in particular those where the demonstrations are held). The Soviet Union was the world's first constitutionally socialist state, making it the inspiration of future socialist states. This led to the inspirations for the flags of the Republic of Angola, the People's Republic of China, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The flags of the Soviet republics

neg: Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union than 50 years, only 80 laws were passed by the Supreme Soviet, less than 1% of total legislative acts. Beside the Supreme Council, in the Soviet Union supreme councils also existed in each of the union and autonomous republics. The supreme councils of republican level also had presidiums, but all those councils consisted of one chamber. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, some councils of the succeeded independent republics simply changed their name to their more historic name or to emphasise the importance of the council as a national parliament, while others changed to double-chamber assemblies. All republics in

neg: 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt of the republics expressed the desire to retain the renewed Soviet Union. Following negotiations, eight of the nine republics (except Ukraine) approved the New Union Treaty with some conditions. The treaty would make the Soviet Union a federation of independent republics with a common president, foreign policy, and military. Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan were to sign the Treaty in Moscow on 20 August 1991. On 11 December 1990, KGB Chairman Vladimir Kryuchkov, made a "call for order" over Central television in Moscow. That day, he asked two KGB officers to prepare a plan of measures that could be taken in

neg: Geographical distribution of Russian speakers facto" Russification. The Soviet system heavily promoted the Russian language as the "language of inter-ethnic communication". Eventually, in 1990, Russian became legally the official all-Union language of the Soviet Union, with constituent republics having rights to declare their own official languages. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, about 25 million Russians (about 1/6 of former Soviet Russians) found themselves outside Russia, which constitutes about 10% of the population of the post-Soviet states other than Russia. Many millions of them subsequently became refugees due to various inter-ethnic conflicts. In Armenia Russian has no official status, but it's recognized

neg: Dissolution of the Soviet Union original members on October 24, 1945, together with the Soviet Union. After declaring independence, the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic changed its name to Ukraine on August 24, 1991 and on September 19, 1991, the Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic informed the UN that it had changed its name to the Republic of Belarus. The other twelve independent states established from the former Soviet Republics were all admitted to the UN: Historiography on Soviet dissolution can be roughly classified in two groups, namely intentionalist accounts and structuralist accounts. Intentionalist accounts contend that Soviet collapse was not inevitable and resulted from the policies

neg: Soviet Army when the paper Commonwealth of Independent States Military Headquarters was reorganized as a staff for facilitating CIS military cooperation. In the next few years, the former Soviet Ground Forces withdrew from central and Eastern Europe (including the Baltic states), as well as from the newly independent post-Soviet republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. Now-Russian Ground Forces remained in Tajikistan, Georgia and Transnistria. In 1990, the Soviet Army possessed: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, a considerable number of weapons were transferred to the national forces of emerging states on the periphery of the former

neg: Konstantin Kobets the Commonwealth of Independent States Armed Forces. This plan was presented to a council of defence officials of the Soviet republics on 26–27 December 1991. However it was not adopted by the meeting and was superseded in any case by the effective breakup of the former Soviet Armed Forces among the former republics of the Soviet Union. From September 1992 Kobets was Chief Military Inspector of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, and from January 1995 he was Secretary of State - Deputy Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation. He was sentenced to two years in prison in

neg: Union of Sovereign States In the referendum 76% of voters supported maintaining the federal system of the Soviet Union, including a majority in all of the nine republics. Opposition was greatest in large cities like Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad) and Moscow. The referendum was mostly boycotted in the other six republics as they were already moving towards independence. An agreement between the Soviet central government and the nine republics, the so-called "9+1" agreement, was finally signed in Novo-Ogaryovo on April 23. The New Union Treaty would have converted the Soviet Union into a federation of independent republics with a common president, foreign policy, and

neg: Soviet Olympic Committee Soviet Olympic Committee The National Olympic Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics () was the non-profit organization representing athletes from former Soviet Union states in the International Olympic Committee. The NOC USSR organized Soviet representation at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee recognized the NOC USSR on May 7, 1951 at the 45th session of the IOC, thanks to which the national team of the USSR could participate in the Olympic Games. After the 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union, a Russian Olympic Committee became the legal successor of the NOC USSR in 1992.

neg: Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Olympics Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Olympics The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union) competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It would be the last Winter Olympic Games before the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Six of the former Soviet republics would compete together as the Unified Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and each republic would be individually represented at subsequent Games. Men's combined Women's combined Top three teams (shaded ones) entered the medal round. The top three teams from each group play the top three teams from the other group once. Points

neg: Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Olympics from previous games against their own group carry over. Men's doubles Men's individual Events: Men's team Three participants per team. Events: Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Olympics The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union) competed at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It would be the last Winter Olympic Games before the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Six of the former Soviet republics would compete together as the Unified Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics, and each republic would be individually represented at subsequent Games. Men's combined Women's combined Top three teams (shaded ones) entered

neg: Russian Air Force the Russian Naval Aviation, which is the former Soviet "Aviatsiya Voyenno-morskogo Flota" (lit. "Aviation of the military-sea fleet"), or "AV-MF". Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union into its fifteen constituent republics in December 1991, the aircraft and personnel of the Soviet Air Forces – the "VVS" were divided among the newly independent states. General Pyotr Deynekin, the former deputy commander-in-chief of the Soviet Air Forces, became the first commander of the new organisation on 24 August 1991. Russia received the majority of the most modern fighters and 65% of the manpower. The major commands of the former Soviet VVS

neg: Ethnic conflicts in the Soviet Union the Soviet Union face problems stemming from uncertain identities, contested boundaries, apprehensive minorities, and an overbearing Russian hegemony. In particular, the post-Soviet Union territories continue to be especially vulnerable to "triadic" hostilities. Within this analysis, the newly independent states—nationalizing states—are in tension with the "homeland" state of Russia who will attempt to protect Russian ethnic minorities within the new states. Each of the incipient fifteen states except for Armenia had in 1989 substantive Russian minority populations, a cause for conflict between Russia and its former autonomous republics. There are several stages of ethnic conflict, all of which have been present

neg: Republic In general being a republic also implies sovereignty as for the state to be ruled by the people it cannot be controlled by a foreign power. There are important exceptions to this, for example, republics in the Soviet Union were member states which had to meet three criteria to be named republics: It is sometimes argued that the former Soviet Union was also a supra-national republic, based on the claim that the member states were different nations. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a federal entity composed of six republics (Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia,

neg: UEFA Euro 1992 decision made by the UEFA Executive Committee. Spain was at a disadvantage as they had already been chosen to host the EXPO 1992 and the 1992 Summer Olympic Games. Seven of the eight teams had to qualify for the final stage; Sweden qualified automatically as hosts of the event. The Soviet Union qualified for the finals shortly before the break-up of the country, and took part in the tournament under the banner of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), before the former Soviet republics formed their own national teams after the competition. The CIS team represented the following ex-Soviet republics:

neg: Republics of the Soviet Union but the offer was rejected. During the Soviet–Afghan War, the Soviet Union proposed to annex Northern Afghanistan as its 16th union republic in what was to become the Afghan Soviet Socialist Republic. Several of the Union Republics themselves, most notably Russia, were further subdivided into Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics (ASSRs). Though administratively part of their respective Union Republics, ASSRs were also established based on ethnic/cultural lines. Under Mikhail Gorbachev, "openness" and "restructuring" were intended to liberalise and open up the Soviet Union. However, they had a number of effects which caused the power of the republics to increase. First, political

neg: Soviet Union national football team the group leaders, Cameroon by 4–0. The Soviet team lost their other matches and failed to qualify from the group. The Soviet Union qualified for Euro 1992, but the breakup of the Soviet Union meant that the finals place was instead taken by the CIS national football team. After the tournament, the former Soviet Republics competed as separate independent nations, with FIFA allocating the Soviet team's record to Russia. Champions Runners-up Third Place Fourth Place Champions Runners-up Third Place Fourth Place FIFA World Cup UEFA European Championship Olympic football tournament The following statistic is based on the statistic published in

neg: Post-Soviet states which also maintains close cooperation with Russia. Prior to the annexation of Crimea to Russia in March 2014, which is not recognized by most countries, it briefly declared itself an independent state. In the political language of Russia and some other post-Soviet states, the near abroad refers to the newly independent republics (other than Russia itself) which emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. "Near abroad" became more widely used in English, usually to assert Russia's right to have major influence in the region, but also for marketing purposes by various companies. Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared the

neg: History of Kyrgyzstan 31 August 1991, becoming the first of the five Republics of Soviet Central Asia to break away. Kyrgyz was announced as the state language in September 1991. In October 1991, Akayev ran unopposed and was elected President of the new independent republic by direct ballot, receiving 95% of the votes cast. Together with the representatives of seven other republics, he signed the Treaty of the New Economic Communists that same month. On December 21, 1991, Kyrgyzstan formally entered the new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). As in many former Soviet republics, after Kyrgyzstan regained independence in August 1991 many individuals,

neg: History of the Soviet Union (1982–91) independence of the USSR's republics on 26 December 1991. The process was caused by a weakening of the Soviet government, which led to disintegration and took place from about 19 January 1990 to 31 December 1991. The process was characterized by many of the republics of the Soviet Union declaring their independence and being recognized as sovereign nation-states. Andrei Grachev, the Deputy Head of the Intelligence Department of the Central Committee, summed up the denouement of the downfall quite cogently: "Gorbachev actually put the sort of final blow to the resistance of the Soviet Union by killing the fear of

neg: Flags of the Soviet Republics Their final versions prior to re-adoption of the non-Soviet national flags were as follows: Other Union Republics and autonomous republics existed within the Soviet Union, mostly using flags on a similar pattern, or the flag of their "parent" Union Republic, further defaced. Today, the only former Soviet Union territories that use modified versions of their original Soviet flag are the republic of Transnistria (a state of limited recognition, formerly part of the Moldavian SSR) and Belarus (since 1995). The official flags of the ASSRs were seldom used, and were generally the flag of the republic to which the ASSR belonged,

neg: Federalism in China would legitimize the rule of warlords. After Chinese Communists established the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi, they aimed at a political system modeled after the union republics of the Soviet Union. According to their plans, China was to be a Soviet federal republic with several autonomous republics (such as Mongolia, Turkestan, and Tibet). During the period of the Long March they established a small autonomous republic for Tibetans in Sichuan. In Shaanxi, however, they changed their nationality policy, abandoning their plan to establish autonomous republics (as in the Soviet Union) in favor of autonomous regions. The first of these to

neg: Russians in Germany of emigrated "Aussiedler" fluctuates as many retained housing in the Former Soviet Union—some are presumed to have returned to their residences in Former Soviet Republics. After the Second World War Germany's Jewish population was 15,000, a small percentage of the country's pre-war Jewish population of 500,000. That number grew to 30,000 by the late 1980s. Then between 1991 and 2005, more than 200,000 Jews from the former Soviet Union moved to Germany. In total, the Berman Jewish DataBank estimates that over 225,000 Jews from the Former Soviet Union (Russia and various republics) immigrated to Germany between 1989 and 2012. Many,

neg: 1991 Soviet Union referendum independent state of Ukraine. 88% of the voters in this referendum supported Ukraine's independence. In Uzbekistan, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Uzbekistan should remain part of a renewed Union (federation) as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 94.9% of voters, with a turnout of 95.5%. 1991 Soviet Union referendum A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991. The question put to voters was Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which

neg: Mikhail P. Kulakov Adventist World Church, Wilson communicated to the Adventists in the U.S.S.R. that the General Conference recognized the official leadership of the church in the U.S.S.R. and appealed to the leaders of all factions to join the officially recognized group of Adventists in the U.S.S.R., forming one organization with them. In 1985, an advisory board was formed at the semi-official meeting of church leaders from all republics of the former Soviet Union. It was a step to unite scattered groups of Adventist believers of the Soviet Union into one organization. Mikhail P. Kulakov (from the Russian Federation) and Nikolai A. Zhukalyuk

neg: Soviet Union on 26 December 1991, Russia was internationally recognized as its legal successor on the international stage. To that end, Russia voluntarily accepted all Soviet foreign debt and claimed overseas Soviet properties as its own. Under the 1992 Lisbon Protocol, Russia also agreed to receive all nuclear weapons remaining in the territory of other former Soviet republics. Since then, the Russian Federation has assumed the Soviet Union's rights and obligations. Ukraine has refused to recognize exclusive Russian claims to succession of the USSR and claimed such status for Ukraine as well, which was codified in Articles 7 and 8 of its

neg: 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt and republican people's deputies) delegated by the legislatures of the union republic. Russia was an exception with 52 deputies. However, the delegation of each union republic was to have only one vote in the Soviet of Republics. The laws were to be first adopted by the Soviet of the Union and then by the Soviet of Republics. Also created was the Soviet State Council (Государственный совет СССР), which included the Soviet President and the presidents of union republics. The "Committee for the Operational Management of the Soviet Economy" was replaced by the USSR Inter-republican Economic Committee (Межреспубликанский экономический комитет СССР),

neg: Telephone numbers in the Soviet Union Telephone numbers in the Soviet Union The telephone numbering plan of the USSR was a set of telephone area codes, numbers and dialing rules, which operated in the Soviet Union until the 1990s. After the collapse of the USSR, many newly independent republics implemented their own numbering plans. However, many of the principles of the Soviet numbering plan still remain. The former Soviet international code +7 is still retained by Russia and Kazakhstan. The Soviet Union used a four-level open numbering plan. The long distance prefix was 8. Emergency numbers in the USSR began with 0 and had two digits.

neg: Demokratizatsiya (Soviet Union) for the third time in eighteen months to a position equivalent to Soviet head of state. Former first deputy chairman of the Supreme Soviet Anatoly Lukyanov became chairman of the Supreme Soviet. The Supreme Soviet became similar to Western parliaments. Its debates were televised daily. By the time of the Twenty-Eighth Party Congress in July 1990, the CPSU was regarded by liberals and nationalists of the constituent republics as anachronistic and unable to lead the country. The CPSU branches in many of the fifteen Soviet republics began to split into large pro-sovereignty and pro-union factions, further weakening central party control.

neg: Soviet Union Empire the State Council, which functioned from 1810 to 1917, was referred to as a Council of Ministers after the revolt of 1905. During the Georgian Affair, Vladimir Lenin envisioned an expression of Great Russian ethnic chauvinism by Joseph Stalin and his supporters, calling for these nation-states to join Russia as semi-independent parts of a greater union, which he initially named as the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe and Asia (). Stalin initially resisted the proposal, but ultimately accepted it, although with Lenin's agreement changed the name of the newly proposed state to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,

neg: National delimitation in the Soviet Union others, with communities which had hitherto been counted as "nations" now deemed to be simply tribes. As a result, the number of nations shrunk over the decades. National delimitation in the Soviet Union National delimitation in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was the process of creating well-defined national territorial units (Soviet socialist republics – SSR, autonomous Soviet socialist republics – ASSR, autonomous oblasts (provinces), raions (districts) and "okrugs") from the ethnic diversity of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its subregions. The Russian term for this Soviet state policy is "razmezhevanie" (, "natsionalno-territorialnoye razmezhevaniye"), which is variously

neg: State Council of the Soviet Union from his post as IEC Chairman. and the Soviet Union was formally dissolved by the Council of Republics. State Council of the Soviet Union Following the August 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, the State Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (), but also known as the State Soviet, was formed on 5 September 1991 and was designed to be one of the most important government offices in Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union. The members of the council consisted of the President of the Soviet Union, and highest officials (which typically was presidents of their republics) from the Soviet

neg: Soviet Union and the United Nations This lessened world tensions. In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, 11 Soviet republics—all except the Baltic states and Georgia—signed the Alma-Ata Protocol on 21 December 1991, establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States and declaring that the Soviet Union had ceased to exist. The Protocol provided that the Russian Federation would assume Soviet Union's UN membership, including its permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. The resignation of Soviet President Gorbachev on 25 December 1991 and the dissolution of the Soviet of the Republics the following day formalized the end of the Soviet Union. On 24

neg: Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic along with Russia and Ukraine, of the Belavezha Accords, which replaced the Soviet Union with the Commonwealth of Independent States. Belarus received independence on 25 December 1991. A day later the Soviet Union ceased to exist. However, the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the Republic of Belarus of 1978, was retained after independence. Byelorussia was a one-party socialist republic, governed by the Communist Party of Byelorussia, a branch within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU/KPSS). Like all other Soviet republics, it was one of the 15 constituent republics composing the Soviet Union from its entry into the union in

neg: Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic States (CIS) as a loose confederation. On 12 December, the agreement was ratified by the Supreme Soviet (the Russian SFSR parliament), therefore Russian SFSR had denounced the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and "de facto" declared Russia's independence from the USSR itself and the ties with the other Soviet Socialist Republics. On 25 December 1991, following the resignation of Gorbachev as President of the Soviet Union (and former General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union), the Russian SFSR was renamed the Russian Federation, with President Yeltsin re-establishing the sovereign and independent state (see history of

neg: Winter Olympic Games in the city of Albertville and the remaining events spread out over the Savoie. Political changes of the time were reflected in the composition of the Olympic teams competing in France: this was the first Games to be held after the fall of Communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Germany competed as a single nation for the first time since the 1964 Games; former Yugoslavian republics Croatia and Slovenia made their debuts as independent nations; most of the former Soviet republics still competed as a single team known as the Unified Team, but the Baltic States made

neg: Baltic states the late 1980s a massive campaign of civil resistance against Soviet rule, known as the Singing revolution, began. On 23 August 1989, the Baltic Way, a two-million-strong human chain, stretched for 600 km from Tallinn to Vilnius. In the wake of this campaign Gorbachev's government had privately concluded that the departure of the Baltic republics had become "inevitable". This process contributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union setting a precedent for the other Soviet republics to secede from the USSR. Soviet Union recognized the independence of three Baltic states on 6 September 1991. There was a subsequent withdrawal of

neg: Head of state century through such figures as Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. In certain states under Marxist constitutions of the constitutionally socialist state type inspired by the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and its constitutive Soviet republics, real political power belonged to the sole legal party. In these states, there was no formal office of head of state, but rather the leader of the legislative branch was considered to be the closest common equivalent of a head of state as a natural person. In the Soviet Union this position carried such titles as "Chairman of the Central Executive Committee of

neg: Russia Russian Empire, which was the third largest empire in history, stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east. Following the Russian Revolution, the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the world's first constitutionally socialist state. The Soviet Union played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, and emerged as a recognized superpower and rival to the United States during the Cold War. The Soviet era saw some of the most significant technological achievements of the 20th century, including the world's first

neg: Soviet republic (system of government) republics were short-lived communist revolutionary governments that were established in what had been the Russian Empire after the October Revolution and under its influence. These states included some such as the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic which won independence from Russia during the civil war period. Others such as the Ukrainian Soviet Republic and the Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia later became union republics of the Soviet Union and are now independent states. Still others such as the Kuban Soviet Republic and the Bukharan People's Soviet Republic were absorbed into other polities and no longer

neg: Treaty on the Creation of the USSR Bukharan, Khivan People's Republics as well as the RSFSR's Turkestan were re-organized as the Uzbek SSR and the Turkmen SSR, both of whom became full Union Republics on 13 May 1925. The borders of the new republics matched the ethnic ones, and Uzbekistan initially also contained a newly formed Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, which would be elevated to a full Union Republic on October 16, 1929, becoming the Tajik SSR. In January 1924, the Second Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union, that was called in accordance to the Treaty ratified the first 1924 Soviet Constitution. The Constitution's text

neg: Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic four months before the failed coup against Gorbachev in August which was one of the republics to support it. However, this was unrecognized by the Soviet government and Georgia was in the Soviet Union until its collapse in December 1991. Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic Georgia, formally the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (Georgian SSR; ; ), was one of the republics of the Soviet Union from its inception in 1922 to its breakup in 1991. Coterminous with the present-day republic of Georgia, it was based on the traditional territory of Georgia, which had existed as a series of independent states in

neg: Mikhail Gorbachev to his efforts for reform. Meanwhile, Gorbachev was losing further ground to nationalists. October 1990 saw the founding of DemRossiya, the Russian pro-reform coalition; a few days later, both Ukraine and Russia declared their laws completely sovereign over Soviet laws. The 'war of laws' had become an open battle, with the Supreme Soviet refusing to recognise the actions of the two republics. Gorbachev would publish the draft of a new union treaty in November, which envisioned a continued union called the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics, but, going into 1991, Gorbachev's actions were steadily overpowered by secessionism. January and February

neg: Dissolution of the Soviet Union to exist. Both the Revolutions of 1989 and the dissolution of the USSR also marked the end of the Cold War. Several of the former Soviet republics have retained close links with the Russian Federation and formed multilateral organizations such as the Commonwealth of Independent States, Eurasian Economic Community, the Union State, the Eurasian Customs Union and the Eurasian Economic Union to enhance economic and security cooperation. On the other hand, the Baltic states have joined NATO and the European Union. Mikhail Gorbachev was elected General Secretary by the Politburo on March 11, 1985, three hours after predecessor Konstantin Chernenko's

neg: State Council of the Soviet Union State Council of the Soviet Union Following the August 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, the State Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (), but also known as the State Soviet, was formed on 5 September 1991 and was designed to be one of the most important government offices in Mikhail Gorbachev's Soviet Union. The members of the council consisted of the President of the Soviet Union, and highest officials (which typically was presidents of their republics) from the Soviet Union Republics. During the period of transition it was the highest organ of state power, having the power

neg: National anthems of the Soviet Union and Union Republics socialism, communism, and the Soviet Union and its republics. In Poland, dissemination of items which are “media of fascist, communist, or other totalitarian symbolism” was criminalized in 1997. However, in 2011 the Constitutional Tribunal found this sanction to be unconstitutional. In contrast to this treatment of the "symbolism", promotion of fascist, communist and other totalitarian "ideology" remains illegal. Those laws do not apply to the anthems of Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan which used the melody with different lyrics. National anthems of the Soviet Union and Union Republics The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and its constituent republics each

neg: Kosovo independence precedent taken this as meaning the Russian Federation would come out for the independence of de facto independent breakaway regions in the former Soviet Union. Sergei Mironov, the chairman of Russia's upper house of parliament stated in December 2007, "In case of the unilateral recognition of the independence of Kosovo, Russia will be entitled to change its approach to the so-called unrecognised republics in the post-soviet regions - South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Pridnestrovie." He went on to state "In case of such a recognition of Kosovo, Russia will be able to say that it is free in its approach, including towards

neg: Presidential Commission of the Russian Federation to Counter Attempts to Falsify History to the Detriment of Russia's Interests of Defence blamed Poland for starting World War II. Historian Roy Medvedev criticized the commission for the numbers of professional historians there; he counted three members as historians out of actual five, stating "even they are not recognized among professionals." The legislation received criticism in many countries, mainly former Warsaw Pact and former Soviet republics. The Baltic states argue about the recognition of the occupation, Ukraine disputes the famine in 1930s, and Poland argues the massacre in Katyn. Critics said the official view from Moscow glossed over Soviet-era crimes. In many countries the years of the Soviet Union are seen

neg: Supreme Soviet of Russia of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR for election of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet Prior to 1990, "de jure" leader of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR, exercised only nominal powers. In contrast to other Soviet republics of the Soviet Union, the Russian SFSR did not have its own Communist Party and did not have its own first secretaries (which in other republics are relatively independent of power) until 1990. Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of

neg: Foreign relations of Belarus Foreign relations of Belarus The Byelorussian SSR was one of only two Soviet republics to be separate members of the United Nations (the other being the Ukrainian SSR). Both republics and the Soviet Union joined the UN when the organization was founded in 1945. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, at which time Belarus gained its independence, Belarus became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), NATO's Partnership for Peace, the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank. The adoption by Supreme Council

neg: 2005 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup 2005 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup The 2005 Commonwealth of Independent States Cup was the thirteenth edition of the competition between the champions of former republics of Soviet Union. It was won by Lokomotiv Moscow for the first time. This edition of the tournament featured a unique one-off format. In attempt to persuade Russian and Ukrainian champions to field their strongest squads, Lokomotiv Moscow and Dynamo Kyiv were given a straight bye to the Semifinal, avoiding Group phase and Quarterfinal. As a result, two of four groups featured only three clubs, and only four group winners advanced to the knock-out

neg: Soviet Student Olympiads their region (Oblast). They were joined by the winners of the Kvant magazine competition and of the republican and All-Union olympiads of the previous year. This round was usually conducted in the second half of the school year. This round was a major round, since it recognized the best students of the 15 Republics of the Soviet Union, which are now Independent Countries. The winners from the previous round could participate in teams and individually. Republican round was organized by Republican Ministries of Education. The winners would form a team and take part in the next round representing their republic.

neg: Belarusian citizenship government from 1917-1991 and by the government of the Soviet Union from 1924-1991. The "Aliens Decree" was issued on August 4, 1922, by the Sovnarkom of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. According to this decree, all subjects of the former Russian Empire who had permanent residence in the Byelorussian SSR, including refugees, were recognized as citizens of the Byelorussian SSR. Citizens of other Soviet Republics (such as the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) shared common rights and obligations with citizens of the Byelorussian SSR. All adults (except in the cases listed below) could apply for Belarusian SSR citizenship, and the

neg: Lokomotiv Lokomotiv Most commonly, Lokomotiv is used as a shortened reference to the Lokomotiv Voluntary Sports Society (VSS) that nowadays is an association of the "Labour Union Voluntary Sport Societies of Railway Workers" of the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR republics). In the Soviet Union, Lokomotiv was the sports society of the railway industry workers. It was supported by the national railroad company of the USSR, hence the name. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, VSS Lokomotiv consisted of many clubs in a variety of sports which were all named "Lokomotiv" with an addition of the town/city name from

neg: Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Azerbaijan ( ; ), officially the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR; , ), also referred to as Soviet Azerbaijan, was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union between 1922 and 1991. Created on 28 April 1920 when Soviet Russia brought pro-Soviet figures to power in the region, the first two years of the Azerbaijani SSR were as an independent country until incorporation into the Transcausasian SFSR, along with the Armenian SSR and the Georgian SSR. In December 1922, the Transcaucasian SFSR became part of the newly established Soviet Union. The Constitution of Azerbaijan

neg: Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Republics Orders, decorations, and medals of the Soviet Republics The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic which was founded after the October Revolution in the Russian Empire and very soon had to create an award system. The award systems of parallel Soviet states soon followed and they also created and issued awards of their own, mainly in a similar style to the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. In 1924, the Union Of Soviet Socialist Republics started to award all-union Orders and within a decade all the Orders of member republics had ceased to be awarded. Some Republics such as the Tuvan People's

neg: Republics of the Soviet Union sovereign Soviet socialist state that had united with other Soviet Republics in the USSR. Article 81 of the Constitution stated that "the sovereign rights of Union Republics shall be safeguarded by the USSR". In the final decades of its existence, the Soviet Union officially consisted of fifteen Soviet Socialist Republics (SSRs). All of them, with the exception of the Russian Federation (until 1990), had their own local party chapters of the All-Union Communist Party. Outside the territory of the Russian Federation, the republics were constituted mostly in lands that had formerly belonged to the Russian Empire and had been acquired

neg: Operation Provide Hope Phase II of the operation began, consisting of continuing support of the former Soviet republics. Food and medical supplies were shipped by sea, land, and air from Europe. In all, 25,000 short tons of food and medicine were sent to 33 cities in the former Soviet Union. The final stage of the operation was to build, staff, and train hospitals throughout the former Soviet Union. The operation concluded in September 1994. Operation Provide Hope Operation Provide Hope was a humanitarian operation conducted by the U.S. Air Force to provide medical equipment to former Soviet republics during their transition to capitalism.

neg: Tautiška giesmė on 5 January 1944. The translation of the anthem was approved on 7 January 1944. In 26 January 1944, on the session of the Supreme Council of the USSR, the council adopted a resolution about the rights of all of the Soviet republics to hold their national military formations and Foreign Affairs Commissariat. The resoloution was an attempt was made for the image of the USSR as the Soviet republics have an independent statehood. By doing so, the Soviet Union seeks to create a single place for each of the Soviet republics in the UN. Even before the session, Justas