Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics

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Template:Short description

File:Subdivisions of the Soviet Union.svg
Map of the types of the subdivisions as of 1983, with ASSRs shown in orange.

An Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR, Template:Langx) was a type of administrative unit in the Soviet Union (USSR), created for certain ethnic groups to be the titular nations of. The ASSRs had a status lower than the constituent union republics of the USSR, but higher than the autonomous oblasts and the autonomous okrugs.

In the Russian SFSR, for example, Chairmen of the Government of the ASSRs were officially members of the Government of the Russian SFSR. Unlike the union republics, the autonomous republics only had the right to disaffiliate themselves from the Union when the union republic containing them did so, as well as to choose to stay with the Union separately from them. The level of political, administrative and cultural autonomy they enjoyed varied with time—it was most substantial in the 1920s (Korenizatsiya), the 1950s after the death of Joseph Stalin, and in the Brezhnev Era.[1]

According to the constitution of the USSR, in case of a union republic voting on leaving the Soviet Union, autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous okrugs had the right, by means of a referendum, to independently resolve whether they will stay in the USSR or leave with the seceding union republic, as well as to raise the issue of their state-legal status.[2]

Azerbaijan SSR

Emblem Name Flag Years of
membership
Capital Official languages Area (km2) Post-Soviet subjects
File:Coat of Arms of Nakhichevan ASSR.png Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Nakhichevan ASSR.svg 1921–1990 Nakhichevan Azerbaijani, Russian 5,500 Template:Country data Nakhchivan

Georgian SSR

Emblem Name Flag Years of
membership
Capital Official languages Area (km2) Post-Soviet subjects
File:Emblem of the Abkhaz ASSR (1978–1992).svg Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Abkhaz ASSR.svg 1931–1992Template:Efn Sukhumi Abkhazian, Georgian, Russian 8,600 File:Flag of the Republic of Abkhazia.svg Abkhazia
File:Emblem of the Adjar ASSR.svg Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Adjarian ASSR.svg 1921–1990 Batumi Georgian, Russian 2,880 File:Flag of Adjara.svg Adjara

Russian SFSR

The 1978 Constitution of the RSFSR recognized sixteen autonomous republics within the RSFSR:

Emblem Name Flag Years of
membership
Capital Official languages Area (km2) Post-Soviet republics of Russia
File:Emblem of the Bashkir ASSR.svg Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Bashkir ASSR.svg 1919–1992 Ufa Bashkir, Russian 143,600 File:Flag of Bashkortostan.svg Bashkortostan
File:Emblem of the Buryat ASSR.svg Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Buryat ASSR.svg 1923–1992 Ulan-Ude Buryat, Russian 69,857 File:Flag of Buryatia.svg Buryatia
File:Emblem of Checheno-Ingush ASSR.svg Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Checheno-Ingush ASSR.svg 1936–1944
1957–1993
Grozny Chechen, Ingush, Russian 19,300 File:Flag of the Chechen Republic.svg Chechnya
File:Flag of Ingushetia.svg Ingushetia
File:Emblem of the Chuvash ASSR.gif Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Chuvash ASSR.svg 1925–1992 Cheboksary Chuvash, Russian 18,300 File:Flag of Chuvashia.svg Chuvashia
File:Emblem of the Dagestan ASSR (1978-1991).svg Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Dagestan ASSR.svg 1921–1992 Makhachkala Aghul, Avar, Azerbaijani, Chechen, Kumyk, Lezgian, Lak, Nogai, Tabasaran, Tat, Russian 50,300 File:Flag of Dagestan.svg Dagestan
File:Emblem of the Kabardino-Balkar ASSR (1957–1978).jpg Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Kabardino-Balkar ASSR.svg 1936–1992Template:Efn Nalchik Kabardian, Karachay-Balkar, Russian 12,500 File:Flag of Kabardino-Balkaria.svg Kabardino-Balkaria
File:Coat of arms of Kalmyk ASSR.svg Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Kalmyk ASSR.svg 1935–1943
1958–1992
Elista Kalmyk Oirat, Russian 76,100 File:Flag of Kalmykia.svg Kalmykia
File:Emblem of the Karelian ASSR.svg Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Karelian ASSR.svg 1923–1940
1956–1991
Petrozavodsk Finnish (1956-1980s), Russian 147,000 File:Flag of Karelia.svg Karelia
File:Coat of arms of Komi ASSR.svg Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Komi ASSR.svg 1936–1992 Syktyvkar Komi, Russian 415,900 File:Flag of Komi.svg Komi Republic
File:Coat of arms of Mari ASSR.svg Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Mari ASSR.svg Yoshkar-Ola Mari (Meadow and Hill variants), Russian 23,200 File:Flag of Mari El.svg Mari El
File:Emblem of the Mordovian ASSR.png Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Mordovian ASSR.svg 1934–1993 Saransk Erzya, Moksha, Russian 26,200 File:Flag of Mordovia.svg Mordovia
File:Coat of arms of North Ossetian ASSR.svg North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the North Ossetian ASSR.svg 1936–1993 Ordzhonikidze Ossetian, Russian 8,000 Template:Country data North Ossetia
File:Coat of arms of Tatarstan ASSR.svg Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Tatar ASSR.svg 1920–1992 Kazan Tatar, Russian 68,000 File:Flag of Tatarstan.svg Tatarstan
File:Coat of arms of the Tuvan ASSR (1978-1992).svg Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Tuvan ASSR (1978-1992).svg 1961–1992 Kyzyl Tuvan, Russian 170,500 File:Flag of Tuva.svg Tuva
File:Emblem of Udmurt ASSR.svg Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Udmurt ASSR.svg 1934–1992 Izhevsk Udmurt, Russian 42,100 File:Flag of Udmurtia.svg Udmurtia
File:Emblem of the Yakut ASSR.svg Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Yakut ASSR.svg 1922–1992 Yakutsk Yakut, Russian 3,083,523 Template:Country data Sakha Republic

Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast (now Altai Republic), Adyghe Autonomous Oblast (now Republic of Adygea), Karachay–Cherkess Autonomous Oblast (now Karachay–Cherkess Republic) and Khakassian Autonomous Oblast (now Republic of Khakassia) were all promoted in status to that of an ASSR in 1991, in the last year of the Soviet Union. Only the Jewish Autonomous Oblast retained its autonomous oblast status in Russia.

Other autonomous republics also existed within RSFSR at earlier points of the Soviet history:

Emblem Name Flag Capital Titular nationality Years of
membership
Population Area (km2) Soviet successors
File:Coat of arms of Crimean ASSR.svg Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Crimean ASSR (1939) copy.svg Simferopol Crimean Tatars 1921–1945 1,126,000
(1939)
26,860 Crimean Oblast
Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
File:Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1918–1925).svg
Vladikavkaz Balkars, Chechens, Ingush, Kabardians, Karachays, Ossetians, Terek Cossacks 1921–1924 1,286,000
(1921)
74,000 Karachay-Cherkess AO
Kabardino-Balkarian AO
Chechen AO
North Ossetian AO
Ingush AO
File:Emblem of the Turkestan ASSR.svg Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Turkestan Autonomous SSR Flag.svg Tashkent Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Turkmens 1918–1924 5,221,963
(1920)
Template:Country data Uzbek SSR
Template:Country data Turkmen SSR
Tajik ASSR
Kara-Kirghiz AO
Karakalpak AO
File:Coat of arms of Volga German ASSR.svg Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Volga German ASSR.svg Engels Soviet Germans 1923–1941 606,532
(1939)
27,400 Saratov Oblast
Stalingrad Oblast

Crimea Oblast was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR jurisdiction on 19 February 1954 and promoted to the ASSR status following a referendum held on January 20, 1991 (now the Autonomous Republic of Crimea / Republic of Crimea, territory disputed between Ukraine and the Russian Federation).

Ukrainian SSR

Emblem Name Flag Years of
membership
Capital Titular nationality Area (km2) Post-Soviet successors
File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1949–1991).svg 1991 Simferopol Crimean Tatars 26,860 File:Flag of Crimea.svg Autonomous Republic of Crimea

The Crimean Oblast was granted ASSR status on 12 February 1991 following a referendum held in January 1991.

Uzbek SSR

Emblem Name Flag Years of
membership
Capital Official languages Area (km2) Post-Soviet subjects
File:Emblem of Karakalpak ASSR.svg Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of Karakalpak ASSR.svg 1932–1992Template:Efn Nukus Karakalpak (1956-1980s), Russian 165,000 File:Flag of Karakalpakstan.svg Karakalpakstan

ASSRs promoted to union republics

Some ASSRs existed at earlier points of the Soviet history were promoted into full union republics of the Soviet Union.

Emblem Name Flag Capital Titular nationality Years of
membership
Population Area (km2) Soviet Socialist Republic Soviet successor
File:Coat of arms of Kazakhstan (1927-1937).svg Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic File:Flag of The Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920-36).svg Alma-Ata Kazakhs 1920–1936Template:Efn 6,503,000
(1926)
2,960,000 Template:Country data Russian SFSR Template:Country data Kazakh SSR
Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic File:Flag of the Kirghiz ASSR (1926–1936).svg Frunze Kyrgyz 1926–1936 993,000
(1926)
196,129 Template:Country data Kirghiz SSR
File:Coat of Arms of Moldavian ASSR (1927-1938).png Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1932).svg Tiraspol Moldovans 1924–1940 599,150
(1939)
8,288 Template:Country data Ukrainian SSR Template:Country data Moldavian SSR
File:Coat of Arms of Tajik ASSR.png Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic File:Flag of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1929).svg Dushanbe Tajiks 1924–1929 740,000
(1924)
Template:Country data Uzbek SSR Template:Country data Tajik SSR

Karelian ASSR was promoted to Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940 but demoted back in 1956.

See also

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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  1. Cornell, Svante E., Autonomy and Conflict: Ethnoterritoriality and Separatism in the South Caucasus – Case in Georgia Template:Webarchive. Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Report No. 61. p. 89-90. University of Uppsala, Template:ISBN.
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