All-Union referendum on ‘Preservation of renovated Union’

At the IV Congress of People’s Deputies of USSR which took place from 17 to 27 December, 1990 it was decided to hold a referendum on the issue of preservation of the Soviet Union and development of the Union agreement.

At the Congress M. S. Gorbachev gave a talk on the idea of all-Union vote: ‘…I am submitting a proposal to the Congress to hold a referendum in the whole country so that every citizen would support or oppose the Union of sovereign states on the federal basis’.

On December 24 the People’s Deputies of USSR adopted a decree saying: ‘Due to the numerous appeals of citizens expressing their concern regarding the destiny of the Soviet Union and taking into account that the preservation of the single union state is the primary issue of the state life, infringing on interests of every citizen, of the entire population of the Soviet Union, the Congress of People’s Deputies of USSR resolves to: hold a referendum of USSR in order to decide the issue of preservation of the renovated Union as a federation of the sovereign Soviet Socialist Republics equal in rights taking into account the ballot for each republic taken separately’.

On March 17, 1991 the following issue was submitted for the nationwide referendum: ‘Do you believe it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as the renovated federation of sovereign republics equal in rights which will guarantee all human rights and freedoms for individual of any nationality?’

9 out 15 Union republics took part in the referendum. Six republics (Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova and Estonia) refused to participate. Out of 185.6 million of USSR citizens included into the register of votes, 148.5 million took part in the referendum (79.5%); 113.5 million (76.43%) of them supported the preservation of USSR.

On April 23, 1991 was adopted the ‘Joint statement’ of the leaders of 9 Union republics regarding the instruction on preservation of the renovated Union. On August 15, 1991 was published the project of the Agreement on the Union of Sovereign State. The signing of the agreement which was intended to become the basis for a new system of public administration was set for August 20, 1991.

But on August 19, 1991 in Russia began the events which later were named ‘August putsh’ and the signing of the Union agreement was ruined.

The process of collapse of USSR ended on December 8, 1991 when the leaders of the Russian Federation (RSFSR), the republics of Belorussia and Ukraine signed the so-called ‘Belavezha Accords’: the Soviet Union ceased to exist and the Commonwealth of Independent States was created.

Lit.: О всенародном голосовании (референдуме СССР): Закон СССР от 21.12.1990 г. № 1869-1 // Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов СССР и Верховного Совета СССР. 1991. 2 янв. (№ 1). Ст. 10; О проведении референдума СССР по вопросу о Союзе Советских Социалистических Республик: Постановление Съезда народных депутатов СССР от 24.12.1990 г. № 1865-1 // Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов СССР и Верховного Совета СССР. 1990. № 52, ст. 1161; Об итогах референдума СССР 17 марта 1991 г.: Постановление Верховного Совета СССР от 21.03.1991 г. // Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов СССР и Верховного Совета СССР. 1991. № 13, ст. 350; Об организации и мерах по обеспечению проведения референдума СССР по вопросу о сохранении Союза Советских Социалистических Республик: Постановление Верховного Совета СССР от 16.01.1991 г. № 1910-1 // Ведомости Съезда народных депутатов СССР и Верховного Совета СССР. 1991. 23 января. № 4, ст. 87; Соглашение о создании Содружества Независимых Государств (1991 г.) [Электронный ресурс] // Юридическая Россия. 2002—2006. URL: http://law.edu.ru/norm/norm.asp?normID=1167855&subID=100062612,100062618#text.