1977 Soviet Constitution

1977 Soviet Constitution
Name	1977 Soviet Constitution
Caption	State Emblem of the Soviet Union
Date created	7 October 1977
Date effective	7 October 1977
Date repealed	26 December 1991
System	Federal Soviet-type socialist republic
Branches	One (Supreme Soviet)
Chambers	Soviet of the Union, Soviet of Nationalities
Executive	Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
Judiciary	Supreme Court of the Soviet Union
Federalism	Federal (Union Republics)
Location of document	Moscow
Commission	Leonid Brezhnev
Signatories	Presidium of the Supreme Soviet
Supersedes	1936 Soviet Constitution
Superseded by	Commonwealth of Independent States

1977 Soviet Constitution. Officially known as the "Brezhnev Constitution," this document was the third and final fundamental law of the Soviet Union, formally adopted on 7 October 1977. It declared the USSR a "developed socialist society" and codified the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union within the state's legal framework. The constitution remained in force until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

Background and development

The process of drafting a new constitution began during the tenure of Nikita Khrushchev, following his Secret Speech denouncing Joseph Stalin. A constitutional commission was established in 1962, but work stalled after Khrushchev's ouster in the 1964 Soviet coup d'état. Under Leonid Brezhnev, the project was revived, with a draft published in 1977 for public discussion, a process managed by organizations like the Komsomol and All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions. The final text was ratified by the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union during a session in the Kremlin, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution. Key figures involved included Mikhail Suslov and Andrei Gromyko, who helped shape its ideological content.

Structure and content

The document consisted of a preamble and 174 articles organized into nine sections. It detailed the political system, economic foundations, and federal structure of the state, defining the USSR as a "unitary, federal, multinational state." Major institutions outlined included the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, its Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union, and the Supreme Court of the Soviet Union. It also formally described the hierarchy of Soviets, from local levels to the Supreme Soviet. Separate chapters were devoted to foreign policy, defense, and the emblem, flag, anthem, and capital of the Soviet Union.

Key provisions and principles

A foundational principle was Article 6, which legally enshrined the "leading and guiding force" of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. It declared the USSR a "state of the whole people," moving beyond the earlier concept of the "dictatorship of the proletariat." The constitution expanded the catalog of citizens' rights and duties, including rights to work, housing, and leisure, though these were contingent on the state's economic plans. It affirmed the "socialist ownership" of the means of production and the guiding role of the state planning system, Gosplan. Foreign policy principles were based on "peaceful coexistence" with capitalist states, as seen in agreements like the Helsinki Accords.

Differences from the 1936 Constitution

While the 1936 Soviet Constitution (the "Stalin Constitution") established the Soviet system, the 1977 version reflected a later ideological stage. The earlier document framed the state as a "dictatorship of the proletariat," whereas the 1977 text proclaimed a "developed socialist society." The explicit codification of the party's leading role in Article 6 was a significant addition. The new constitution also contained a more extensive list of social and economic rights and formally outlined the foreign policy goals of the Soviet Union. The structure of the Supreme Soviet and the Soviet of Nationalities was retained but described in greater procedural detail.

Implementation and impact

In practice, the constitution's guarantees of rights and federalism were largely theoretical, as real power remained with the Politburo and the Central Committee. The KGB and other state security organs operated with broad authority, often circumventing constitutional protections. The document did little to alter the centralized economic management under Gosplan or the political dynamics of the Era of Stagnation. Its main impact was ideological, serving as a tool for propaganda to demonstrate the maturity of Soviet socialism, both domestically and internationally during the Cold War.

Legacy and replacement

The constitution's rigid framework proved unable to accommodate the reforms of perestroika and glasnost initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1990, Article 6 was amended to remove the Communist Party's monopoly on power, following pressure from movements like the Interregional Deputies Group. The Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union became the new supreme state body. As union republics such as the RSFSR and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic declared sovereignty, the union constitution became obsolete. It was effectively replaced by the Belovezh Accords, which established the Commonwealth of Independent States, and ceased to exist with the formal Dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

Category:Constitutions of the Soviet Union Category:1977 in the Soviet Union Category:1977 in law