Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic

Declaration of State Sovereignty of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was a pivotal legislative act adopted by the republic's parliament that proclaimed the supremacy of Russian SFSR laws over those of the Soviet Union. Enacted during the sweeping reforms of Perestroika and amidst rising nationalist sentiments, it asserted the Russian SFSR's right to control its resources, establish independent foreign policy, and guarantee equal rights for all citizens. This declaration fundamentally challenged the constitutional and political authority of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and Mikhail Gorbachev's central government, accelerating the centrifugal forces that led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Background and context

The declaration emerged from a period of profound political upheaval and ideological crisis within the Soviet Union. The policies of Glasnost and Perestroika initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev had unintentionally unleashed long-suppressed nationalist movements across the Baltic states, the Caucasus, and other Soviet republics. The First Congress of People's Deputies of the Soviet Union in 1989 had already demonstrated the weakening grip of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Within the Russian SFSR, a powerful democratic opposition, led by figures like Boris Yeltsin and Anatoly Sobchak, was gaining influence within the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian SFSR. This movement sought to reclaim Russian autonomy from the Kremlin and address perceived economic exploitation by the Soviet central government. The precedent was set by earlier sovereignty declarations from the Supreme Soviet of the Estonian SSR and the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian SSR, creating a "Parade of Sovereignties" that the Russian republic felt compelled to join.

Content and key provisions

The document contained several revolutionary principles that directly contested the foundations of the 1977 Soviet Constitution. It declared the Russian SFSR a sovereign state, establishing the supremacy of its Constitution of the Russian SFSR and laws over all-Union legislation. A key provision reserved the exclusive right to control the republic's vast natural resources, including oil, gas, and diamonds, for the Russian SFSR. It asserted the right to establish independent relations with other republics and conduct its own foreign policy. The declaration also guaranteed the equal protection of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity, and proposed the creation of a separate Russian citizenship. Furthermore, it called for the development of a multi-party system and a separation of powers, challenging the monopoly of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Adoption and legal status

The declaration was adopted on 12 June 1990 by a overwhelming majority of the Congress of People's Deputies of the Russian SFSR, with 907 votes in favor, 13 against, and 9 abstentions. The session was chaired by Boris Yeltsin, who had been elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR just weeks prior. Its adoption was a direct political victory for the Democratic Russia bloc over conservative factions. Legally, it created an immediate and profound constitutional crisis, as it asserted a hierarchy of laws that contradicted the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR and the federal constitution. The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev declared the act unconstitutional, but lacked the political power to enforce its will. The date of its adoption, 12 June, was later established as Russia Day, the national holiday of the Russian Federation.

Political impact and consequences

The declaration had immediate and seismic political consequences. It effectively created a situation of dual power, with the government of the Russian SFSR in the White House rivaling the authority of the Kremlin. Boris Yeltsin used the declaration as a legal basis to launch a "war of laws," issuing decrees that seized control of key economic assets and institutions from the Union government. This accelerated the "Parade of Sovereignties," as other republics like Ukraine and Belarus followed suit with even more assertive declarations. The political struggle culminated in the 1991 Russian presidential election, where Yeltsin was elected president, and the subsequent August Coup attempt by the State Committee on the State of Emergency. The failed coup fatally weakened the central government, leading directly to the Belavezha Accords and the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991.

Legacy and historical significance

The declaration is widely regarded as the foundational legal act of modern Russia, marking the beginning of the end for the Soviet Union. It transformed the Russian SFSR from a subordinate administrative unit into a proto-state, providing the legal framework for the establishment of the Russian Federation. Its principles of state sovereignty and resource control became cornerstones of the Constitution of the Russian Federation adopted in 1993. The event symbolized the dramatic shift in political power from Mikhail Gorbachev to Boris Yeltsin and the rise of Russian nationalism as a state-building force. Historians view it as a critical point of no return in the disintegration of the USSR, demonstrating that the core republic itself had withdrawn its consent from the union. The legacy of asserting republican rights over federal authority continues to influence post-Soviet political dynamics and relations within the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Category:1990 in the Soviet Union Category:Political history of Russia Category:Secession in the Soviet Union Category:1990 documents