CONSTITUTION (BASIC LAW) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Chapter I.  Public Arrangement

Article 1. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a socialist state of the workers and peasants.

Chapter II. State Arrangement

Article 13. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is the Union State established on the basis of voluntary association of the equal Soviet Socialist Republics…

Article 14. The jurisdiction of the Union Soviet Socialist Republics, as represented by its highest bodies of state authority and administration, shall cover:

f) the admission of new republics to the USSR; endorsement of the formation of new autonomous republics and autonomous regions within Union Republics;

Article 25.

The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic includes: the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Abkhazia, the Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic of Adjara and the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast.

Chapter III.  Supreme organs of state power

Article 30. The highest body of state authority of the USSR shall be the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Article 33. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR shall consist of two chambers: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities.

Article 34. The Soviet of Union shall be elected by the citizens of the USSR at the electoral districts on the basis of the following representation: one deputy from each 300 000 inhabitants.

Article 35. The Soviet of Nationalities shall be elected by the citizens of the USSR in the Union and Autonomous Republics, Autonomous Oblasts and National Districts on the basis of the following representation: 25 deputies from each Union Republic, 11 deputies from each Autonomous Republic, five deputies from each Autonomous Oblast and one deputy from each National District.

Chapter VI. The Organs of the State management of the Union Republics

Article 79.  The Council of Public Commissars of a Union Republic shall be the supreme executive and administrative body of the state authority in the Republic.

80. The Council of Public Commissars of a Union Republic shall be responsible and accountable to the Supreme Soviet of that republic or, between sessions of the Supreme Soviet, to its Presidium.

Chapter VII. Higher Bodies of Autonomous Republics

Article 89. The highest body of state authority of an Autonomous Republic shall be the Supreme Soviet of that Republic.

Article 90.  The Supreme Soviet of an Autonomous Republic shall be elected by the citizens of that republic in a term of four years on the basis of representation specified for in the Constitution of an Autonomous Republic.

Article 91. The Supreme Soviet of an Autonomous Republic shall be a sole legislative authority of that republic.

92. Each Autonomous Republic shall have its Constitution with respect of characteristic traits of the Autonomous Republic and in full compliance to the Constitution of the Union Republic.

93. The Supreme Soviet of an Autonomous Republic shall elect a Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Autonomous Republic and shall form a Council of Public Commissars of an Autonomous Republic in accordance of its Constitution.

Chapter VIII. Local Bodies of state authority

Article 94.  Local Soviets in Regions, Oblasts, Autonomous Oblasts, Districts, Cities, Settlements, and Rural communities shall be elected in a term of two years by the citizens accordingly.

Article 96.The norms of representation to the Local Soviets shall be determined by the Constitution of a Union Republic.

Article 98. Local Soviets of People’s Deputies shall decide matters within the competence accorded them by the legislation of the USSR and Union Republic.

Article 99.  The Executive and administrative bodies of local Soviets shall be the Executive Committees elected by them from among their deputies; the executive committee shall consist of: chairman, his deputies, secretary and members.

Chapter IX. Courts and Procurator

Article 102.  In the USSR justice is administered by the Supreme Court of the USSR, Supreme courts of Union Republics, courts of Autonomous Republics and Autonomous Oblasts, an the special courts established under the decree of the Supreme Soviet.

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Article 104.  The Supreme Court if the USSR is the highest judicial body in the USSR and supervises the administration of justice by the courts of the USSR and Union Republics.

Article 105.  The Supreme Court of the USSR and the Special Courts shall be elected by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a term of five years.

Article 106.  the Supreme Courts of Union Republics shall be elected by the Supreme Soviets of Union Republics.

107. The Supreme Courts of the Autonomous Republics shall be elected by the Supreme Soviets of the Supreme Soviets of the Autonomous Republics with the term of five years.

Article 108. The Courts of regions and districts, as well as of autonomous oblasts shall be elected by the Councils of People’s Deputies of the relevant entities with the term of five years.

Article 109.  The Public Courts shall be elected by the inhabitants of the region on the basis of direct and equal suffrage by secrete ballots with the term of three years.

Article 110.  Judicial proceeding shall be conducted in the language of the Union Republic, Autonomous Republic or Autonomous Oblast. Persons participated in the court proceedings, who do not know the language of proceedings shall be ensured the right to become fully acquainted with the materials in the case through interpreter, as well as the right to address the court in their own language.

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Article 115. The Procurators of Union Republics, Autonomous Republics and Autonomous Oblasts are appointed by the Procurator of the USSR with the term of five years.

Article 116. Regional, district and city procurators shall be appointed by the Procurators of Union Republics subject to confirmation by the Procurator of the USSR; the term of office shall be five years.

Article 117. The agencies of the Procurator’s Office exercise their powers independently of any local bodies whatsoever, and are subordinate solely to the Procurator of the USSR.

5 December 1936

(Constitution and Constitutional Acts of the USSR (1922-1936). The Collection of Documents. Moscow, 1940, p. 5-22/in Russian)