| Государственный Совет СССР | |
.svg) | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 5 September 1991 |
| Preceding agency | |
| Dissolved | 26 December 1991 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Jurisdiction | Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| Headquarters | Moscow,Russian SFSR,USSR |
Following the August1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, theState Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (Russian:Государственный Совет СССР), also known as theState Soviet (Russian:Госсовет,romanized: Gossovet), was formed on 5 September 1991 and was designed to be one of the most important government offices inMikhail Gorbachev'sSoviet Union. The members of the council consisted of thePresident of the Soviet Union, andhighest officials (which typically waspresidents of their republics) from theSoviet Union's republics. During the period of transition it was the highest organ of state power, having the power to elect aprime minister, or a person who would take Gorbachev's place if absent; the office ofVice President of the Soviet Union had been abolished following the failed August Coup that very same year.[1]
The idea of the institution of a State Council in the Soviet Union first appeared in the early 1970s, during the early days ofLeonid Brezhnev's rule. As head of the CPSU, Brezhnev was the de facto leader of the Soviet Union, but was only ranked third in diplomatic protocol, eclipsed by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme SovietNikolai Podgorny (head of state; first in protocol) and the Chairman of the Council of MinistersAlexei Kosygin (head of government; second in protocol). Brezhnev's supporters conceived the idea of establishing a State Council, similar to those ofEast Germany,Bulgaria, andRomania, to replace thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet as the highest organ of state; the State Council's chairmanship would be assumed by Brezhnev himself, allowing him to replace Podgorny as the head of state and first-ranked person in diplomatic protocol.[2] These plans did not come to fruition: under theBrezhnev Constitution of 1977, the collegial Presidium of the Supreme Soviet was retained as the highest body of power in the country, rather than being replaced by a Council of State.
With the central government's authority greatly weakened by the failed coup, Gorbachev[3] established a four-man committee, led by Russian SFSR PremierIvan Silayev, that includedGrigory Yavlinsky,Arkadi Volsky, andYuri Luzhkov, to elect a newCabinet of Ministers. This committee was later transformed into theCommittee on the Operational Management of the Soviet Economy (COMSE), also chaired by Silayev, to manage theSoviet economy.[4] On 28 August 1991 theSupreme Soviet temporarily gave the COMSE the same authority as the Cabinet of Ministers,[5] and Silayev became theSoviet Union'sde facto Prime Minister.[6] Yet, COMSE was quickly surpassed in authority by theInter-republican Economic Committee of the Soviet Union (IEC), also led by Silayev. Its function was to coordinate economic policy across the Soviet Union. As Chairman of both COMSE and the IEC, Silayev presided over a quickly disintegrating Soviet Union.[7]
When he first took office, Silayev wanted to reduce the powers of the central government and give more powers to theSoviet Republics. This view changed;[8] he demanded that Yeltsin give back much of the authority of the central government which he had usurped following the August Coup. In this he failed, and his position as Russian SFSR Premier was severely weakened as a result.Oleg Lobov, Silayev'sFirst Deputy Premier, led the anti-Silayev faction in the Russian SFSR Council of Ministers and managed to oust him on 26 September 1991; Lobov succeeded Silayev as acting Premier of the Russian SFSR.[7] Silayev, as overseer of the economy, was given the task of initiating economic reforms in the Soviet Union in a way that suited both the central government and the Soviet republics.[9] Silayev tried to maintain an integrated economy while initiating the marketisation of the economy.[10] Further disintegration of the USSR led to the transformation of the IEC into theInterstate Economic Committee of the Economic Community[6] (coordinating relations between the union republics and republics, declaring their secession from the USSR).[11] The IEC showed its international intent by signing theEuropean Energy Charter on 16/17 December 1991 with 35 other countries, but this was undermined by the charter also being signed by nine of the twelve remaining republics.[12]
On 19 December COMSE was dissolved by a presidential Russian SFSR decree.[6] Оn 25 December Gorbachev announced his resignation from the post of President of the USSR in connection with the creation of theCommonwealth of Independent States.[13] Accordingly, the union government ceased to exist.[14] The next day, 26 December 1991 theSoviet Union was formally dissolved by theSoviet of the Republics.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | State Council of the Soviet Union 5 September 1991-26 December 1991 | Succeeded by |