SSRs

SSRs, short for Soviet Socialist Republics, were the constituent republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Each SSR had its own constitution, government, and official symbols and was described in law as sovereign in internal affairs. In practice, however, most significant policy and defense decisions were centralized in Moscow and through the Communist Party, limiting genuine autonomy at the republic level.

The USSR was composed of 15 union republics: Russian SFSR, Ukrainian SSR, Byelorussian SSR, Uzbek SSR, Kazakh SSR, Georgian SSR, Azerbaijan SSR, Lithuanian SSR, Latvian SSR, Moldavian SSR, Kyrgyz SSR, Tajik SSR, Turkmen SSR, Armenian SSR, and Estonian SSR. These republics retained their own republican legislatures and executive organs, controlling many domestic matters such as education, culture, and local administration, while key areas like foreign policy, defense, and central economic planning were managed at the union level.

The status of SSRs was ultimately subordinate to the central Soviet authority, with the union constitution and periodic treaties defining the distribution of powers. The late 1980s' reforms of perestroika and glasnost led to increased republican autonomy and calls for sovereignty. In 1990–1991, several republics asserted greater independence, and the Baltic states moved toward full secession. The USSR dissolved in 1991 after a series of agreements and political changes, and the former SSRs became independent states, including the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, and the Baltic and Central Asian republics.

See also: Soviet Union, perestroika, glasnost, Baltic states, union republics.