nine plus one
On April 23, 1991, in Novo-Ogaryovo, at a meeting of the leaders of nine union republics and the President of the USSR, a statement was signed on the principles of a new union treaty, called "9 + 1".
At the turn of the 1980s - 1990s, a surge of national movements was observed in the USSR. The year 1990 was marked by the unilateral decision of some union republics (primarily the Baltic ones) to self-determine and create independent nation-states.
Attempts by the allied center to influence these decisions by economic measures were unsuccessful. A wave of declaring the sovereignties of the union republics, electing their own presidents, and introducing new names swept across the country. The republics sought to get rid of the dictates of the center by declaring their independence.
The real danger of the uncontrolled collapse of the USSR forced the center and the republics to look for a way to compromises and agreements, but Russia could not remain aloof from this process. The main event that influenced the entire subsequent development of the country was the 1st Congress of People's Deputies of Russia, which opened on May 16, 1990. The agenda of the congress included the question "On the sovereignty of Russia, the Union Treaty and democracy." On May 29, B. Yeltsin was elected Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, and on May 30, at a press conference, he said that after the adoption of the Declaration on the Sovereignty of Russia, it would become independent and its laws would be higher than those of the Union. Yeltsin offered to start negotiations with the republics on a new Union Treaty without any preconditions.
On June 12, 1990, the 1st Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR adopted the Declaration on the State Sovereignty of Russia. It became a frontier both in the development of the Russian Federation and the entire Soviet Union, which could exist as long as Russia was the unifying principle. On the same day, the Federation Council decided to create a working group to prepare Union Treaty from representatives of all republics. The Council proposed the formation of a Union of Sovereign States, combining elements of federation, confederation and community. Choice Russian deputies was largely predetermined by the behavior of other union republics that proclaimed their independence.
Following Russia, within a few months Uzbekistan, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Armenia, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan adopted declarations of sovereignty. While it was a question of sovereignty within the USSR. But the logic of the development of the national movement pushed radical solution- complete independence.
The sovereignization of Russia marked the beginning of bilateral relations between the republics, bypassing the union center. On July 28, at a meeting in Jurmala with a Russian delegation, the leaders of the Baltic states announced their refusal to participate in negotiations on the conclusion of the Union Treaty, but were ready to negotiate a bilateral treaty with Russia. Yeltsin even spoke of a united front between the Baltic states and Russia against the Center.
In August, consultations were held between the working groups of the Supreme Soviets of the RSFSR and the USSR on the preparation of the Union Treaty, as well as consultative meetings with representatives of 12 union republics. On August 30-31, a joint meeting of the Federation Council and the Presidential Council was held, at which it was decided to create a Preparatory Committee for the development of a new Union Treaty, consisting of plenipotentiary delegations of the republics headed by their top leaders and with the participation of the President of the USSR. On August 18-19, the draft of the new Union Treaty was sent to the Supreme Soviets of the USSR and the republics for discussion.
On September 1, an agreement was signed on comprehensive cooperation between the RSFSR and Georgia. Russia has concluded bilateral agreements with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Lithuania, Moldova on interstate relations and economic cooperation. In the highest echelons of power, both in Moscow and in the regions, there was a fear of an uncontrollable collapse of the USSR, which could bring innumerable disasters to the peoples.
In December 1990, the 4th Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR discussed the draft Union Treaty and found it expedient that further work on the preparation and conclusion of the treaty be carried out by the Preparatory Committee from among the highest officials of the republics. On December 24, the Congress decided to hold a referendum on the preservation of the USSR. In fact, the population was invited to discuss the expediency of maintaining the integrity of their state. The referendum took place on March 17, 1991. It was attended by 148.6 million people (80% of those who had the right to vote), of which 113.5 million were in favor of preserving the Union (76.4%).
On April 23, 1991, at a meeting of the President and the leaders of 9 republics in Novo-Ogaryovo, a "Joint Statement" was adopted, called by journalists the "9 + 1" statement. It said that in order to overcome the crisis, the first task is to conclude, taking into account the results of the referendum, a new Union Treaty. True, the results were interpreted not so much in favor of the state unity of the country, but in favor of renewal, understood as the consolidation of the sovereignty of the republics. Almost all republics were already headed by presidents elected by the people and, therefore, independent of the Central Committee of the CPSU, while in reality the party remained a truly supranational power structure in the country.
On May 22, seeing contradictions in the draft Union Treaty, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR demanded that the text of the treaty be brought into line with the results of the referendum of March 17, 1991. A Preparatory Committee was set up to develop a treaty for a new concept of the Union. According to this document, the republics received more rights, the Center turned from a manager into a coordinating one. As a result, many union structures, primarily ministries and departments, the cabinet of ministers, would undergo major changes. Only questions of defense, financial policy, and internal affairs remained in the hands of the allied leadership; all the rest were to be decided at the republican level. The treaty secured the ownership of the republics to land, mineral resources, and water. Within the limits of their powers, the republics could suspend the operation of federal laws, independently determine the state languages. Russian was declared the language of international communication. This agreement was to form the basis of a new union treaty, the signing of which was scheduled for August 20. Mikhail Gorbachev was going to rest in the Crimea. Shortly before his vacation, he met in Novo-Ogaryovo with B. Yeltsin and N. Nazarbayev. In a confidential conversation, it was about personnel changes in the highest echelon of power in the USSR after the signing of the union treaty. They talked about the removal of Prime Minister V. Pavlov, Minister of Defense D. Yazov, Minister of Internal Affairs B. Pugo and KGB Chairman V. Kryuchkov. On August 18, top officials from state, military and party structures arrived in Foros, where Gorbachev was resting, and demanded that he introduce a state of emergency throughout the USSR, but received an unexpected refusal. This immediately turned all the initiators into conspirators.
On the morning of August 19, Gorbachev's illness was announced on the radio, and the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP) took full power. It included Yanaev, Pavlov, Pugo, Kryuchkov and others. The GKChP published a manifesto, which spoke of the collapse of the economy and unrest in the country, of the humiliation of Soviet people abroad. By its decrees, the State Emergency Committee announced the suspension of the activities of political parties and public organizations that impede the normalization of the situation, the disbandment of power structures that acted contrary to the Constitution of the USSR, the ban on rallies and demonstrations, and the establishment of control over the media. In order to calm the population, a number of economic and social measures were supposed to be implemented: to reduce prices for certain goods, to provide assistance to the village, etc.
On the morning of August 19, B. Yeltsin issues a number of decrees that qualify the actions of the State Emergency Committee as a coup d'état. Troops were sent to Moscow and a curfew was declared. The putschists miscalculated in the main thing - during the years of perestroika, Soviet society has changed a lot. Freedom has become the highest value for people, fear has disappeared. The plans of the GKChP failed, the GKChPists were arrested, Gorbachev was returned to Moscow. On August 23, at a meeting with deputies of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, Gorbachev was actually presented with an ultimatum demand to dissolve the CPSU, which he accepted. The CPSU ceased to exist as a ruling state structure. As a result, the basis of the former system was eliminated. Yeltsin signed a decree suspending the activities of the Communist Party of the RSFSR. Former party property was confiscated. The communist newspapers Pravda, Sovetskaya Rossiya, Glasnost, Moskovskaya Pravda and Den were closed down.
Processes began in a number of union republics that forced a revision of the foundations of the new union treaty. The Unitary Union collapsed. On August 20, the Estonian parliament adopted a resolution on the state independence of the republic, and a day later, the Constitutional Law on the state status of the republic was adopted by the Latvian parliament. On September 9, 1991, the State Council of the USSR recognized the independence of the Baltic States. On August 24, the Supreme Council of Ukraine proclaimed the republic an independent state. On August 25, Belarus declared its independence. Until the end of the month, Moldova, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan followed suit. The Union was disintegrating before our eyes. All attempts by M. Gorbachev to resume work on signing the treaty were unsuccessful. In this situation, unification with other republics lost its meaning.
Held from 2 to 5 September 1991. The 5th Extraordinary Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided to terminate its powers as the highest authority in the country. The congress announced a transitional period for the formation of a new system of state relations based on the will of the free republics. During the transitional period, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR became the supreme body of power. To manage the economy, the Inter-Republican Economic Committee was formed, headed by the Prime Minister of Russia I. Silaev.
USSR President M. Gorbachev made attempts to conclude a new Union Treaty. On October 18, 1991, 8 republics signed an economic community agreement (except for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Azerbaijan). November 14 in Novo-Ogaryovo 7 republics (Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan) agreed to create the Union of Sovereign States (USG). However, to keep any single public education on the territory of the USSR was no longer possible.
On December 8, 1991, in the residence "Viskuli" in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, the leaders of Belarus (S. Shushkevich, V. Kebich), Ukraine (L. Kravchuk, V. Fokin), the Russian Federation (B. Yeltsin, G. Burbulis) signed an agreement on the creation Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Three states joined the CIS and invited new states of the former USSR to join the Commonwealth. It was in Belovezhskaya Pushcha that the principles of coexistence within the CIS were first proclaimed: a single economic space, a single monetary unit, a single armed forces, etc. The vast majority of the former republics of the Union were involved in the CIS - the exceptions were the Baltic republics and Georgia, which joined the Commonwealth just over two years later.
On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev announced his resignation from the post of President of the USSR. And that evening in Moscow, a red flag with the State Emblem of the USSR was lowered over the Kremlin, and the Russian tricolor was raised in its place. This act of changing state symbols put an end to the dramatic fate of a vast country that was called Soviet Union.
In addition, the following events took place on that day:
In 1836, the first issue of the literary and socio-political magazine Sovremennik, founded by A.S. Pushkin, was published in St. Petersburg. In the first half of the 19th century, the number of newspapers and magazines increased significantly. Their circulation increased, although even the most popular publications, such as Vestnik Evropy, were printed in no more than 1,500 copies. In 1811, the first Russian provincial newspaper Kazanskiye Izvestiya began to appear. It lasted 10 years. Since 1838, each province began to publish its own "Provincial Gazette". The publication of children's and women's magazines has become more frequent. The official newspaper was still "Sankt-Peterburgskiye Vedomosti". They retained the nature of the newsletter. In Nikolaev times, the well-known journalist and publisher F.V. Bulgarin published the newspaper "Northern Bee". In the first years of the reign of Nicholas I, journals of a conservative direction prevailed. One of the liberal magazines at that time was Teleskop, but it was published for only five years. After its closure, the baton of liberal journalism was picked up by the St. Petersburg magazines Sovremennik and Otechestvennye Zapiski. Sovremennik was founded by A.S. Pushkin. On April 23, 1836, the first issue of Pushkin's Sovremennik was published in St. Petersburg, printed in Smirdin's printing house. In the first edition, the poetry department published works by Pushkin (“The Feast of Peter the Great”, “The Miserly Knight”, “The Pedigree of My Hero”, “The Commander”, etc.), poems by Zhukovsky, Vyazemsky, Davydov, Baratynsky, Koltsov, a cycle of poems by Tyutchev and others. In the prose department, the main place was occupied by the works of Pushkin ("The Captain's Daughter", "Journey to Arzrum", "John Tenner") and Gogol, who took an active part in the beginning of the publication ("Carriage", "Nose", "Morning of a Businessman ”, “On the movement of journal literature in 1834 and 1835”, etc.) The first two editions of Sovremennik had a circulation of 2,400 copies, of which no more than a third dispersed, the last volume for 1836 was issued with a circulation of 900 copies. After the death of the poet, Sovremennik was published for the benefit of his family by a group of friends headed by V.A. Zhukovsky. The regularity of the publication of volumes was often disturbed: in 1841 five volumes were published, in 1842 three volumes, and in 1845 four volumes. In 1866, after Karakozov's assassination attempt on Alexander II, the magazine was closed by the authorities.
In 1964, the company of gramophone records "Melody" was founded. Melodiya records were a window into the musical world for millions of Soviet citizens, and a way for performers to become famous. Melodiya managed creative and industrial enterprises and organizations that recorded, produced and distributed gramophone records and tape compact cassettes. Melodiya also included creative studios. They produced original matrices for the production of gramophone records, created original works for recording, restored historical phono documents and other unique recordings of the past. Creative studios operated in Moscow, Leningrad, Riga and Tallinn, Vilnius, Tbilisi, Alma-Ata, Tashkent. Until 1986, Melodiya held a monopoly on sound recording in the USSR. Currently, Melodiya specializes primarily in the formulation and promotion of new activities, as well as in high-quality restoration and release of archival records. The catalog of the company is dominated by Soviet and Russian products, music by Russian and Soviet composers.
Previous days in Russian history:
April 22 in Russian history → Berlin operation
→MIG-17
→ Vyazemskaya airborne operation
January 14 in Russian history
The preparation of his project begins in August 1990. Representatives of 12 union republics took part in it, with the exception of the Baltic republics. On March 17, 1991, an all-Union referendum was held on the issue of preserving the USSR, which sounded as follows: “Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedom of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed.
After the referendum, the development of the draft Union Treaty went faster. On April 23, 1991, in Novo-Ogarevo (the country residence of M.S. Gorbachev), a meeting was held between the leaders of 9 union republics and M.S. Gorbachev. The leaders of the Baltic republics, Georgia, Armenia and Moldova did not take part in the negotiations. Orlov A.S., Georgiev V.A., Georgieva N.G., Sivokhina T.A. History of Russia 3rd ed., revised. and additional - M.: Prospect, 2006.--528 p.
Here agreement was reached in principle on the development of such an agreement, but significant disagreements emerged about the balance of powers between the republics and the center. Further work over the text of the Union Treaty was called the "Novo-Ogarevsky process". In June the project was ready and in August it was published in the press. His articles were quite controversial. The Soviet Union as a single state actually ceased to exist. Union republics became independent subjects international law, their powers were significantly expanded, they could freely enter and leave the USSR. The aspects of society's life were within the competence of the republics. The abbreviation USSR stands for the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. The signing of the agreement was scheduled for August 20, but due to a sharp change in the political situation in the country, it was never signed.
This project did not suit the top leaders of the CPSU and the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR, who demanded on the eve of its publication emergency powers and did not receive them at a meeting of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. But at the same time, this document no longer satisfied the newly elected President of Russia and radical democrats. Gorbachev thus experienced sharp pressure both from the top union leadership, especially the heads of the KGB, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the USSR Ministry of Defense, and from the radical wing of supporters of continuing democratic reforms.
In order to thwart the signing of this treaty and preserve their power, a part of the top party-state leadership tried to seize power. On August 18, several "siloviki" came to M.S., who was vacationing in the Crimea in Foros. Gorbachev and offered him to sign a decree on the introduction of a state of emergency in the country, but were refused. Returning to Moscow, they announced that Gorbachev could not act as President of the USSR "for health reasons" and his powers were transferred to Vice President G.I. Yanaev. On August 19, 1991, a state of emergency was introduced in the country. Troops were concentrated around the building of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR ("White House"), which were supposed to occupy the building, disperse the parliament and arrest its most active participants.
The coup was led by the State Committee for the State of Emergency (GKChP) /
The GKChP saw the main task of the coup in restoring the order in the USSR that existed before 1985, i.e. in the elimination of the multi-party system, commercial structures, in the destruction of the germs of democracy.
But the coup failed. The population of the country basically refused to support the State Emergency Committee, while the army did not want to use force against the citizens of its state. Already on August 20, barricades grew up around the White House, on which there were several tens of thousands of people, part of the military units went over to the side of the defenders. On August 22, the putsch was defeated, and the members of the State Emergency Committee were arrested.
After the putsch was defeated, the disintegration of the USSR, which began in the late 1980s, took on an avalanche-like character. Republican authorities were interested in a radical redistribution of power in their favor long before the autumn of 1991. Behind them were the interests of local political elites, both new ones that rose on the wave of perestroika, and old ones, party nomenklatura. The State Council of the USSR, established in September 1991 under the leadership of M.S., became the highest body for agreement between the republics. Gorbachev. The latter tried with all his might to resume the "Novo-Ogarevsky process", but no one took him into account.
In September, in agreement with the Supreme Soviets and the presidents of several republics, the Inter-Republican Economic Committee (IEC) was created, headed by I.S. Silaev. He prepared an economic agreement, which was signed by nine republics: the RSFSR, Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan. Armenia participated in the committee as an observer, the Baltic states sent their representatives. Only Moldova and Georgia completely ignored this agreement. This agreement was a real step, designed to stop the collapse of a single economic organism. However, the economic crisis continued, and in an effort to alleviate it, the republics and even individual regions imposed serious restrictions on the export of various products and goods from them.
After the declaration of independence, relations between the republics on border issues escalated. A number of peoples of the North Caucasus, which are part of the RSFSR, proclaimed independence and sovereignty and made political and territorial claims both to the RSFSR and to their neighbors. This was most clearly manifested in the emergence of the Chechen Republic, which separated from the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Republic of the RSFSR. The events in Chechnya and a number of other regions of the North Caucasus, the ongoing war in South Ossetia - all this brought the Caucasus to the brink of a comprehensive civil war by the end of 1991. Self-proclaimed republics also appeared on the territory of other union states (Gagauzia in Moldova, Abkhazia in Georgia, etc.)
The economic situation in Russia and other states of the former USSR in the autumn and winter of 1991 was rapidly deteriorating. Inflation rates increased sharply, industrial and agricultural production decreased. By the end of 1991, there were practically no industrial goods or food left on the shelves of stores. There were problems in supplying the population with the most necessary: bread, milk, potatoes. For many categories of the population, especially for pensioners and young people, the problem of survival has arisen.
Trying to stop the collapse of the state and realizing that in the new conditions the use of old forms and methods cannot bring positive results, the leadership of the USSR attempted to create a new legal basis for the existence of the Union. Proceeding from the fact that the form of the state unity of the country, which had really taken shape in previous years, is subjected to merciless criticism, and to some extent justified, the path of its change was chosen.
On June 20, 1990, the first working meeting of representatives of the republics took place to prepare proposals for a new Union Treaty. The position of the reformers was presented in the speech of R.N. Nishanov, who, on behalf of the Federation Council, spoke in favor of the multivariance of forms of the federal structure, which implies a variety of relations between the Soviet republics, as well as between each of them and the Union. In his speech, the idea was put forward that the forms of inter-republican relations could vary from federal to confederal. Such a position of the representatives of the Union, in fact, contributed to its further collapse due to the fact that this recognized, as it were, the uselessness of the USSR in current form. At the same time, the USSR could exist only by performing those functions that historically passed to it. In refusing them, he also renounced his historical perspective. Therefore, the first statements of the allied leaders about the possibility of confederate ties between the republics were at the same time a statement of the rejection of the USSR as a state.
It cannot be said that the leadership of the USSR did nothing to stop the actions of the republics that were destroying the Union. In the resolution of the Congress of People's Deputies "On the state of the country and priority measures to overcome the current crisis socio-economic and political situation", adopted on December 24, 1990, in addition to the fact that the prospect of a final settlement of relations between the center and the republics was still associated with the conclusion of a new The Union Treaty also contained specific provisions that, in the opinion of the authors and legislators, should have normalized relations in the federation. In particular, in contrast to the declarations of the republics on state sovereignty, the supremacy of the laws of the USSR throughout its territory was confirmed, however, with some reservations: “Before the signing of the Union Treaty, those laws of the republics that do not contradict the Constitution of the USSR, as well as the laws of the USSR adopted within its borders, are in force. powers". In addition, the President of the USSR, together with the highest officials of the republics, was instructed to develop and sign by the end of 1990 an Interim Agreement on Economic Issues for 1991, which would make it possible to form the budgets of the Union and the republics. The leadership of the republics, territories and regions was required to lift restrictions that prevent the movement of food, consumer goods, and material resources for their production across the country.
The problem of the Union Treaty is also returned to in the resolution "On the general concept of the new Union Treaty and the procedure for its conclusion", adopted on December 25, 1990 by the Congress of People's Deputies of the Union, which spoke of the need to preserve the old name, the integrity of the state, transforming it into a voluntary equal union sovereign republics - a democratic federal state. It was thought that the renewed Union should be based "on the will of the peoples and the principles set forth in the declarations of the republics and autonomies on state sovereignty, designed to ensure: the equality of all citizens of the country, regardless of their nationality and place of residence; the equality of peoples, whatever their number, their inalienable right to self-determination and free democratic development, territorial integrity of subjects of the federation; guarantees of the rights of national minorities...".
As a result of the hard work of scientists and politicians, representatives of the center and the republics in Novo-Ogarevo, a draft Treaty on the Union of Sovereign States was agreed upon, which, after changes and clarifications made by representatives of the republics, the Federation Council and the preparatory committee formed by the Fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, was published and sent for consideration to the Supreme Soviets of the republics and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In the process of developing a new Union Treaty, the question arose about the place and role of autonomies. This was the subject of the meeting of the President of the USSR and the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR with the chairmen of the Supreme Soviets of the autonomous republics, which took place on May 12, 1991 in the Kremlin. It confirmed that autonomous republics sign the Union Treaty as members of the USSR and the RSFSR. However, the representative of Tatarstan, Shaimiev, stated that his republic intended to sign the Treaty only as a member of the USSR, with the subsequent conclusion of an agreement with Russia.
On February 15, 1991, a meeting of the ministers of foreign affairs of the USSR and the union republics and their representatives took place. The forum participants decided to establish the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the USSR and the Union Republics, which will be a mechanism for the participation of the republics in the development, implementation and coordination of the foreign policy activities of the USSR, a specific discussion of international problems, finding solutions on organizational and other issues. The main purpose of the creation of the Council is interaction for a more complete and harmonious consideration of the interests of the Union and the republics in the foreign policy sphere.
Innokenty Adyasov, member of the Expert and Analytical Council under the Committee on CIS Affairs of the State Duma - especially for RIA Novosti.
The first meeting to prepare the treaty took place on May 24, 1991, at Novo-Ogarevo, the residence of the President of the USSR near Moscow (hence the name of the process). It was attended by representatives of nine republics - the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the BSSR, Azerbaijan and five Central Asian ones.
After long and sometimes very tense discussions in June, a compromise was reached: the USSR should be transformed into a soft federation. The issues of defense, security, foreign policy, a unified financial policy (issue of the union currency), and general infrastructure remained behind the union center. The majority of economic issues, questions of social and cultural policy were transferred to the jurisdiction of the union republics, citizenship of the union republics was introduced.
It was assumed that the President of Kazakhstan would become the new head of the union government. The prepared Union Treaty was considered open for signing by all republics from August 20, 1991.
Russia's position
By August 1991, there was no consensus in the environment about the new Union Treaty. In general, the position of the Russian leadership on the conclusion of the treaty was extremely ambivalent. On the one hand, Boris Yeltsin advocated the creation of a renewed Union, on the other, since the winter of 1991, negotiations were underway to create a kind of confederation of Russia-Ukraine-Belarus-Kazakhstan "horizontally" without the participation of the Union Center.
Few people know that the first attempt to conclude the "Belovezhskaya agreements" was made back in February 1991. This idea was actively supported by Boris Yeltsin and Leonid Kravchuk, then head of the Supreme Soviet of Ukraine. However, the Belarusian Prime Minister Vyacheslav Kebich and the head of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev opposed.
Ruslan Khasbulatov, Acting Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, was a consistent supporter of the Union Treaty, although he expressed certain complaints about its text. In an interview with Radio Liberty in August 2001, Ruslan Khasbulatov recalled: “Yeltsin and I argued a lot - should we go to the meeting on August 20? , this will be perceived as our desire to destroy the Union."
The position of the Russian leadership was closely monitored in other union republics, primarily in Ukraine.
Position of Ukraine
Anti-union sentiments in the summer of 1991 were strong only in Western Ukraine and partly in Kyiv. The center of Ukraine and the Left Bank actively supported the signing of the treaty and the preservation of the Union - in a referendum, more than 70 percent of Ukrainian citizens voted for it.
The Ukrainian government was most concerned about protecting the republic's consumer market. In November 1990, cards were introduced in Ukraine. Since that time, Ukrainians, together with salary multi-colored "sheets of coupons" began to be received in Soviet rubles, without which it was difficult to buy something in the state trade system.
Some Ukrainian experts retrospectively began to declare that even then Ukraine began to introduce its own currency. To put it mildly, they are lying. Residents of Russian megacities remember the same coupons for almost all consumer goods - from cigarettes to sugar.
The consumer market crisis was common to all. Meanwhile, against the backdrop of the all-Union crisis, many unfortunate economists appeared, stubbornly arguing that "Ukraine feeds the entire Union" and that in a few years an independent Ukraine will certainly become a "second France."
For the sake of objectivity, it must be said that such conversations were then very popular in Russia as well. "The union republics hang like a heavy burden on our economy," was the insistent refrain.
Contrary to the popular stereotype, the West was not interested in the collapse of the USSR in the summer of 1991. already crawled into civil war another socialist federation is Yugoslavia, and getting a new hotbed of tension with nuclear weapons would be too much.
During a visit to Kyiv in early August 1991, the then US president conveyed to the Ukrainian leadership that the United States was not interested in an independent Ukraine.
Why did the Union fail?
After 20 years, the question again arises: did the new Union have a chance?
In the opinion of a direct and active participant in those events, the former President of Tatarstan Mentimer Shaimiev, "be that as it may, the Union had real chances to survive with the granting of broad powers to the union republics."
It must be said that the personal factor played a huge role in disrupting the process of creating a new Union. In the rejection of the confederation, seemingly opposing forces united in the most surprising way. On the one hand, they were the "guardians" of the former USSR from the conservative wing of the party-state leadership (the actions of the putschists were aimed primarily at disrupting the signing of the new Union Treaty). On the other hand, the pseudo-democratic elites that were actively forming at that time, represented by people from the republican leadership of the CPSU, who wanted full power in their territories - the former Soviet republics. Russia, led by its leader Yeltsin, was no exception in this sense.
After the failure of the State Emergency Committee, Mikhail Gorbachev was still trying to revive the Novoogarevsky process and create at least some kind of formation on the ruins of the USSR.
On December 9, 1991, seven republics (excluding Ukraine and Azerbaijan) were scheduled to sign an agreement on the creation of a confederal Union with the capital in Minsk.
However, on December 8, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus announced in Belovezhskaya Pushcha the dissolution of the USSR and.
The majority of the population of the three Slavic republics believed that the Commonwealth would become the new format of the Union, but these hopes did not come true.
twenty years later
None of the former Soviet republics, including the Baltic pioneers of secession from the USSR, oil-producing Azerbaijan and Russia itself, benefited from the collapse of a single state, more precisely, from the destruction of the common economic space.
The Soviet economy was very high level cooperation, up to 80 percent of the products were created jointly and then distributed among the republics. The collapse of the all-Union market led to a collapse in production, galloping inflation, and the disappearance of high-tech industries.
The most indicative in this regard are the problems of Ukraine after gaining independence. The Ukrainian aerospace industry, due to the rupture of cooperation ties with Russia and lack of funding, has significantly reduced production volumes, and many extremely promising projects that are in a high degree of readiness have been mothballed.
After 20 years, many of the ideas embodied in the draft Union Treaty are again becoming relevant in the course of the creation of the Eurasian Union. and the CES of the EurAsEC - in fact, the first stages in the creation of a new Union, primarily of an economic orientation.
Hopefully, the current political elites of the post-Soviet states will have the wisdom not to repeat the mistakes of 20 years ago.
UNION TREATY
Sovereign Republics - Parties to the Treaty,
expressing the will of the peoples to renew their Union, based on the proximity of historical destinies, striving to live in friendship, harmony, ensuring equal cooperation;
bearing in mind the interests of the material well-being and spiritual development of peoples, the mutual enrichment of national cultures, and the provision of common security;
drawing lessons from the past and taking into account changes in the life of the country and around the world;
decided on a new basis to build their relations in the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics.
I. BASIC PRINCIPLES
First. Each republic - party to the Treaty is a sovereign state and has full state power on its territory.
Union SSR- a sovereign federal state formed as a result of the voluntary unification of the republics and exercising state power within the limits of the powers vested in it by the parties to the Treaty.
Second. The republics that form the Union of Sovereign Soviet Republics recognize the inalienable right of every people: to self-determination and self-government, to independently resolve all questions of their development. They will resolutely oppose racism, chauvinism, nationalism, and any attempts to limit the rights of peoples. The parties to the Treaty will proceed from a combination of universal and national values.
Third. The republics recognize the priority of human rights proclaimed in the UN Universal Declaration and international covenants as the most important principle of their association. Citizens of the USSR are guaranteed the opportunity to learn and use their native language, unhindered access to information, freedom of religion and other political and personal freedoms.
Fourth. Republics see the most important condition for freedom and well-being in the formation and development of civil society. They will strive to meet the needs of people on the basis of a free choice of forms of ownership and methods of management, the implementation of the principles of social justice and security.
Fifth. Republics independently determine their state structure, administrative-territorial division, system of authorities and administration. They recognize democracy based on popular representation as a common fundamental principle, and strive to create a rule of law state that would serve as a guarantor against any tendencies towards authoritarianism and arbitrariness.
Sixth. The republics consider it their important task to preserve and develop national traditions, state support for education, science and culture. They will promote an intensive exchange and mutual enrichment of the humanistic spiritual values of the peoples of the country and the whole world.
Seventh. The republics declare that their main goals in the international arena are lasting peace, the elimination of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the cooperation of states and the solidarity of peoples in solving all other global problems facing humanity.
II. UNION DEVICE
Article 1. Membership in the Union
The membership of the republics in the USSR is voluntary. The Republics that are parties to the Treaty are included in the Union directly or as part of other republics, which does not infringe on their rights and does not release them from obligations under the Treaty.
Relations between the republics, one of which is part of the other, are regulated by treaties and agreements between them. Members of the Union may raise the question of terminating the membership in the USSR of a republic that violates the terms of the Treaty and its obligations.
Article 2 Citizenship
A citizen of a republic that is part of the USSR is at the same time a citizen of the USSR.
Citizens have equal rights and obligations enshrined in the Constitution, laws and international treaties of the USSR. Article 3 Territory
The territory of the USSR consists of the territories of all the republics that are parties to the Treaty.
The borders between the republics can be changed only by agreement between them.
Republics guarantee political rights and opportunities for socio-economic and cultural development to all the peoples living in their territory.
Article 4 .
The republics undertake not to allow the deployment of armed formations and military bases of foreign states on their territory, not to conclude agreements that contradict the goals of the Union or are directed against the interests of its constituent republics.
Article 5. Powers of the Union.
The parties to the Treaty endow the USSR with the following powers:
1) the adoption of the Constitution of the USSR, the introduction of amendments and additions to it; ensuring, together with the republics, the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens of the USSR;
2) protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Union; determination and protection of the State Border of the USSR, ensuring the state security of the USSR; organization of defense and leadership of the Armed Forces of the USSR; declaration of war and conclusion of peace;
3) development and implementation of the foreign policy of the Union; the conclusion of international treaties of the USSR; representation of the Union in relations with other states and in international organizations; coordination of foreign policy activities of the republics; regulation of foreign economic activity of the USSR and coordination of foreign economic relations of the republics; customs business;
4) determination, together with the republics, of a strategy for the economic development of the country and the creation of conditions for the development of the all-Union market; conducting a unified financial, credit and monetary policy based on a common currency; drawing up and execution of the union budget; storage and use of the gold reserves and diamond fund agreed with the republics; the implementation of all-Union programs, the creation of development funds, funds for the elimination of the consequences of natural disasters and catastrophes;
5) joint management with the republics of the unified fuel and energy system of the country, rail, air, sea and main pipeline transport; management of defense enterprises, space research, allied communication and information systems, geodesy, cartography, metrology and standardization; establishing the basis for the use of natural resources and protection environment, implementation of a coordinated environmental policy;
6) establishing, together with the republics, the foundations of social policy, including issues of working conditions and its protection, social security and insurance, healthcare, care for motherhood and childhood;
7) coordination of inter-republican cooperation in the field of culture and education, fundamental scientific research and stimulation of scientific and technological progress;
8) establishing the foundations of legislation on issues agreed with the republics; coordination of activities for the protection of public order and the fight against crime "
The powers of the Union cannot be changed without the consent of all the republics.
Article 6
The republics participate in exercising the powers of the USSR through the joint formation of union bodies, the creation of other mechanisms and procedures for coordinating interests and actions.
Each republic may, by concluding an agreement with the USSR, additionally transfer to it the exercise of its individual powers, and the Union, with the consent of all the republics, may transfer to one or more of them the exercise of its individual powers on their territory.
Article 7. Property
The USSR and the republics ensure the free development and protection of all forms of property, including the property of citizens and their associations, state property.
The republics are the owners of the land, its subsoil and other natural resources on their territory, as well as state property, with the exception of that part of it that is necessary for the exercise of the powers of the USSR.
The regulation by the legislation of the republics of ownership of land, its subsoil and other natural resources should not interfere with the exercise of the powers of the Union.
Article 8. Taxes and fees
The republics independently determine their own budget, establish republican taxes and fees.
To exercise the powers of the USSR, Union taxes and dues are established, and share deductions are determined jointly with the republics for the implementation of all-Union programs.
Article 9. Laws
Republican legislation on the territory of the republics has supremacy on all issues, with the exception of those that are within the jurisdiction of the Union.
The laws of the USSR, adopted on questions of its competence, have the supremacy and are obligatory for execution on the territory of all republics.
The laws of the Union on issues referred to the joint jurisdiction of the Union and the republics shall come into force, unless the republic whose interests are affected by these laws objects.
The constitution and laws of the USSR, the constitutions and laws of the republics must not contradict the provisions of this Treaty and the international obligations of the USSR and the republics.
A republic has the right to protest a law of the USSR if it contradicts its Constitution and goes beyond the powers of the Union. The Union has the right to protest the legislative acts of the republics if they violate this Treaty, the Constitution and the laws of the USSR. Disputes in both cases are resolved through conciliation procedures or referred to the Constitutional Court of the USSR.
III. AUTHORITIES AND MANAGEMENT BODIES
Article 10
Union bodies of power and administration are formed on the basis of a broad representation of the republics and act in strict accordance with the provisions of this Treaty.
Article 11. Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
The legislative power of the Union is exercised by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR has two chambers: the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities. The Council of the Union is elected by the population of the entire country in constituencies with an equal number of voters. The Council of Nationalities is formed from delegations of the highest representative authorities of the republics and authorities of national-territorial formations in accordance with agreed norms.
Representation in the Council of Nationalities of all peoples living in the USSR is guaranteed.
Article 12. President of the USSR
The President of the USSR is the head of the union state, who has the highest administrative and executive power.
The President of the USSR acts as a guarantor of compliance with the Union Treaty, the Constitution and laws of the USSR; is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the USSR; represents the Union in relations with foreign countries, exercises control over the fulfillment of the international obligations of the USSR.
The President is elected by the citizens of the USSR by a majority of votes throughout the Union as a whole and in most of the republics. Article 13. Vice-President of the USSR The Vice-President of the USSR is elected together with the President of the USSR. The Vice-President of the USSR performs, under the authority of the President of the USSR, certain of his functions and replaces the President of the USSR in the event of his absence and the impossibility of fulfilling his duties.
Article 14
The Federation Council is created under the leadership of the President of the USSR, consisting of the Vice-President of the USSR, the presidents (heads of state) of the republics to determine the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of the Union, to coordinate the actions of the republics.
The Federation Council coordinates and harmonizes the activities of the highest bodies of state power and administration of the Union and the republics, monitors compliance with the Union Treaty, determines measures to implement national policy of the Soviet state, ensures the participation of the republics in resolving issues of all-Union significance, develops recommendations for resolving disputes and settling conflict situations in international relations.
Article 15. The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is formed by the President of the USSR in agreement with the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and consists of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of the USSR, and heads of other state bodies of the USSR.
The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR includes ex officio heads of governments of the Union republics.
The Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR is subordinate to the President of the USSR and is responsible to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
For a coordinated solution of issues government controlled Collegiums are set up in the ministries and departments of the USSR, which include ex officio heads of the relevant ministries and departments of the republics.
Article 16. The Constitutional Court of the USSR The Constitutional Court of the USSR exercises control over the compliance of the laws of the USSR and the republics with the Union Treaty and the Constitution of the USSR, resolves disputes between the republics, between the Union and the republic, if these disputes could not be settled through conciliation procedures.
Article 17 Union courts
Union courts - the Supreme Court of the USSR, the Economic Court of the USSR, the courts in the Armed Forces of the USSR.
The Supreme Court of the USSR is the highest body of judicial power in the Union. The chairmen of the highest judicial bodies of the republics are ex officio members of the Supreme Court of the USSR.
Article 18
Supervision over the execution of legislative acts of the USSR is carried out by the Union Prosecutor's Office, headed by Attorney General THE USSR.
Article 19. The State Language of the Union The State language of the USSR is recognized by the parties to the Treaty as the Russian language, which has become a means of interethnic communication.
Article 20. Capital of the Union The capital of the USSR is the city of Moscow.
Article 21. State Symbols of the Union The USSR has its coat of arms, flag and anthem.
Article 22 Entry into Force of the Union Treaty The Union Treaty shall enter into force from the moment of its signing. For the republics that signed it, from the same date, the Treaty on the Formation of the USSR of 1922 is considered invalid.
Article 23. Amendment of the Union Treaty The Union Treaty or its individual provisions may be repealed, amended or supplemented only with the consent of all the member states of the USSR.
