Treaty on the Creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

by First All-Union Congress of Soviets

The Treaty of Unions

The Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic (R.S.F.S.R.), the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (U.S.S.R.), the White Russian Socialist Soviet Republic (W.R.S.S.R.), and the Transcaucasian Socialist Federal Soviet Republics (Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia), hereby conclude a treaty for their union into a single united State, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, on the following basis:—

1. The competence of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, exercised by its supreme organs, shall include:

(I) Representation of the Union in international relations.

(II) Alteration of the frontiers of the Union.

(III) Conclusion of treaties for the acceptance of new republics into the Union.

(IV) Declaration of war and conclusion of peace.

(V) Floating of foreign State loans.

(VI) Ratification of international treaties.

(VII) Establishment of regulations for internal and external trade.

(VIII) Establishment of the general plan, and regulation, of the national economy of the Union, and the conclusion of concessionary agreements.

(IX) Regulation of transport and posts and telegraphs.

(X) Organization of armed forces of the Union.

(XI) Ratification of the Union State Budget; establishment of currency and credit systems, and of taxation systems for the Union, the Republics, and the localities.

(XII) Establishment of the general principles of land distribution and exploitation, and of the exploitation of the mineral wealth, forests, and waterways throughout the whole territory of the Union.

(XIII) Union legislation on migration and settlement.

(XIV) Establishment of the principles of court structure and procedure, and also civil and criminal legislation for the Union.

(XV) Fundamental labor legislation.

(XVI) Establishment of general principles of national education.

(XVII) Adoption of general measures of national health protection.

(XVIII) Establishment of systems of weights and measures.

(XIX) Organization of Union statistics.

(XX) General legislation as to the civil rights of foreigners.

(XXI) General amnesty regulations.

(XXII) Veto of any decisions of Soviet Congresses, Central Executive Committees, and Councils of People's Commissaries of the republics of the Union, which infringe the Treaty of Union.

The Union Congress of Soviets

2. The supreme authority of the Union shall be the Congress of Soviets of the Union, and, between congresses, the Union Central Executive Committee.

3. The Union Congress of Soviets shall be composed of representatives of the town Soviets in the proportion of one delegate for every 25,000 electors, and of representatives of the provincial Congresses of Soviets on the basis of one delegate for every 125,000 inhabitants.

4. The delegates to the Union Congress of Soviets shall be elected at the provincial Congresses of Soviets.

5. Ordinary Union Soviet Congresses shall be summoned by the Union Central Executive Committee once a year; extraordinary Congresses shall be summoned by the Union Central Executive Committee either upon its own initiative or on the demand of at least two of the constituent republics.

The Union Central Executive Committee

6. The Union Congress of Soviets elects the Central Executive Committee, consisting of representatives of the united republics, in proportion to the population of each, to the total number of 371 members.

7. Ordinary sessions of the Union Central Executive Committee shall be held three times a year; extraordinary sessions shall be summoned by resolution of the Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee or upon the demand of the Union Council of People's Commissaries or of the Central Executive Committee of one of the constituent republics.

8. The Union Congresses of Soviets and sessions of the Central Executive Committee shall meet in the capitals of the constituent republics in turn, in an order to be established by the Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee.

9. The Union Central Executive Committee shaft elect a Presidium, which shall be the supreme authority in the Union in the intervals between the sessions of the Union Central Executive Committee.

10. The Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee shall consist of 19 members, four of whom, one for each of the republics, shall be appointed by the Union Central Executive Committee as its chairmen.

The Union Council of People's Commissaries

11. The Executive organ of the Union Central Executive Committee shall be the Union Council of People's Commissaries, consisting of:—

The Chairman of the Union Council of People's Commissaries.

The Vice-Chairmen of the Union Council of People's Commissaries.

The People's Commissary for Foreign Affairs.

The People's Commissary for War (and Marine).

The People's Commissary for Foreign Trade.

The People's Commissary for Transport.

The People's Commissary for Posts and Telegraphs.

The People's Commissary for Workers' and Peasants' Inspection.

The People's Commissary for Labor.

The People's Commissary for Food.

The People's Commissary for Finance.

The Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council.

General Provisions

12. For the purposes of ratifying revolutionary legislation on the territory of the Union, and for co-ordinating the activities of the united republics in the struggle against counter-revolution, there shall be established in the Union Central Executive Committee a Supreme Court, with the functions of a supreme body for court control, and in the Council of People's Commissaries a section of the State Political Department, the chairman of which shall participate in the Union Council of People's Commissaries in an advisory capacity.

13. The decrees and orders of the Union Council of People's Commissaries shall be binding upon all the united republics and shall be carried out throughout the territory of the Union.

14. The decrees and orders of the Union Central Executive Committee and Council of People's Commissaries shall be printed in the languages of the united republics (Russian, Ukrainian, White Russian, Georgian, Armenian and Turkish).

15. The Central Executive Committee of the united republics may lodge protests against the decrees and orders of the Union Council of People's Commissaries with the Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee, but must not suspend their execution.

16. The decrees and orders of the Union Council of People's Commissaries may be set aside only by the Union Central Executive Committee and its Presidium. The acts of the Councils of People's Commissaries of the individual republics may be set aside by the Union Central Executive Committee, its Presidium, and the Union Council of People's Commissaries.

17. The execution of Orders issued by the People's Commissaries of the Union may be suspended by the Central Executive Committees of the united republics, or their presidia, only when they do not correspond with the decisions of the Union Council of People's Commissaries or Central Executive Committee. In such cases the Central Executive Committee of the united republic, or its Presidium, shall immediately inform the Union Council of People's Commissaries and the appropriate Union People's Commissary.

18. The Council of People's Commissaries of each of the united republics shall consist of:

The Chairman.

The Vice-Chairman.

The Chairman of the Supreme Economic Council.

The People's Commissary for Agriculture.

The People's Commissary for Food.

The People's Commissary for Finance.

The People's Commissary for Labor.

The People's Commissary for Home Affairs.

The People's Commissary for Justice.

The People's Commissary for Workers' and Peasants Inspection.

The People's Commissary for Education.

The People's Commissary for Health.

The People's Commissary for Social Welfare.

The People's Commissary for Nationalities.

and in a consultative capacity, the representatives of the Union Commissaries for Foreign Affairs, War, Foreign Trade, Transport, and Post and Telegraphs.

19. The Supreme Economic Council and the People's Commissaries for Food, Finance, Labor, and Workers' and Peasants' Inspection of the united republics shall be immediately subordinated to the Central Executive Committee and the Councils of People's Commissaries of the united republics, but shall be guided by the instructions of the appropriate Union People's Commissaries.

20. The republics entering into the Union shall have their own budgets, which shall form an integral part of the general Union budget, and shall be approved by the Union Central Executive Committee. The revenue and expenditure sides of the budgets of the republics shall be drawn up by the Union Central Executive Committee. The list of revenues, and the amount of each, forming part of the budgets of the united republics, shall be determined by the Union Central Executive Committee.

21. A uniform civilian status shall apply to all citizens of the united republics.

22. The Union shall have its own flag, coat of arms and State seal.

23. The capital of the Union shall be Moscow.

24. The united republics shall modify their constitutions as required by the present treaty.

25. The Union Congress of Soviets is the only competent body for the ratification of, alteration or addition to, the Treaty of Union.

26. Each of the united republics retains its full liberty to leave the Union if it so desires.

Moscow, December 30, 1922.