Federation Council of the Soviet Union

The Federation Council,^[a] was an advisory government body in the USSR in 1990–1991, which included the President of the USSR, the Vice President of the USSR (since December 1990), and the heads of the union republics.

The Federation Council of the USSR was established following the adoption of the USSR Law No. 1360-I on March 14, 1990, titled “On the Establishment of the Post of President of the USSR and Amendments and Additions to the Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR.”^[1] Under this law, the President of the Soviet Union was designated as the head of the Federation Council, which was composed of the highest state officials of the union republics. Additionally, the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, the chairpersons of both chambers of the Supreme Soviet, and the top officials of the autonomous republics, autonomous regions, and autonomous districts were granted the right to participate in its meetings.

The powers of the Federation Council were defined in Article 127.4 of the amended Soviet Constitution:^[2]

• To consider matters related to compliance with the Union Treaty;
• To develop measures for implementing the national policy of the Soviet state;
• To submit recommendations to the Council of Nationalities of the Supreme Soviet regarding the resolution of disputes and interethnic conflicts;
• To coordinate the activities of the union republics and ensure their involvement in matters of all-Union importance under the jurisdiction of the President of the USSR.

Article 127.6 of the Constitution of the Soviet Union also provided for the President of the USSR to convene joint sessions of the Federation Council and the Presidential Council for addressing key issues of domestic and foreign policy.

The official residence of the Federation Council was designated as the Kremlin in Moscow, as established by Presidential Decree No. 1 dated March 21, 1990.

The Federation Council effectively ceased functioning following the enactment of the USSR Law No. 2392-I on September 5, 1991, “On the Bodies of State Power and Administration of the USSR During the Transition Period.” Although the law introduced the State Council as a replacement, no formal amendments to the Constitution were made to reflect this structural change.

• Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the Soviet Union
• Gennady Yanayev, Vice president of the Soviet Union

• List of deputy chairmen of the Federation Council of Russia
• Politics of Russia