Supreme Soviet of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

The Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR (Latvian: Latvijas PSR Augstākā Padome; Russian: Верховный Совет Латвийской ССР, Verkhovnyy Sovet Latvyyskoy SSR) was the highest organ of state authority of the Latvian SSR, one of the union republics of the Soviet Union. The Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR was established in 1940 as the People's Saeima and finally disbanded in 1990 and was briefly succeeded by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia. According to the 1978 Constitution of the Latvian SSR, representatives could serve an unlimited number of five-year terms. The Supreme Soviet consisted of 325 deputies before its dissolution.

Organization The structure and functions of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR were copied from the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. The sessions of the Supreme Soviet lasted only a few days twice a year, and decisions were made unanimously and with minimal discussion. Elections for the Supreme Soviet were held in 1947, 1951, 1955, 1959, 1963, 1967, 1971, 1975, 1980, 1985, and 1990. The number of deputies in the Supreme Soviet was increased from 310 to 325 in the 1978 Constitution of the Latvian SSR. The Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR gathered and met at the House of the Livonian Noble Corporation; the building currently houses the Saeima of Latvia.

Chairmen of the Supreme Soviet PortraitChairmanFromTo25 August 194014 October 1948Pēteris Zvaigzne14 October 19481953195619575 June 195720 March 196320 March 19637 July 19717 July 19713 July 19753 July 197529 March 1985Aleksandrs Drīzulis29 March 198527 July 1989Anatolijs Gorbunovs27 July 19894 May 1990

Chairmen of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet PortraitChairmanFromToAugusts Kirhenšteins(1872–1963)25 August 194010 March 1952Kārlis Ozoliņš(1905–1987)10 March 195227 November 1959Jānis Kalnbērziņš(1893–1986)27 November 19595 May 1970Vitālijs Rubenis(1914–1994)5 May 197020 August 1974(1919–2007)20 August 197422 July 1985Jānis Vagris(1930–2023)22 July 19856 October 1988Anatolijs Gorbunovs(born 1942)6 October 19884 May 1990

See also

On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia Saeima

References