33 years ago, the Council of Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR held its last meeting, ratifying Declaration No. 142-N, on the termination of the existence of the USSR.

https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1hlvq27

by terectec

24 comments

  1. # Commentary

    I believe the images themselves communicate the somber atmosphere that prevailed over the the last meeting of the **Council of Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR**, 33 years ago. The night before, M. Gorbachev had resigned on national television, followed by the lowering of the flag of the USSR. By then, almost all soviet republics had either officially or de facto declared their independence. There was thus nothing to be done but to sign the last document produced by the Soviet Union, legally ratifying its dissolution. The transcript of this meeting translates this moment as **A. T. Alimzhanov** addresses the few deputies present (translated),

    “ As you have noticed, today the flag of the Soviet Union has been lowered over the Kremlin. And last night you all witnessed how the President – the first President of this great country – resigned.

    I don’t know how the first session of the **Supreme Soviet of the USSR** went and what the people’s condition was, but it seems to me that great things were spoken about: world revolution, social equality, socialism, the dream of moving towards communism. There were probably many good, kind, wonderful words spoken about the future of this huge country.

    However, it so happened that today I found myself a participant in the last meeting of the last session. And what was dreamed of, what was said at that first session, let’s be honest, did not come true. Apparently, it was said there that, by building socialism, we are stepping over an entire historical era. Alas, it turned out that in history it is impossible to step over eras.

    And so we have returned to capitalism again. And, perhaps, not in its developed form, but perhaps in its wildest form. But this whole history is our life. And speaking about the past, of course, we must also pay tribute to the fact that people gave their lives for the fulfillment of the great dream that was discussed at the first session.

    The totalitarian system took away the elite part of many of our peoples, and this was its perniciousness. But there were victories, there were unifications, and accomplishments. And today we have come to the point where the old system has been destroyed and a new one is beginning: we understand perfectly well what we have lost, but we do not yet realize what will happen. But, be that as it may, the formed **Commonwealth of Independent States** is a new phenomenon in world history.

    What it will show, one can only guess. But I would like this new thing to preserve the best features of democracy, the commonwealth of nations, to lead people along a real, democratic path to social equality, to improving the lives of nations, to people always developing agreement, avoiding confrontations, wars. Apparently, this will be the most important thing if the Commonwealth goes down this path.”

    The deputies then proceed to appreciate each article proposed to the declaration, ultimately approving all of them. Though the conclusion of the meeting was forgone since its start, it still faced opposition from CPSU unionists. It should be noted that 76% of soviet citizens had indeed voted for the continuation of the USSR in a recent referendum, but things were already well past that. Ukrainian deputy, **Vladyslav Nosov** made a literal last cry in this last meeting, as recorded in the transcript,

    “Dear comrades! All these decisions of ours are illegal and invalid. Only the **Congress of People’s Deputies of the USSR** is free to decide them!”

    Stil, the meeting was effectively over and declared so. Declaration No. 142-N was signed. The Soviet Union was no more.

    —

    picture 1 – Anuarbek Alimzhanov, chairman of the Socialist Party of Kazakhstan since 1991, presides over the meeting.

    picture 2 – The meeting was scarcely attended by representatives, most of whom had already returned to their own republics as by december 26 the Parade of sovereignties was complete.

    picture 4 – The sign of the “Council of Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR” is removed the very same day of legal dissolution.

    picure 5 – The night before the last meeting, M. Gorbachev publicly announced his resignation and the flag of the USSR had been lowered for a last time in the kremlin. The day after, Yeltsin would move the presidential office of the former RSFSR into the up to then presidential office of the USSR.

    Reference:
    [SUPREME SOVIET OF THE USSR – FIRST SESSION (BULLETIN #23 MEETINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF REPUBLICS December 26, 1991)](https://sten.sr.vs.sssr.su/13/1/23/)

    [SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR – No. 52 December 25, 1991](https://vedomosti.sssr.su/1991/52/#1565)

  2. The ~~Industrial~~ Russian Revolution and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race

  3. And that little fascist twat Putin is still frustrated about it.

    He’s such a pathetic loser. No wonder the far-right loves him.

  6. And as most ex-USSR countries flourished joining the rest of Europe, Russia continued in its path of being an authoritarian shithole. 

  8. “…to lead people along a real, democratic path to social equality, to improving the lives of nations, to people always developing agreement, avoiding confrontations, wars.”

  9. The collapse of the USSR was a catastrophe, anyone who did not live in Russia after the collapse of the USSR has no right to develop their mouth.

  11. Best thing that happened to this earth in the last 400 years

  12. I was in the Finnish defence forces when the revolution in USSR started in 1991. The time was… interesting.

    We also had a massive rehearsal of mobilization of the army reserves.

  13. But in reality, they just retreated into the background and worked tirelessly using intelligence tools in all former USSR countries to reunify them. What we see now is the result of that effort.

  14. This is what will happen with UE sooner that we all expecting. Need to learn USSR lesson.

  15. If we speak objectively, then the USSR fell apart not because of CIA agents or something like that but because of the rusting of the system and the incidents that happened (the Afghan war, the Chornobyl accident, etc.). “Perestroika” could have corrected the situation, but it was too late and the ideas that became reality were not effective.

  18. It’s baffling how many commenters are absolutely uneducated about the dissolution of the USSR. More even about the Russian Revolution.

    It’s funny because r/europe seems as informed on the past and current political subjects as the average person from USSR in 1960s.

  21. Now if only Russia would do something similar and do the world a favour

  22. the day of the celebration of scoundrels in Russia.

  24. Good times. The Berlin wall fell. The Doomsday clock was at its most hopeful. Europe was peaceful and the EU was growing.

    This is what the warmongers and the nationalists took away from us.

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