Index of Soviet Union–related articles facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Союз Советских Социалистических Республик Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik
1922–1991
Flag of the Soviet Union (1936–1955) State emblem (1956–1991)
Motto:  "Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь!" Proletarii vsekh stran, soyedinyaytes'! ("Workers of the world, unite!")
Anthem:  "Интернационал" Internatsional ("The Internationale") (1922–1944) "Государственный гимн СССР" Gosudarstvennyy gimn SSSR ("State Anthem of the USSR") (1944–1991)
The Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991
Capital	Moscow 55°45′N 37°37′E / 55.750°N 37.617°E / 55.750; 37.617
Largest city	Capital
Official languages	Russian
Recognised regional languages	Ukrainian Belarusian Uzbek Kazakh Georgian Azerbaijani Lithuanian Moldavian Latvian Kyrgyz Tajik Armenian Turkmen Estonian
Minority languages	Abkhaz Bashkir Buryat Chechen Finnish Volga German Korean Ossetian Polish Tatar various others
Ethnic groups (1989)	70% East Slavs 12% Turkic 18% other
Religion	Secular state State atheism
Demonym(s)	Soviet
Government	1922–1927: Federal Leninist one-party socialist republic 1927–1953: Stalinist one-party totalitarian dictatorship 1953–1990: Federal Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic 1990–1991: Federal semi-presidential republic
Leader
• 1922–1924	Vladimir Lenin
• 1924–1953	Joseph Stalin
• 1953	Georgy Malenkov
Head of state
• 1922–1946 (first)	Mikhail Kalinin
• 1988–1991 (last)	Mikhail Gorbachev
Head of government
• 1922–1924 (first)	Vladimir Lenin
• 1991 (last)	Ivan Silayev
Legislature	Congress of Soviets (1922–1936) Supreme Soviet (1936–1991)
• Upper house	Soviet of Nationalities
• Lower house	Soviet of the Union
History
• Bolshevik Coup	7 November 1917
• Established	30 December 1922
• Civil War ended	16 June 1923
• First constitution	31 January 1924
• Second constitution	5 December 1936
• Operation Barbarossa	22 June 1941
• Victory in World War II	9 May 1945
• De-Stalinization	25 February 1956
• Last constitution	9 October 1977
• First republic secedes	11 March 1990
• Multi-party system	14 March 1990
• August Coup	19–22 August 1991
• Belovezha Accords	8 December 1991
• Proclaimed dissolved	26 December 1991
Area
• Total	22,402,200 km2 (8,649,500 sq mi)
Population
• 1989 census	286,730,819 (3rd)
• Density	12.7/km2 (32.9/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	1990 estimate
• Total	$2.7 trillion (2nd)
• Per capita	$9,000
GDP (nominal)	1990 estimate
• Total	$2.7 trillion (2nd)
• Per capita	$9,000 (28th)
Gini (1989)	0.275 low
HDI (1990)	0.920 very high
Currency	Soviet ruble (руб) (SUR)
Time zone	(UTC+2 to +12)
Date format	dd-mm-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+7
ISO 3166 code	SU
Internet TLD	.su
Preceded by Succeeded by 1922: Russian SFSR Ukrainian SSR Byelorussian SSR Transcaucasian SFSR 1924: Bukharan SSR Khorezm SSR 1939: Poland 1940: Finland Romania Estonia Latvia Lithuania 1944: Tuva 1945: Germany 1946: Czechoslovakia 1990: Lithuania Latvia Estonia Gagauzia 1991: Georgia Ukraine Belarus Artsakh Transnistria Moldova Kyrgyzstan Uzbekistan Tajikistan Armenia Azerbaijan
Notes Declaration № 142-Н of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, formally establishing the dissolution of the Soviet Union as a state and subject of international law . Original lyrics used from 1944 to 1956 praised Stalin. No lyrics from 1956 to 1977. Revised lyrics from 1977 to 1991 displayed. All-union official since 1990, constituent republics had the right to declare their own official languages. Assigned on 19 September 1990, existing onwards.

The Flag of the Soviet Union

The Soviet Union was a huge country that existed from 1922 to 1991. It was officially called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). It covered a large part of Eastern Europe and Asia. Its capital city was Moscow. The Soviet Union was a socialist state with a one-party system, meaning only one political party, the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was in charge.

The Soviet Union was formed after the Russian Revolution and a civil war. It grew to include 15 different republics. These included Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and many others. The country was known for its unique political and economic system. It also played a major role in world events, especially during World War II and the Cold War.

The Beginning: How the Soviet Union Formed

The Soviet Union was created on December 30, 1922. This happened after the Russian Revolution of 1917. The revolution led to the end of the Russian Empire. A group called the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, took power. They wanted to create a society based on communism.

After a difficult Russian Civil War, several smaller republics joined together. They signed the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR. This treaty officially formed the Soviet Union. Lenin was its first leader.

Early Years and New Economic Policy

In its early years, the Soviet Union faced many challenges. The civil war had caused a lot of damage. To help the economy, Lenin introduced the New Economic Policy (NEP). This policy allowed some private businesses. It helped the country recover.

Lenin passed away in 1924. After his death, there was a power struggle. Joseph Stalin eventually became the new leader. He changed many of the policies.

Life Under Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1924. He ruled until his death in 1953. This period is often called the Stalin era. Stalin wanted to quickly industrialize the country. He also wanted to collectivize farming.

Building Industry and Collective Farms

Stalin introduced Five-Year Plans. These plans set big goals for industry and agriculture. Factories were built quickly. The country became a major industrial power.

Farms were also changed. Small, private farms were combined into large collective farms. This was called collectivization. Farmers had to work together on these state-controlled farms. This was a big change for many people.

World War II: The Great Patriotic War

The Soviet Union played a huge part in World War II. They called it the Great Patriotic War. In 1941, Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union. This was a surprise attack called Operation Barbarossa.

The war was very harsh. Many Soviet citizens died. But the Soviet army fought bravely. They pushed back the German forces. The Soviet Union's victory in 1945 was a turning point in the war. It helped defeat Nazi Germany.

The Cold War and Beyond

After World War II, the Soviet Union became one of the world's two superpowers. The other was the United States. This led to a period known as the Cold War. It was a time of tension and competition. There was no direct fighting between the two superpowers.

New Leaders and Space Race

After Stalin's death in 1953, Nikita Khrushchev became the leader. He tried to make some changes. This period is known as De-Stalinization. Khrushchev also focused on the Space Race.

The Soviet Union was the first to send a satellite, Sputnik 1, into space in 1957. They also sent the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961. This showed the world their scientific progress.

Later leaders included Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko. During Brezhnev's time, the Soviet Union had a period of stability. But there were also some economic challenges.

Glasnost and Perestroika

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the last leader of the Soviet Union. He introduced two major reforms: Glasnost (openness) and Perestroika (restructuring).

• Glasnost meant more freedom of speech and information. People could talk more openly about problems.
• Perestroika aimed to reform the economy. It tried to make the Soviet system more efficient.

These reforms were meant to strengthen the Soviet Union. But they also led to unexpected changes.

The End of the Soviet Union

Gorbachev's reforms led to more demands for change. People in the different republics wanted more independence. Some republics began to declare their freedom.

In August 1991, there was an attempt by some hardliners to take control. This was called the August Coup. But it failed. This event weakened the Soviet government even more.

On December 8, 1991, leaders from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belovezha Accords. This agreement declared that the Soviet Union no longer existed. On December 26, 1991, the Soviet Union was officially dissolved. The 15 republics became independent countries.

Images for kids

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  The flag of the Soviet Union from 1936 to 1955.

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  The State Emblem of the Soviet Union.

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  A map showing the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991.