Exactly 25 years ago, the citizens of the Soviet Union voted to preserve the USSR in a special all-Union referendum. More precisely, they believed that they were voting for this, but the reality turned out to be much more complicated. It included not only betrayal, when the Union was dissolved without regard to the plebiscite, but also a much more multi-stage lie.
A quarter of a century ago, Soviet citizens came to polling stations to speak out about the fate of their country. A vote took place, which to this day is called a referendum on the preservation of the USSR. The overwhelming majority of those who voted - 76%, or 112 million people in absolute terms - were in favor. But for what exactly? Did the citizens of the USSR understand that they were actually voting not for the preservation, but for the collapse of the country?
Referendum as shock therapy
“After the dissolution of the USSR and Gorbachev's resignation of the presidency, the leadership of a number of republics continued to await instructions from Moscow. And I was extremely perplexed that such instructions were not being received "
The program proclaimed by Mikhail Gorbachev's team almost immediately turned into an acute state crisis. Since 1986, bloody conflicts on interethnic grounds have constantly flared up in the USSR. First, Alma-Ata, then the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, pogroms in Sumgait, Kirovabad, massacres in the Kazakh New Uzgen, massacres in Fergana, pogroms in Andijan, Osh, Baku. At the same time, nationalist movements in the Baltics, which had appeared out of nowhere, were rapidly gaining strength. From November 1988 to July 1989, the Estonian, Lithuanian, and Latvian SSRs consistently declared their sovereignty, soon followed by the Azerbaijan and Georgian SSRs.
Under these conditions, the bulk of Soviet citizens assessed the processes taking place in the country - and this must be admitted! - completely inadequate. It almost never occurred to anyone that the conflicts flaring up on the periphery could mean the imminent collapse of the country. The union seemed unshakable. There were no precedents for secession from the Soviet state. There was no legal procedure for secession of the republics. People were waiting for the restoration of order and the normalization of the situation.
Instead, on December 24, 1990, the IV Congress of People's Deputies suddenly put to a vote such questions: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state?", "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR?" the renewed Union of Soviet power? " Following the congress, at the request of Mikhail Gorbachev, it decided to bring the issue of preserving the USSR to an all-Union referendum.
In the resolution on its implementation, the only question to the Soviet people was formulated as follows: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed." And the answer options are "yes" or "no."
Some assessments of this document have survived, which is interesting - from the side of the anti-Soviet democratic public. Thus, the People's Deputy of the USSR Galina Starovoitova spoke about "a pile of contradictory and even mutually exclusive concepts." And human rights activist, a member of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Malva Landa, stated: “The question is crafty, it is calculated that people will not be able to figure it out. This is not one, but at least six questions. " True, human rights activists and democrats at that time believed that this confusion was deliberately created by the communists to hide in a fog of vague formulations of the forthcoming "unpopular and anti-popular actions" to stifle free thought and return back to Brezhnev's times.In one thing they were not mistaken - the vague formulations really served to conceal the coming "unpopular and anti-popular actions." But with the opposite sign.
For what (or against what) were the citizens of the country proposed to vote? For the preservation of the USSR? Or for a new state structure - a renewed federation? What is it and how to relate to the phrase "federation ... of sovereign republics"? That is, the Soviet people simultaneously voted for the preservation of the USSR and for the "parade of sovereignties"?
The referendum was held in nine Soviet republics. Moldova, Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia sabotaged the holding of the referendum on their territory, although the vote did not bypass them either - for example, South Ossetia, Transnistria, Gagauzia, and northeastern regions of Estonia joined the expression of their will "privately". Not everything went smoothly even where the plebiscite was carried out in full. So, in the Kazakh SSR the wording of the question was changed to: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a Union of equal sovereign states?" In Ukraine, an additional question was included in the bulletin: "Do you agree that Ukraine should be part of the Union of Soviet Sovereign States on the basis of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine?" In both cases (and obviously not by chance), the new state was called the Union of Sovereign States (UIT).
Rebuild - the result of rebuilding
The question of reorganizing the USSR was raised back in the late 1980s. Initially, it was about amending the Constitution with the aim of restructuring life "on a democratic basis." The unrest that broke out in the country, followed by the "parade of sovereignties" with the announcement of the priority of the republican legislation over the union, caused a reaction that was largely paradoxical. Instead of suspending reforms until order and the rule of law were established throughout the country, it was decided to force reforms.In December 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR as a whole approved the draft of a new Union Treaty proposed by Mikhail Gorbachev to replace the document in force since 1922 uniting the country into a single whole. That is, in the conditions of the growing disintegration of the state, the first president of the USSR decided to disassemble and reassemble the country on new principles.
What was the foundation of this Union? The draft Union Treaty was finalized in the spring and summer of 1991 during numerous meetings and conferences with republican leaders at Gorbachev's country residence in Novo-Ogarevo. The President of the country actively discussed the reassembly of the state with the growing national elites. The final version of the Treaty on the Union of Sovereign States (the JIT is an amazing coincidence with the Kazakh and Ukrainian bulletins, isn't it?) Was published in the Pravda newspaper on August 15, 1991. In it, in particular, it was said: "The states forming the Union have full political power, independently determine their national state structure, the system of authorities and administration." The jurisdiction of the states, and not even the "sovereign republics" (the masks were thrown off) were transferred to the formation of a law enforcement system, their own army, they could independently act in the foreign policy arena on a number of issues.
The new Union of Sovereign States was thus only a relatively civilized form of divorce.
But what about the referendum? It fits perfectly into the logic of the processes taking place. Recall that in December 1990, the draft of the new Union Treaty was approved for work, on March 17, a referendum "on the preservation of the USSR" was held with a very vague wording of the question, and on March 21, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued a resolution in which it stated no less casuistically: “For the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ... 76% of the voters spoke out. Thus, the position on the issue of preserving the USSR on the basis of democratic reforms was supported. " Consequently, "the state bodies of the USSR and the republics (should) be guided by the decision of the people ... in support of the renewed (!) Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." On this basis, the President of the USSR is advised to "more energetically lead matters towards the completion of the work on the new Union Treaty in order to sign it as soon as possible."
Thus, the new Union Treaty and the strange formation of the JIT through simple manipulations were legitimized through the 1991 referendum.
Costly paternalism
The signing of the new Union Treaty was thwarted by the August 1991 coup. It is characteristic that in its address to the people, speaking about certain forces (but not naming them directly), which headed for the collapse of the country, the GKChP opposed them precisely with the results of the March referendum "on the preservation of the USSR." That is, even high-ranking statesmen did not understand the essence of the multi-step manipulation that took place before their eyes.After the failure of the putsch, Gorbachev prepared a new draft of the Union Treaty - even more radical, this time about a confederation of states - former Soviet republics. But its signing was thwarted by the local elites, tired of waiting and behind Gorbachev's back, they disbanded the USSR in Belovezhskaya Pushcha. However, it is enough to look at the text of the treaty that the President of the USSR was working on to understand that he was preparing us all the same CIS.
In December 1991, another referendum was held in Ukraine - this time on independence. 90% of those who took part in the vote were in favor of "independence". Today, a shocking video of that time is available on the Web - journalists interview Kiev residents at the exit from polling stations. People who have just voted for the collapse of the country are fully confident that they will continue to live in a single Union, with single production and economic ties and a single army. "Nezalezhnosti" was perceived as a kind of eccentricity of the authorities. The absolutely paternalistic-minded citizens of the disintegrating USSR believed that the leadership knew what it was doing. Well, for some reason he wanted to hold several referendums (democratization in the country, maybe this is really necessary?), We do not mind, we will vote. In general (and there was iron confidence on this score) nothing will fundamentally change ...
It took many years and through a lot of blood to heal from this ultra-paternalism and an extremely detached view of politics.
The surrealism of what was happening confused not only ordinary people. After the officially formalized dissolution of the Soviet Union and Mikhail Gorbachev resigned from himself as president of the USSR, the leadership of a number of republics continued to await instructions from Moscow. And it was extremely perplexed that such instructions were not received, cutting off the phones in attempts to contact the no longer existing union center.
Much later, in 1996, the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted a resolution "On the legal force for the Russian Federation - Russia of the results of the USSR referendum on March 17, 1991 on the issue of preserving the USSR". And since there was no other referendum on this issue, she declared illegal the decree of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of 1991 "On the denunciation of the Treaty on the formation of the USSR" and legally recognized the USSR as an existing political entity.
That is, even the deputies of the Russian State Duma, five years after the referendum, still believed that it was "about the preservation of the USSR." Which, as we saw at least from the wording of the question, does not correspond to reality. The referendum was about "reformatting" the country.
This, however, does not at all negate the paradoxical fact that people - citizens of the country, in spite of everything, without delving into the wording, voted precisely for the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. But all 112 million who voted were subsequently cynically deceived.
On March 17, 1991, an All-Union referendum was held, at which the question of preserving the Soviet Union was raised. The people voted for, but as a result of the Belovezhskaya agreements signed on December 8, 1991, the USSR collapsed.
Prerequisites
The preconditions for the referendum were obvious. First, there is a political crisis of the authorities, which have lost their inherent authority; secondly, the economic and ideological crisis in the country, and thirdly, the confrontation between representatives of the elite. The authorities needed legitimacy, which could be confirmed by the referendum. It is important to note here that a referendum is the highest form of democracy. The problems of the state, which had become evident by the beginning of 1991, could be veiled by a global democratic procedure. People had to think that their opinion was significant, that they could influence the fate of the country.
Member countries
Not all republics of the USSR took part in the referendum. In addition, the wording of the question also differed in different republics. In the Kazakh SSR, voting was held on the question: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a Union of equal sovereign states." Thus, even then, the idea of creating the CIS was laid. In Ukraine, the question was supplemented with one more: "Do you agree that Ukraine should be a part of the Union of Soviet Sovereign States on the basis of the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine?" And this question received 80.2% of the positive answers. In six union republics (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia), which had previously declared independence or the transition to independence, the referendum was not actually held, but people could still vote: local Councils of People's Deputies, public groups at enterprises and some labor collectives, as well as the command of military units independently formed districts and precincts, district and precinct commissions, registered by the USSR Central Referendum Commission. A referendum was also held in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Gagauzia.
Slogans
The 1991 referendum took place under conditions of intense agitation. The expression of the will of the people was unobtrusively directed in the right direction. The local orders stated: "Agitation posters should be hung in shops, clinics, post offices, preschool institutions, at public transport stops." Agitators worked among the population, frightening leaflets were distributed, in which the prospect of the collapse of the Union was presented in an unfavorable light: "No" in the referendum - this is 10 million refugees from the republics to Russia "," No "in the referendum - 600-900 billion additional expenses for organizing additional structures ". There were also quite “creative” slogans, for example: “If you want to build communism, vote for“ renovation ”. God forbid us, brothers, to go crazy - Give yourself a reward! "
The question of legitimacy
One of the main issues that the referendum decided on was the issue of the legitimacy of the government. The referendum did not last long, but it "justified" the current government. Interestingly, there is still talk that the results of the vote in the 1991 referendum have not lost their legitimacy, but this is just talk. The results of a referendum can only cancel out the results of another referendum. This is what happened after the popular vote on December 12, 1993 on the draft Constitution of the Russian Federation.
Presidential factor
On March 17, 1991, at a referendum, the people also answered the question of introducing the post of president. This survey was attended by 75.09% of Russian citizens, of whom 71.3% supported this proposal. This question was the "counter move" of the Yeltsin "team". Three months later, on June 12, 1991, Boris Yeltsin was elected the first president of the RSFSR.
Wordplay
The question at the referendum was skillfully formulated. The production itself encouraged people to answer in the affirmative. "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully ensured?" Thus, someone voted for the beautiful word "sovereign", someone for the equally beautiful word "equality", others for "renewal", and still others for "rights and freedoms."
Disappointing results
The people who wished to preserve the Soviet Union did not rejoice in their choice for long. Already on December 30, 1991, the USSR was gone. This was facilitated by various processes taking place both at the state and geopolitical levels. The country, which for many years was destroyed by the mechanisms launched in the early 1980s, turned out to be unable to resist, and the people who gave a positive answer on March 17, 1991, once again felt themselves deceived.
It was possible to hold a referendum in the USSR to find out the opinion of the majority in the course of a poll on any significant issue. At the same time, it could be carried out both at the initiative of the Presidium of the Supreme Council, and at the request of any of the union republics. For the first time in the Soviet constitution, such a norm appeared in 1936, but during the entire existence of the USSR, it was addressed only once. It was 1991, when it was necessary to find out the future of the Soviet Union itself.
What led to the referendum?
An all-Union referendum in the USSR was announced for March 17, 1991. Its main goal was to discuss whether the USSR should be preserved as a renewed federation, which would include equal and sovereign republics.
The need to hold a referendum in the USSR appeared in the midst of perestroika, when the country found itself in a difficult economic situation, and a serious political crisis was also outlined. The Communist Party, which has been in power for 70 years, has demonstrated that it has outlived its usefulness, and did not allow new political forces to be allowed.
As a result, in December 1990, the Fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR held a roll-call vote to consolidate the position on the need to preserve the Soviet Union. Separately, it was noted that it should ensure the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality in full.
In order to finally consolidate this decision, it was decided to hold a referendum. 5 questions of the 1991 referendum were submitted to it.
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully ensured?
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state?
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR?
Do you consider it necessary to maintain the renewed power?
Do you consider it necessary to guarantee in the renewed Union the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality?
Each of them could be answered in monosyllables: yes or no. At the same time, as many researchers note, no legal consequences in the event of a decision being made were not stipulated in advance. Therefore, initially, many had serious doubts about how legitimate this referendum on the preservation of the USSR would be.
Organization issues
Almost on the same day, the president began organizing the first and last referendum in the USSR. At that time it was Mikhail Gorbachev. At his request, the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR adopted two resolutions. One was dedicated to a referendum on private ownership of land, and the other was to preserve the Soviet Union.
Most of the deputies were in favor of both resolutions. For example, the first was supported by 1,553 people, and the second - by 1,677 deputies. Moreover, the number of those who voted against or abstained did not exceed one hundred people.
However, as a result, only one referendum was held. Yuri Kalmykov, the chairman of the legislative committee in the Supreme Soviet, announced that the president considered it premature to hold a referendum on private property, so it was decided to abandon it. But the second decree was immediately started to be implemented.
Decision of the Congress
The result was the decision of the Congress to hold an all-Union referendum. The Supreme Council was instructed to determine the date and do everything for its organization. The resolution was adopted on December 24. This became the key law of the USSR on the referendum.
Three days later, a law on popular vote was passed. According to one of his articles, only the deputies themselves could appoint him.
The reaction of the union republics
Soviet President Gorbachev supported the referendum, speaking for it to be held in an open and transparent manner. But in the Union republics they reacted to this proposal in different ways.
We supported a referendum in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. There, special republican commissions were immediately created, which took up the formation of precincts and districts, and also began to take all the necessary measures to prepare and organize a full-fledged vote.
In the RSFSR, it was decided to hold a referendum on March 17. It was Sunday, so as many citizens as possible were expected to attend. Also on this day, only in the RSFSR, it was decided to hold another referendum on the introduction of the presidency in the republic, already at that time it was obvious that Boris Yeltsin, who at that time headed the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the republic, was running for this post.
On the territory of the RSFSR, more than 75% of residents took part in the nationwide poll, more than 71% of them supported the introduction of the presidency in the republic. Less than three months later, Boris Yeltsin became the first and only president of the RSFSR.
The people are against
Many Soviet republics spoke out against the referendum on the preservation of the USSR. The central authorities accused them of violating the constitution, as well as the fundamental laws of the Soviet Union. It turned out that the local authorities were actually blocking the decision of the people's deputies.
Thus, to one degree or another they hindered the holding of a referendum in Lithuania, Latvia, Georgia, Armenia, Moldova, and Estonia. Central commissions were not created there, but voting in most of these territories did take place.
At the same time, in Armenia, for example, the authorities declared their independence, so they considered that it was not necessary to hold a referendum in their country. In Georgia, he was boycotted by calling its own republican referendum, at which it was planned to resolve the issue of restoring independence on the basis of an act adopted back in May 1918. Almost 91% of voters voted in this referendum, more than 99% of them supported the restoration of sovereignty.
Such decisions have often led to escalation of conflicts. For example, the leaders of the self-proclaimed republic of South Ossetia personally appealed to the President of the USSR Gorbachev with a request to withdraw the Georgian military from the territory of South Ossetia, to impose a state of emergency on the territory, and to ensure law and order by the forces of the Soviet militia.
It turned out that the referendum, which was banned in Georgia, took place in South Ossetia, which was actually a part of this republic. Georgian troops reacted to this by force. Armed formations stormed Tskhinvali.
In Latvia, voting was also boycotted. Many called it a referendum on the collapse of the USSR. In Lithuania, as well as in Georgia, a survey was conducted regarding the independence of the republic. At the same time, local authorities blocked those wishing to participate in the all-Union referendum, voting was organized only in a few polling stations, which were tightly controlled by the security forces.
In Moldova, a boycott of the referendum was also announced; it was supported only in Transnistria and Gagauzia. In both of these republics, the overwhelming majority of citizens supported the preservation of the Soviet Union. In Chisinau itself, it was possible to vote only on the territories of military units that were directly subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.
In Estonia, the boycott of the referendum was abandoned in Tallinn and the north-eastern regions of the republic, where historically many Russians have lived. The authorities did not interfere with them and organized a full-fledged vote.
At the same time, in the Republic of Estonia itself, a referendum on independence was held, in which only the so-called legal successors had the right to participate, mainly Estonians by nationality. Almost 78% of them supported independence from the Soviet Union.
Outcomes
Still, in most of the USSR on March 17, 1991, a referendum took place. In terms of turnout, of the 185.5 million people who lived in the territories where the referendum was supported by local authorities, 148.5 million exercised their right to vote. In total, 20% of the inhabitants of the USSR were cut off from participating in the popular poll, as they ended up on the territory of the republics that spoke out against this vote.
Of those who came to the polling stations and filled out the ballot paper for the referendum in the USSR, 76.4% of the citizens supported the preservation of the Soviet Union in an updated form, in absolute numbers this is 113.5 million people.
Of all the regions of the RSFSR, only one spoke out against the preservation of the USSR. This was the Sverdlovsk Region, in which only 49.33% of respondents answered “yes” to the referendum questions, without gaining the required half of the votes. The lowest result in the Soviet Union was demonstrated in Sverdlovsk itself, where the renewed Soviet state was supported by only 34.1% of the townspeople who came to the sites. Also, rather low numbers were observed in Moscow and Leningrad; in the two capitals, only about half of the population supported the Soviet state.
Summing up the results of the referendum on the USSR in the republics, more than 90% of the population supported the USSR in North Ossetia, Tuva, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and the Karakalpak Soviet Union.
More than 80% of the votes in favor were cast in Buryatia, Dagestan, Bashkiria, Kalmykia, Mordovia, Tatarstan, Chuvashia, Belarus and the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. More than 70% of residents supported the proposals for a referendum on the USSR in the RSFSR (71.3%), Kabardino-Balkaria, Karelia, Komi, Mari ASSR, Udmurtia, Chechen-Ingush ASSR, Yakutia.
Referendum results
The preliminary results were announced on March 21st. Even then, it was obvious that two-thirds of those who voted were in favor of preserving the Soviet Union, and then the numbers were only refined.
Separately, it should be noted that in some republics that did not support the referendum, an opportunity was given to those who wished to vote, mainly the Russian-speaking population. Thus, about two million people managed, despite various difficulties, to cast their votes in Lithuania, Georgia, Moldova, Estonia, Armenia and Latvia.
According to the results of the vote, the Supreme Council decided from now on to be guided in its work exclusively by this decision of the people, on the basis that it is final and valid throughout the entire territory of the USSR without exception. All interested parties and authorities were advised to more energetically carry out the completion of work on the Union Treaty, the signing of which was to be organized as soon as possible. At the same time, the need to accelerate the development of a new draft of the Soviet constitution was noted.
Separately, it was clarified that it is necessary to carry out a full-scale work of the committee responsible for assessing how the highest state acts in force in the country correspond to the observance of all citizens of the USSR without exception.
Soon, representatives of this committee issued an official statement in which they noted that any acts of the highest bodies of state power, which directly or subtly impeded the holding of this referendum, contradicted the constitution, were illegal, undermining the foundations of the state system.
An extraordinary Congress of the People's Council of Deputies was urgently convened, one of the main decisions of which was the adoption of a resolution on the procedure for signing the Union Treaty. It was assumed that it would be concluded between all the union republics. The official statements emphasized that the results of the last referendum expressed the will and desire of the Soviet people to preserve the state, therefore the RSFSR expressed its determination to sign the Union Treaty in the near future.
The onset of the consequences
Due to the fact that the voting was not organized properly in all republics, the question repeatedly arose whether there was a referendum in the USSR. In spite of everything, focusing on the number of its participants, it is necessary to recognize the referendum as valid, even taking into account the problems with its holding, which have arisen in several republics at once.
Based on its results, the central authorities began to prepare a project to conclude an agreement on the union of sovereign republics. Its signing was officially scheduled for August 20.
But, as you know, it was not destined to take place. A few days before this date, the State Committee for the State of Emergency, which went down in history as the State Emergency Committee, made a failed attempt to seize power and forcibly remove Mikhail Gorbachev from control. in the country it was announced on August 18, the political crisis in the country lasted until the 21st, until it was possible to break the resistance of the members of the Emergency Committee, its most active participants were arrested. Thus, the signing of the Union Treaty was thwarted.
Union treaty
By the autumn of that 1991, a new draft of the Union Treaty was prepared, on which the same working group was working. It was assumed that the participants would enter it as independent states united in a federation. The preliminary signing of this agreement was officially announced on December 9th.
But he was not destined to take place. On the eve, on December 8, the presidents of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus announced that the negotiations had reached an impasse, and the process of the republics' secession from the USSR must be recognized as a fact, therefore, it is urgent to form the Commonwealth of Independent States. This is how the union, better known as the CIS, appeared. This intergovernmental organization, which at the same time did not officially have the status of a state, emerged following the signing of the Belovezhskaya Agreement. It got its name from the place where it was concluded - Belovezhskaya Pushcha on the territory of Belarus.
Ukraine, Belarus and Russia became the first countries to join the CIS. Then other union republics joined them. Before the onset of the new 1992, the session of the Council of Republics adopted a declaration that officially approved the termination of the existence of the USSR as a state.
Interestingly, on March 17, 1992, the ex-people's deputies initiated the anniversary of the referendum, for which there was even a proposal to gather in Moscow for another congress of people's deputies. But due to the fact that the activity of the deputies was terminated by the decision of the Supreme Soviet, they were prohibited from developing or adopting any legislative acts. Their attempts to resume work were recognized as reanimating the activities of the bodies of the former USSR, which means that they were a direct encroachment on the sovereignty of the new state - Russia, which had already declared itself an independent federation. The USSR officially ceased to exist, all attempts to return to its social and state institutions failed.
How the referendum was assessed
Many political assessments were given to the last referendum. Some of them became possible to formulate only after a certain time. For example, in 1996, deputies of the federal parliament began to rely on the provision that a decision adopted in 1991 at a referendum was binding and final throughout the USSR. It seems possible to cancel it, according to the existing laws, only after a new referendum has been held. Therefore, it was decided that the referendum held has legal force for Russia, which must now try to maintain the safety of the Soviet Union. Separately, it was noted that no other question about the existence of the USSR was raised, which means that these results are legitimate and have legal force.
In particular, the resolution adopted by the deputies noted that officials in the RSFSR, who prepared, signed and, in the end, ratified the decision to end the existence of the USSR, grossly violated the will of the majority of the country's inhabitants, which formally was indeed the case.
In this regard, the State Duma, relying on the decision of the majority of citizens, announced that the decision of the Supreme Soviet on the denunciation of the treaty on the formation of the USSR would lose all legal force.
True, their initiative was not supported by members of the highest chamber of the Russian parliament - the Federation Council. The senators urged their colleagues to return to the consideration of the above-listed acts in order to carefully and carefully analyze the possibility of their adoption once again.
As a result, the deputies of the State Duma recognized by a majority of votes. that these resolutions are predominantly political in nature, meet the wishes of the fraternal peoples, once united by the Soviet Union, to live in a legal and democratic state.
At the same time, federal parliamentarians noted that the listed resolutions fully reflect the political and civic position of the deputies themselves, and do not in any way affect the stability of law in Russia, as well as international obligations taken to other states.
It was also separately noted that the resolutions adopted by the State Duma contribute to overall integration in the economic, humanitarian and other areas. The four-sided agreement between the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan was cited as an example. The next important step, as noted by the federal parliamentarians, was the formal formation of the Union State between Russia and Belarus.
In conclusion, it should be noted that many of the former republics of the USSR reacted very negatively to these decisions. In particular, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan and Armenia.
By the early nineties of the XX century, disintegration processes in the USSR acquired a critical character.
In the spring and summer of 1990, the so-called "parade of sovereignty" began, during which the Baltic, and after them other republics of the USSR, including Russia, adopted Declarations of National Sovereignty, in which they challenged the priority of all-Union laws over republican ones. They also took action to control local economies, including refusals to pay taxes to the federal and federal Russian budgets. These conflicts severed many economic ties, which further worsened the economic situation in the USSR.
In these conditions, one of the most important tasks was the problem of reforming the USSR and the conclusion of a new Union Treaty, in which the rights of the republics were significantly expanded.
On April 3, 1990, a special law of the USSR "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the secession of the union republic from the USSR" was adopted, in article 2 of which it was established that "the decision on the secession of the union republic from the USSR is taken by the free expression of the will of the peoples of the union republic through a referendum (popular voting) ".
On December 3, 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, responding to the "parade of sovereignties", adopted a resolution "On the general concept of a new Union Treaty and the procedure for its conclusion." The concept provided for the transformation of a multinational state into a "voluntary, equal union of sovereign republics - a democratic federal state."
However, the rapid growth of disintegration processes pushed the leadership of the USSR, headed by Mikhail Gorbachev, to hold an all-Union referendum.
The decision to hold a referendum was made at the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, when 1,665 delegates out of 1,816 present voted to preserve the USSR. On December 24, 1990, the Congress adopted a Resolution "On holding a referendum of the USSR on the question of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."
In pursuance of the decision of the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and in accordance with the legislation on the referendum of the USSR, proceeding from the fact that no one except the people themselves can assume historical responsibility for the fate of the USSR, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Resolution on January 16, 1991 " On the organization and measures to ensure the holding of the USSR referendum on the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. "
The citizens of the Soviet Union were asked the question: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed?"
A referendum on this issue was held in the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR, the Uzbek SSR, the Azerbaijan SSR, the Kirghiz SSR, the Tajik SSR, the Turkmen SSR, in the republics of the RSFSR, the Uzbek SSR and the Azerbaijan SSR, in the Abkhaz ASSR, which is part of the Georgian SSR, as well as in the districts and areas formed at Soviet institutions and in military units abroad.
In the Kazakh SSR, voting at the referendum of the USSR was carried out on the issue formulated by the Supreme Soviet of the republic: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a Union of equal sovereign states." At the same time, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR officially requested to include the voting results in the general results of the USSR referendum.
In six union republics (Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia), which earlier declared independence or the transition to independence, the all-union referendum was not actually held. The authorities of these republics did not form the Central Election Commissions for the referendum, but some of the citizens living in these republics were still able to vote. A number of local Soviets of People's Deputies, labor collectives and public associations at enterprises, institutions and organizations, as well as the command of military units, guided by paragraphs 3 and 5 of the resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the implementation of the resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on the organization and measures to ensure the conduct of a referendum USSR on March 17, 1991 ", independently formed districts and precincts, district and precinct commissions, registered by the USSR Central Referendum Commission. A referendum was also held in Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria and Gagauzia.
The Central Referendum Commission of the USSR established that the absolute majority of citizens were in favor of keeping the union state in a renewed form.
According to the data of the commission for the Union of the SSR as a whole: 185 647 355 people were included in the lists of citizens eligible to participate in the referendum of the USSR; 148 574 606 people, or 80% percent, took part in the voting. Of these, 113,512,812 people answered "Yes", or 76.4%; "No" - 32,303,977 people, or 21.7%; Invalid - 2 757 817 ballots, or 1.9%.
In the RSFSR, 105,643,364 people were included in the voting lists; 79 701 169 (75.44%) took part in the voting. Of these, 56,860,783 answered "Yes" (71.34% of those who participated, 53.82% of voters), "No" - 21,030,753 (26.39%). 1 809 633 ballots were declared invalid.
In Lithuania, where the referendum was held only at polling stations in military units and enterprises, about 16% of the republic's residents who had the right to vote spoke in favor of the "renewed Union". In Latvia, where an all-union referendum was not officially held, at polling stations organized at enterprises and in military units, about 21% of the total number of Latvian residents who have the right to vote spoke in favor of a "renewed Union." 21.3% of Estonian residents who have the right to vote answered positively to this question.
In Moldova, where a referendum was not held by decision of the parliament, about 21% of voters voted for the Union at polling stations organized at enterprises and in military units. (Kommersant weekly, Moscow, 25.03.1991.)
Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which took part in the All-Union referendum, voted to preserve the USSR. According to the Central Referendum Commission, in particular, in the Abkhaz ASSR, 52.3% of the number of citizens included in the voting lists took part in the voting, of which 98.6% answered “yes”.
However, in the future, the will of citizens was ignored by a number of politicians and the Union ceased to exist as a result of the Belovezhskaya agreements signed on December 8, 1991.
The material was prepared on the basis of information from open sources
The All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR was the only all-Union referendum in the entire history of the USSR. It was held on March 17, 1991. The discussion centered on the issue of preserving the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics.
On December 24, 1990, the deputies of the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, having held a roll-call vote, decided to consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully ensured.
Five questions were put forward for this referendum:
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully ensured? (Not really)
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state? (Not really)
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR? (Not really)
Do you consider it necessary to preserve Soviet power in the renewed Union? (Not really)
Do you consider it necessary to guarantee in the renewed Union the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality? (Not really)
At the same time, no legal or legislative consequences, in the event of a decision being made, were not stipulated.
On the same day, December 24, 1990, at the initiative and insistent demand of the President of the USSR M.S. Gorbachev, the Congress adopted two resolutions on holding referendums on the issue of private ownership of land and on the issue of preserving the renewed Union as a federation of equal sovereign Soviet Socialist Republics. Voted for the adoption of the first resolution: 1553 against 84 (abstained - 70). For the adoption of the second resolution voted: 1677 against 32 (abstained - 66). The second decree was launched.
On December 27, 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided to put into effect the Law of the USSR "On popular vote (referendum of the USSR)" adopted by it on that day.
"1. To hold on the whole territory of the USSR on Sunday, March 17, 1991, a referendum of the USSR on the issue of preserving the USSR as a federation of equal republics.
"Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed."
"Yes or no".
The state authorities of the Union republics reacted differently to the conduct of the All-Union referendum on the preservation of the USSR.
In the referendum held on March 17, 1991, 148.5 million (79.5%) of 185.6 million (80%) took part with the right to vote; citizens of the USSR. Of these, 113.5 million (76.43%) answered “Yes” and spoke in favor of preserving the renewed USSR.
In six union republics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova), which had previously declared independence or the transition to independence, the all-Union referendum was not actually held (the authorities of these republics did not form the Central Election Commissions, there was no general vote of the population ) with the exception of some territories (Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Transnistria), but at other times referendums on independence were held.
On March 21, 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR considered the preliminary results of the referendum. He noted that the majority of voters supported the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and, therefore, "the fate of the peoples of the country is inseparable, that only through joint efforts they can successfully resolve issues of economic, social and cultural development."
It was separately noted that despite the fact that the authorities of a number of republics (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova) did not fulfill the decisions of the IV Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR and the Supreme Soviet of the USSR on holding a referendum, more than two million citizens of the USSR living in these republics, expressed their will and said "yes" to the USSR. The Supreme Soviet of the USSR assessed such a manifestation of civic consciousness as "an act of courage and patriotism."
The Supreme Soviet of the USSR decided:
"1. The state bodies of the USSR and the republics should be guided in their practical activities by the decision of the people, adopted through a referendum in support of the renewed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on the assumption that this decision is final and binding throughout the USSR.
2. To recommend to the President of the USSR and the Federation Council, the Supreme Soviets of the republics, based on the results of the referendum, to work more energetically towards the completion of work on the new Union Treaty in order to sign it as soon as possible. Simultaneously, accelerate the development of the draft of the new Constitution of the USSR. "
Also, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR proposed to the USSR Constitutional Supervision Committee to consider the issue of the conformity of the acts adopted in connection with the referendum by the supreme bodies of state power of the republics limiting the rights of citizens of the USSR, the Constitution of the USSR and the laws of the USSR. On April 3, the USSR Constitutional Oversight Committee confirmed its statement of March 5, 1991 that any acts of the highest bodies of state power of the republics, directly or indirectly preventing the citizens of the USSR from freely participating in the all-Union referendum on March 17, 1991, contradicted the Constitution of the USSR.
At the extraordinary III Congress of People's Deputies of the RSFSR, a draft resolution "On the Union of Sovereign Republics (Union Treaty) and the procedure for signing it" was adopted, which took into account the "will of the peoples of the Russian Federation, expressed in the results of the referendum on the preservation of the USSR" "The determination of the RSFSR to sign the Treaty on the Union of Sovereign Republics (Union Treaty)."
In accordance with the results of the referendum, a working group authorized by the central and republican authorities within the framework of the so-called "Novoogarevsky process" in the spring and summer of 1991, a project was developed to conclude a federation treaty "On the Union of Sovereign Republics", the signing of which was scheduled for August 20, 1991 ...