A new exhibition at the Presidential Library spotlights the USSR was created

26 December 2022
Source: The Presidential Library

Until January 18, 2023 the Presidential Library is hosting a multimedia exhibition "The Will of the Peoples of the Union Republics", timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Archival documents and newsreels show visitors how the united union state developed.

On December 30, 1922 representatives of the four Soviet republics formed on the territory of the former Russian Empire: the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the ZSFSR, which in March 1922 included the Azerbaijan SSR, the Armenian SSR and the Georgian SSR, met at the First All-Union Congress of Soviets, held at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow to sign the fundamental documents of the new state - the Declaration on the Formation of the USSR and the Union Treaty. Diagrams from the brochure The First Congress of Soviets of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (1923) tell about the national, party, age, social and professional composition of the delegates.

The Declaration on the Formation of the USSR and the Union Treaty became the main part of the 1924 Constitution. The exhibition showcases the texts of these documents in different languages and spotlights the formation of the central authorities of the new state.

Documents from the early 1920s are presented on plasma panels, telling about the creation of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, the Council of People's Commissars, the Supreme Court, the establishment of a single union citizenship for residents of all the republics of the USSR and the beginning of large-scale zoning of the entire territory.

In addition, one has an opportunity to see the provision according to which the newspaper Izvestia becomes the official printed organ of the Central Executive Committee. Its front page is decorated with the famous slogan "Workers of the World, unite!" in the languages of the six union republics: Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Turkic-Tatar, Armenian and Georgian.

Other documents speak of the national importance of the creation of the USSR: in honor of this event, an amnesty was announced in 1923, and the day of the final approval of the Declaration and the Treaty on July 6, 1923, became an official holiday.

Some of the most interesting documents of the exhibition are sketches of the coat of arms and banner of the USSR. Various versions of official state symbols are shown, as well as the coat of arms and banner approved by the government.

In total, the USSR included 15 union republics. The formation of the USSR and the entry of the union republics into it took place in stages:

  • 1922. The original formation of the Soviet Union, which included the RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the ZSFSR.
  • 1925. The Uzbek SSR and the Turkmen SSR joined the Union.
  • 1929. The Tajik SSR became part of the USSR.
  • 1936. It was marked by a major expansion of the USSR. The ZSFSR was divided into the Azerbaijan SSR, the Armenian SSR and the Georgian SSR, and the Kazakh SSR and the Kirghiz SSR were also formed.
  • 1940. As a result of geopolitical changes in Europe, the Karelian ASSR was transformed into the Karelian-Finnish SSR, the Union also included the Moldavian SSR, the Lithuanian SSR, the Latvian SSR and the Estonian SSR.
  • 1956. The Karelian-Finnish SSR was returned to the status of an autonomous republic and transformed into the Karelian ASSR within the RSFSR.

To visit the exposition please pre-register by phone (812) 334-25-14 or email at excursion@prlib.ru.

Accreditation of media representatives

Please forward applications for accreditation following the attached form marked “Media Accreditation” to media@prlib.ru, hudjakova@prlib.ru, Alexandra Khudyakova, tel.: (812) 305-16-21, ext. 167; mob. +7 921 998-06-78.

The letter should contain the full name, date and place of birth, passport data (series, number, place of registration), a list of carry-on equipment, contact phone numbers, the name of the media.

We draw the attention of the media representatives that it is necessary to forward applications for accreditation and arrive at the event in advance.

Entrance to the Presidential Library is carried out only by prior registration and upon showing a passport: for media representatives - through entrance № 2, participants and guests of the event - through entrance № 1.

In order to reduce the risks of the spread of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the use of personal protective equipment during the event is mandatory for all attendees.