
The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was adopted on October 7, 1977, at an extraordinary seventh session of the USSR Supreme Soviet of the ninth convention, replacing the 1936 Constitution. The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to previous constitutions, defining the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and establishing principles for the management of the state and government. It also included articles on economic management and cultural relations, as well as granting equal rights of citizenship to naturalized citizens and specifying that citizens could not freely renounce their citizenship.
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What You'll Learn
- The 1977 Constitution, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution, replaced the 1936 Constitution
- The Constitution of Developed Socialism was adopted unanimously at the 7th Session of the Ninth Convocation of the Supreme Soviet
- The Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 Constitutions
- The first chapter defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU)
- The 1977 Constitution included Article 72, which granted the official right of constituent republics to secede from the Soviet Union

The 1977 Constitution, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution, replaced the 1936 Constitution
The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1936 Constitution. The first chapter defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and established organisational principles for the state and the government. It also established the principles for economic management and cultural relations.
The 1977 Constitution was long and detailed, including twenty-eight more articles than its predecessor. It explicitly defined the division of responsibilities between the central government in Moscow and the governments of the republics. It also retained the right of constituent Soviet republics to secede from the Union, which would later play an important role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The 1977 Constitution also included legislation on citizenship, granting equal rights to naturalized citizens and native-born citizens. It specified that citizens could not freely renounce their citizenship and were required to apply for permission to do so from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. The draft Constitution gave a significantly fuller formulation to the political rights and liberties of USSR citizens, including the right to participate in the administration of state and public affairs.
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The Constitution of Developed Socialism was adopted unanimously at the 7th Session of the Ninth Convocation of the Supreme Soviet
The Constitution of 1977, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution or the Constitution of Developed Socialism, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was adopted unanimously at the 7th (Special) Session of the Ninth Convocation of the Supreme Soviet and was signed by Leonid Brezhnev, the Chairman of the Presidium. This constitution replaced the 1936 Constitution, and the Soviet public holiday of USSR Constitution Day was shifted from 5 December to 7 October to commemorate its adoption.
The 1977 Constitution's preamble stated that the Soviet state had become the state of the whole people, marking a shift from solely representing the workers and peasants. It extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 Constitutions, with the first chapter defining the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and establishing organisational principles for the state and government.
The 1977 Constitution included a series of civil and political rights, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and the right to religious belief and worship. It also provided for freedom of artistic work, protection of the family, inviolability of the person and home, and the right to privacy. In addition, it granted equal rights of citizenship to both naturalized citizens and native-born citizens. However, citizens could not freely renounce their citizenship and had to apply for permission from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, which could reject the application based on various factors.
The Constitution also addressed economic management and cultural relations. Notably, Article 72 granted the official right of constituent republics to secede from the Soviet Union, as promised in previous constitutions. However, Articles 74 and 75 ensured the supremacy of the laws of the Supreme Soviet over any contradictory laws introduced by Soviet constituencies.
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The Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 Constitutions
The 1977 Constitution, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution or the Constitution of Developed Socialism, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was adopted to replace the 1936 Constitution, shifting the Soviet public holiday of USSR Constitution Day from 5 December to 7 October.
The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 Constitutions. The first chapter defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and established organisational principles for the state and the government. It explicitly defined the division of responsibilities between the Central Government in Moscow and the governments of the republics, including 28 more articles than the 1936 Constitution.
The 1977 Constitution included legislation on citizenship, granting equal rights to naturalized citizens and native-born citizens. It also specified that citizens could not freely renounce their citizenship without permission from the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet, which could reject the application for a variety of reasons.
Later chapters of the 1977 Constitution established principles for economic management and cultural relations. Notably, Article 72 granted the official right of constituent republics to secede from the Soviet Union, as promised in previous constitutions. However, Articles 74 and 75 stated that the laws of the Supreme Soviet would supersede any contradictory laws introduced by a Soviet constituency, effectively limiting the ability of republics to secede.
The 1977 Constitution also attempted to avoid frequent amendment by establishing regulations for government bodies in separate but equally authoritative enabling legislation. It formally designated the position of chairman of the Supreme Soviet, granting specific powers such as leadership over the legislative agenda and the ability to negotiate and sign treaties with foreign governments.
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The first chapter defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU)
The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution or the Constitution of Developed Socialism, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was adopted on 7 October 1977, replacing the 1936 Constitution. The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of the constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 constitutions.
The first chapter of the 1977 Constitution defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and established the organisational principles for the state and the government. Article 1 defined the USSR as a socialist state, as did all previous constitutions. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was described as a socialist state of the whole people, expressing the will and interests of the workers, peasants, and intelligentsia, as well as the working people of all the nations and nationalities of the country.
Article 6 of the 1977 Constitution effectively eliminated partisan opposition and division within the government by granting the CPSU the power to lead and guide society. The CPSU, armed with Marxism-Leninism, was responsible for determining the general perspectives of society's development and the course of domestic and foreign policy. It directed the great constructive work of the Soviet people and imparted a planned, systematic, and theoretically substantiated character to their struggle for the victory of communism.
The 1977 Constitution also included provisions that granted the official right of constituent republics to secede from the Soviet Union, as promised in previous constitutions. However, other articles ensured that the laws of the Supreme Soviet would supersede any legal differences introduced by Soviet constituencies.
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The 1977 Constitution included Article 72, which granted the official right of constituent republics to secede from the Soviet Union
The 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, officially the Constitution of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was adopted on 7 October 1977, replacing the 1936 Constitution. The 1977 Constitution, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution or the Constitution of Developed Socialism, was adopted unanimously at the 7th (Special) Session of the Ninth Convocation of the Supreme Soviet.
The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of the constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1924 and 1936 constitutions. It was a long and detailed document, including twenty-eight more articles than the 1936 Constitution. One of the key features of the 1977 Constitution was its recognition of the Soviet Union as a state of the whole people, rather than just the workers and peasants. This shift reflected the idea that the aims of the dictatorship of the proletariat had been fulfilled.
The inclusion of Article 72 in the 1977 Constitution was a significant development in the Soviet Union's history. It provided a legal framework for the constituent republics to pursue independence, which had been promised in previous constitutions. However, the lack of a Union law regulating secession left a lacuna in Soviet law that was not addressed until pressure from the republics in 1990.
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Frequently asked questions
The 1977 Constitution, also known as the Brezhnev Constitution, was the third and final constitution of the Soviet Union. It was drafted to replace the 1936 Constitution and included several new provisions, such as the explicit definition of the division of responsibilities between the central government and the governments of the republics.
The 1977 Constitution extended the scope of constitutional regulation of society compared to the 1936 Constitution. It included 28 more articles and established principles for economic management and cultural relations. Additionally, it retained the right of constituent Soviet republics to secede from the Union, which would later play a significant role in the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
The first chapter of the 1977 Constitution defined the leading role of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and established organizational principles for the state and government. It also included provisions related to political rights and liberties, such as the right of citizens to participate in the administration of state and public affairs, freedom of speech, and the right to legal protection. The 1977 Constitution also stated that the Soviet state had become the state of the whole people, representing the interests of all its nations and nationalities, rather than just the workers and peasants.



















