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The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. It was the largest country in the world by area, extending across eleven time zones and sharing land borders with twelve countries.
2 days ago · Soviet Union (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; U.S.S.R.), former northern Eurasian empire (1917/22–1991) stretching from the Baltic and Black seas to the Pacific Ocean and, in its final years, consisting of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. The capital was Moscow, then and now the capital of Russia.
- The USSR in Brief
- The CIS
- Countries in The USSR
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The USSR was founded in 1922, five years after the Russian Revolution overthrew the monarchy of Czar Nicholas II. Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was one of the leaders of the revolution and was the first leader of the USSR until his death in 1924. The city of Petrograd was renamed Leningradin his honor. During its existence, the USSR was the largest country...
The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was a somewhat unsuccessful effort by Russia to keep the USSR together in an economic alliance. It was formed in 1991 and included many of the independent republics that made up the USSR. In the years since its formation, the CIS has lost a few members and other countries have never joined. By most accou...
Of the fifteen constituent republics of the USSR, three of these countries declared and were granted independence a few months preceding the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The remaining 12 did not become independent until the USSR fell completely on December 26, 1991. 1. Armenia 2. Azerbaijan 3. Belarus 4. Estonia (Granted independence in Septem...
Learn about the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, a communist country that lasted from 1922 to 1991. Find out which countries were part of the USSR and how it ended.
- Matt Rosenberg
Sep 1, 2017 · Learn about the origins, rise and fall of the Soviet Union, the world's first Marxist-Communist state that occupied one-sixth of Earth's land surface. Explore its history from the Russian Revolution to the Cold War, the space race, the dissolution and its legacy.
- Russia. After the Soviet Union dissolved, its preeminent republic endured political dysfunction and struggled to privatize its central command economy. While oligarchs accumulated great wealth, most Russians faced high inflation and supply shortages.
- Ukraine. Once known as Europe’s breadbasket for its plentiful wheat fields, Ukraine accounted for a quarter of the USSR’s agricultural production. Since independence, the country’s politics have lurched between pro-Russian and pro-European governments.
- Belarus. Soviet vestiges such as the KGB and a highly centralized economy have endured in post-independence Belarus. The country’s only post-Soviet president, Alexander Lukashenko, consolidated near-absolute power through a repressive regime that has allegedly rigged elections, jailed political opponents and silenced the press.
- Moldova. The Moldavian SSR joined the Soviet Union in 1940 after the USSR annexed it following its secret 1939 non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany. After independence, pro-Russian and pro-EU politicians have vied for control of Moldova.
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world.
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. It was the largest country in the world by area, extending across eleven time zones and sharing land borders with twelve countries.
