The collapse of the state



December 26, 1991 is the official date of the dissolution of the USSR. A day earlier, President Gorbachev announced that for "reasons of principle" ceases its activities on the occupied post. On 26 December the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted the Declaration on the disintegration of the state.

In the defunct Union consisted of 15 Soviet Socialist Republics. The legal successor of the USSR became the Russian Federation. Russia proclaimed its sovereignty on 12 June 1990. Exactly a year and a half leaders in the country announced the withdrawal from the USSR. Legal independence occurred on 26 December 1991.

Informed all about the sovereignty and independence declared the Baltic Republic. 16 November 1988 the Estonian Soviet socialist Republic declared its sovereignty. A few months in 1989, the Lithuanian SSR and the Latvian SSR also declared sovereignty. Even legal independence of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania got a few before the official collapse of the Soviet Union on 6 September 1991.
8 December 1991, was created a Union of Independent States. In fact, a real Union of this organization to become failed, and the CIS is a formal meeting of leaders of parties.


Among the Transcaucasian republics faster just wanted to secede from the Union Georgia. On the independence of the Georgian Republic was declared on 9 April 1991. The Republic of Azerbaijan declared independence on 30 August 1991 and the Republic of Armenia on 21 September 1991.

From 24 August to 27 October declared withdrawal from Union, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Longest, apart from Russia, did not declare secession from the USSR Belarus (left the Union on December 8, 1991) and Kazakhstan (came from the USSR on 16 December 1991).

Failed attempt at independence



Some Autonomous provinces and Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic also previously tried to secede from the USSR and declare independence. This they eventually succeeded, though with the republics, in which the autonomy was included.

19 Jan 1991 Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet socialist Republic, part of Azerbaijan SSR, tried to secede from the Union. After some time, Nakhchivan the Republic of Azerbaijan to leave the Soviet Union failed.
Currently, the former Soviet Union formed a new Union. In place of an unsuccessful project of the Union of Independent States comes in a new integration format – the Eurasian Union.


In the Russian Federation emerged from the Soviet Union, the Tatarstan and Chechen-Ingushetia, who were trying to leave the USSR alone. Crimean Autonomous Soviet socialist Republic also failed to gain independence and seceded from the Soviet Union only together with Ukraine.