A referendum on the future of the Soviet Union was held on 17 March 1991 across the Soviet Union. It was the only national referendum in the history of the Soviet Union, although it was boycotted by authorities in six of the fifteen Soviet republics.

The referendum asked whether to approve a new Union Treaty among the republics, to replace the 1922 treaty that created the USSR. The question put to most voters was:

Do you consider necessary the preservation of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics in which the rights and freedom of an individual of any ethnicity will be fully guaranteed?Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz & Christof Hartmann (2001) Elections in Asia: A data handbook, Volume I, p492

In Kazakhstan, the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics".

In Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kirghizia (modern day Kyrgyzstan) additional questions were asked about sovereignty and independence of these republics.

While the vote was boycotted by the authorities in Armenia, Estonia, Georgia (though not in the ASSRs of Abkhazia and South Ossetia), Chronicle of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict (1988-2008) Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not in Transnistria and Gagauzia),Historical Overview of the PMR (Transnistria, Transdniestr, Transdnestr, Pridnestrovie) turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.Referendum of March 1991 Russian History Encyclopedia on Answers.com

The referendum's question was approved by nearly 80% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.Understanding the Cold War: A Historian's Personal Reflections by Adam Bruno Ulam, Leopolis Press, 2000, (page 353) However, the August coup attempt by hardliners of the Communist Party prevented the anticipated signing of the New Union Treaty that was due to take place the next day. Although it failed, the coup attempt reduced confidence in Gorbachev's central government. It was followed by a series of referendums for independence in individual republics and led to the dissolution of the Soviet Union on 26 December 1991.Russia and the World Economy: Problems of Integration by Alan H. Smith, Routledge, 1993, (page 1)

Question The following question was asked: English Russian Ukrainian Belarusian Uzbek Kazakh Georgian Azerbaijani Lithuanian "Moldavian" (Romanian) Latvian Kirghiz Tajik Armenian Turkmen Estonian Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured of human rights and freedoms of any nationality?

Overview

On 24 December 1990, deputies of the 4th Congress of People's Deputies, having voted by name, decided to consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured human rights and freedoms of any nationality.Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1853-1 «О сохранении Союза ССР как обновлённой федерации равноправных суверенных республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1158. The referendum considered five questions:

Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will be fully ensured of human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No) Do you consider it necessary to preserve the USSR as a single state? (Yes/No) Do you consider it necessary to preserve the socialist system in the USSR? (Yes/No) Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Soviet government in the renewed Union? (Yes/No) Do you feel the need to safeguard the Union in the renewed human rights and freedoms of any nationality? (Yes/No) (Any legal or legislative consequences, in case of acceptance of, or otherwise, was not specified)

On the same day, at the initiative and insistence of General Secretary and President Mikhail Gorbachev,Любарев А. Е. Выборы в Москве: опыт двенадцати лет. 1989—2000 . — М.: Стольный град, 2001. — 412 с. — .Съездом было принято два постановления о проведении референдумов по вопросу о частной собственности на землю the Congress adopted two decisions on holding a referendum on the private ownership of land and on the preservation of the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign of Soviet Socialist Republics . For the adoption of the first resolution voted in 1553 deputies, against - 84, abstained - 70. For the adoption of the second resolution voted in 1677 deputies, against - 32, abstained - 66.

However, concerning the first decision the Chairman YH Kalmykov later explained at a session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR Supreme Council Committee for Legislation, the president asked to refrain from holding a referendum on the issue of private property.

Second course was given to the decree. The first was No. 1856-1 "On holding a referendum of the USSR on the issue of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics", dated 24 December 1990:

[...] due to numerous appeals of workers expressed concern about the fate of the USSR, and given that the preservation of a single union state is the most important issue of public life, affects the interests of each person, all the Soviet Union's population,Постановление СНД СССР от 24 декабря 1990 года № 1856-1 «О проведении референдума СССР по вопросу о Союзе Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1990. — № 52. — ст. 1161. the Congress of People's Deputies USSR decided:

To conduct a referendum of the USSR to address the issue of maintaining the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign Soviet Socialist Republics, taking into account the results of voting for each country separately. To instruct the USSR Supreme Council set a date for the referendum and ensure its measures.

–Resolution of the USSR from LICs December 24, 1990 No. 1856-1

On 27 December 1990, Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR decided enact the law "On the popular vote (Soviet Union referendum)", effective immediately. Article 5 of the Law specifies that the right to call a referendum belongs to the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, and on matters not related to the exclusive jurisdiction of the USSR Congress of People's Deputies, in the period between congresses – to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.Закон СССР от 27 декабря 1990 года № 1869-1 «О всенародном голосовании (референдуме СССР)» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. — 1991. — № 1. — ст. 10.

On 16 January 1991 the Supreme Council of USSR published Resolution 1910-1 "On the organization and measures to ensure the holding of a referendum of the USSR on the issue of preserving the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics".

Based on the fact that no one, except the people can not take the historical responsibility for the fate of the USSR, pursuant to the decision of the fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR in accordance with the law on the referendum of the USSR. [...] The Supreme Council decides to:

Carry out the entire territory of the Soviet Union on Sunday, 17 March 1991, for the Soviet Union referendum on the preservation of the Soviet Union as a federation of equal republics. Turn on the ballot for secret voting the following wording of the question put to referendum, and the answers of voting: "Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, which will fully guarantee the rights and freedoms of all nationalities." "Yes or no". To determine the results of voting by the Union Soviet Socialist Republic as a whole, taking into account the results of voting for each country separately.

–Resolution of the USSR Supreme Soviet of 16 January 1991 № 1910-1Постановление ВС СССР от 16 января 1991 года № 1910-1 «Об организации и мерах по обеспечению проведения референдума СССР по вопросу о сохранении Союза Советских Социалистических Республик» // Ведомости СНД и ВС СССР. 1991. — № 4. — ст. 87.

Results

In participating republics

Republic or subdivision of republicForAgainstInvalidvotesTotalvotesRegisteredvotersTurnoutVotes%Votes%56,860,06773.0021,030,75327.001,809,63379,701,169105,643,36475.44 Adygea83.2373.23 Aga-Buryatia91.987.7 Altai79.8277.92 Amur80.776.66 Astrakhan75.972.391,908,87585.9269,00712.143,2762,221,1582,719,63781.7 Belgorod80.787.43 Astrakhan80.2881.45447,43883.578,16714.610,197535,802668,23180.2 Chelyabinsk62.9676.36 Chita84.379.96 Chukchi69.7673.07670,48882.6131,52216.29,999812,0091,008,62680.5 Evenk77.0576.11 Gorno-Altai89.0885.42 Jewish Autonomous Oblast80.3160.06290,38077.977,33920.84,888372,607489,43676.1 Kaliningrad76.4675.64148,46287.817,83310.52,829169,124204,30182.8 Kaluga73.6181.94 Kamchatka64.3670.32 Karachay-Cherkessia82.5985.69317,85476.092,70322.07,544418,101551,64475.8 Kemerovo67.6469.83 Khabarovsk68.9667.82 Khakassia75.8372.57 Khanty-Mansi62.5959.75 Kirov Oblast73.878.59412,84276.0119,67822.010,883543,403797,04975.44 Komi-Permyak87.3481.87 Koryak75.4578.59 Kostroma79.1380.18 Krasnodar80.3274.59 Krasnoyarsk70.1272.96 Kurgan76.9982.24 Kursk81.3384.98 Leningrad69.8573.92 Lipetsk72.6583.8 Magadan63.6866.35333,31979.677,23918.58,041418,599525,68579.6459,02180.3101,88617.810,724571,631677,70684.3 Moscow50.0267.95 Moscow Oblast63.8374.48 Murmansk66.0871.82 Nenets78.2575.89 Nizhny Novgorod66.8874331,82390.232,7868.93,249367,858428,30785.9 Novgorod74.4574.88 Novosibirsk69.3270.74 Omsk75.0580.21 Oryol80.0382.95 Orenburg79.9478.39 Penza75.9185.16 Perm64.8971.16 Primorye64.1271.57 Pskov82.6883.21 Rostov73.4877.03 Ryazan77.5583.27 Saint Petersburg50.5464.89 Sakhalin73.1473.68 Samara70.3973.74 Saratov73.1179.18 Smolensk82.3681.55 Stavropol79.2983.17 Sverdlovsk49.3373.58 Tambov82.7284.341,708,19387.5211,51610.832,0591,951,7682,532,38377.1 Taymyr71.0775.13 Tomsk63.8971.64 Tula71.3177.37126,59891.49,4046.82,494138,496171,73180.6 Tver78.7381.42 Tyumen74.7771.6622,71476.0180,28922.016,137819,1401,103,08374.3 Ulyanovsk79.0379.21 Ust-Orda Buryatia88.688.11 Vladimir68.6478.5 Volgograd66.2371.53 Vologda68.9176.28 Voronezh75.0681.25318,05975.994,73722.66,216419,012712,13958.8616,38782.4113,24915.118,784748,420900,91381.3415,71276.7116,79821.69,483541,993688,67978.7 Yamalo-Nenets61.7766.46 Yaroslavl71.2574.85,069,31383.72986,07916.2871,5916,126,9837,354,79683.3122,110,89971.488,820,08928.52583,25631,514,24437,732,17883.52 Cherkasy77.321.41,140,50687.9 Chernihiv83.315.21,064,98290.5 Chernivtsi60.836.0663,78188.3 Crimea87.611.11,561,78579.3 Dnipropetrovsk77.521.12,861,06078.7 Donetsk84.514.13,847,20480.0 Ivano-Frankivsk18.278.31,004,72878.3 Kharkiv75.722.42,382,19678.4 Kherson81.017.8896,36484.9 Khmelnytskyi77.720.91,124,58891.3 Kirovohrad82.416.3919,08486.6 Kyiv44.652.91,903,15271.5 Kyiv Oblast66.931.21,416,60083.7 Luhansk86.312.62,084,23585.4 Lviv16.480.11,997,54389.4 Mykolaiv84.214.4966,41985.0 Odesa82.116.21,891,82278.4 Poltava78.819.91,301,43290.2 Rivne54.342.9804,44787.5 Sevastopol83.115.2316,42174.7 Sumy78.819.61,070,12487.3 Ternopil19.376.5854,67191.2 Vinnytsia81.217.71,417,08790.7 Volyn53.743.2751,26887.6 Zakarpattia60.236.3842,15982.2 Zaporizhzhia79.818.81,542,49880.2 Zhytomyr81.617.01,105,93888.3 Gagauzia (Moldavia) Transnistria (Moldavia) (Georgia)164,23198.51,5660.9747166,544318,31752.3 South Ossetia (Georgia) 2,709,24694.12169,2255.8825,3262,903,7973,866,65975.1031,32887.33,62010.191835,866174,36420.68,295,51995.00436,5605.0084,4648,816,5439,999,43388.172,057,97195.9886,2464.0230,3772,174,5932,341,64692.872,315,75596.8575,3003.1516,4972,407,5522,549,09694.451,766,58498.2631,2031.746,5311,804,3101,846,31097.669,196,84894.73511,3735.27108,1129,816,33310,287,93895.42563,91697.610,1331.83,668577,717584,20898.9Source: Report from the Central Commission of the USSR Referendum, Seventeen Moments in Soviet History, Association of People's Deputies of Ukraine

In republics not participating in the Soviet referendums