The parade of sovereignties () was a series of declarations of sovereignty of various degrees by the republics of the Soviet Union and autonomous units within the republics (autonomous republics, autonomous oblasts and autonomous okrugs) from 1988 to 1991. The declarations stated the priority of the constituent republic power in its territory over the central power, which led to the War of Laws between the center and the republics. The process followed the loosened power grip of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union as a result of and policies under Mikhail Gorbachev. Despite the efforts of Gorbachev to preserve the union under a new treaty in the form of the Union of Sovereign States, many constituents soon declared their full independence. The process resulted in the dissolution of the Soviet Union.Suny, Ronald Grigor (1993), The Revenge of the Past: Nationalism, Revolution, and the Collapse of the Soviet Union, Stanford University Press,

The massive secessionist event has served as a testbench for various theories of secession.Henry E. Hale (2000), "The Parade of Sovereignties: Testing Theories of Secession in the Soviet Setting", British Journal of Political Science Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 31–56Emizet F. Kisangani, Vicki L. Hesli (January 1995), "The Disposition to Secede: An Analysis of the Soviet Case", Comparative Political Studies vol. 27,

Union Republics The first top-level Soviet republic to declare state sovereignty was the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic on 16 November 1988. The other 14 Soviet republics would adopt similar declarations of state sovereignty within two years and one month of that, with the approval of Gorbachev’s government in Moscow. However, it would be the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic that was the first to declare its full independence on 11 March 1990, after candidates endorsed by the opposition movement Sąjūdis had won an absolute majority of seats in the Supreme Soviet of Lithuania in the parliamentary elections of 24 February 1990. This went further than Gorbachev’s government had intended, and Moscow imposed an economic blockade on Lithuania to pressure it into revoking its declaration of independence.

The independence of the Baltic republics was recognized by the State Council of the USSR on September 6, 1991.Statement of State Council of the Soviet Union from 6 September 1991 No 1-SC The rest of the republics continued to formally remain part of the USSR until the adoption by the Council of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of a declaration on the termination of its existence on December 26, 1991. Union republic Sovereignty proclaimed Renamed Independence proclaimed United Nations admission 16 November 1988 8 May 1990 17 September 1991 26 May 198911 March 1990 28 July 1989 4 May 1990 23 September 1989 18 October 1991Декларация Верховного Совета Азербайджанской Республики О восстановлении государственной независимости Азербайджанской Республики 2 March 1992 9 March 1990 9 April 1991 31 July 1992 12 June 1990 12 December 1991 20 June 1990 1 September 1991 2 March 1992 23 June 1990 27 August 1991 16 July 1990 24 August 1991 24 October 1945 27 July 1990 25 August 1991 24 October 1945 22 August 1990 27 October 1991 2 March 1992 23 August 1990 21 September 1991 24 August 1990 9 September 1991 25 October 1990Декларация о государственном суверенитете Казахской Советской Социалистической Республики 16 December 1991 15 December 1990 31 August 1991

Autonomous units

The first lower-level subdivision to declare independence was the Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on January 19, 1990, predating that of Lithuania by weeks.

Following the proposal of New Union Treaty by Gorbachev during the Communist Party Congress in July 1990, most of autonomous republics expressed the desire to be a party to the new treaty and declared sovereignty. The effort was ultimately futile due to the August Coup.

Russian SFSR As most autonomous republics and oblasts self-declared promotion to Soviet Socialist Republics, Art. 71 and 72 of the Constitution of the RSFSR were amended on May 24, 1991 to recognize its autonomous republics as SSRs;Закон РСФСР от 24 мая 1991 года «Об изменениях и дополнениях Конституции (Основного Закона) РСФСР»Конституция РСФСР в редакции от 24 мая 1991 г. it was further amended on July 3 to promote all its autonomous oblasts other than the Jewish Autonomous Oblast to SSRs.Закон РСФСР от 3 июля 1991 г."Об изменениях и дополнениях Конституции (Основного Закона) РСФСР в связи с преобразованием автономных областей в Советские Социалистические Республики в составе РСФСР"Конституция РСФСР в редакции от 3 июля 1991 г.

All of them other than Tatarstan and the self-proclaimed Chechen Republic (Nokhchi-cho) in the defunct Checheno-Ingushetia agreed to sign the Treaty of Federation on 31 March 1992 and became republics of Russia. The self-proclaimed Yamalo-Nenets Republic gave up the claim and resumed the status of an autonomous okrug.

Autonomous unit Sovereignty proclaimed Reintegration Federal subjects of Russia Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast Adyghe Autonomous Oblast ДЕКЛАРАЦИЯ О ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОМ СУВЕРЕНИТЕТЕ СОВЕТСКОЙ СОЦИАЛИСТИЧЕСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ АДЫГЕЯ While the Mordovian ASSR and Dagestan ASSR self-declared promotion to SSRs on ДЕКЛАРАЦИЯ о государственно-правовом статусе Мордовской Советской Социалистической Республики // НА ПОРОГЕ РЕФОРМ. Общественно-политическая жизнь Мордовии в первой половине 1990-х годов. С. 200-201 and respectively, they did not proclaim state sovereignty.

On August 15, 1990, the Khakas Autonomous Oblast adopted a resolution to transform the region into an ASSR and submitted a corresponding petition to the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.

On November 30, 1990, the Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast self-declared promotion to an SSR. From 1990 to 1991, there were attempts to split the region on an ethnic basis as the congresses of representatives of local nationalities proclaimed the Karachay Republic, the Republic of Cherkessia, the Abazin Republic, and the Upper Kuban Cossack Republic. In March 1992, a referendum was held in which the majority of the population spoke out against the division. Karachay-Cherkessia signed the Treaty of Federation on 31 March 1992.

Other republics All autonomous units outside the Russian SFSR other than Adjarian ASSR declared sovereignty at some point. While some were reintegrated into the post-Soviet republic they were in peacefully relatively soon after, most in the South Caucasus region turned into long-time breakaways states. Autonomous unit Republic Sovereignty proclaimed Reintegration entities - South Ossetian AO 20 лет Республике Южная Осетия Nagorno-Karabakh AO until 2024 Crimean ASSR () Gorno-Badakhshan ()

Other entities Some regions inside Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic proclaimed republics within the Soviet Union that were not recognized. They declared independence from the Moldavian SSR and became de facto independent states upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Entity Proclaimed Sovereignty proclaimed Reintegration entities Gagauz Republic - -

Notes

References