View source for Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics

{{short description|Type of administrative division of the Soviet Union}}

[[File:Subdivisions of the Soviet Union.svg|thumb|350px|Map of the types of the subdivisions as of 1983, with ASSRs shown in orange.]]

An '''Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic''' ('''ASSR''', {{langx|ru|автономная советская социалистическая республика, АССР|avtonomnaya sovetskaya sotsialisticheskaya respublika}}) was a type of [[Subdivisions of the Soviet Union|administrative unit]] in the [[Soviet Union]] (USSR), created for certain [[Demographics of the Soviet Union#Ethnic groups|ethnic groups]] to be the [[titular nation]]s of. The ASSRs had a status lower than the constituent [[republics of the Soviet Union|union republics]] of the USSR, but higher than the [[Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union|autonomous oblasts]] and the [[autonomous okrugs of the Soviet Union|autonomous okrugs]].

In the [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russian SFSR]], for example, Chairmen of the Government of the ASSRs were officially members of the [[Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Government of the Russian SFSR]]. Unlike the union republics, the autonomous republics only had the right to disaffiliate themselves from the Union when the union republic containing them did so, as well as to choose to stay with the Union separately from them. The level of political, administrative and cultural autonomy they enjoyed varied with time—it was most substantial in the 1920s ([[Korenizatsiya]]), the 1950s after the death of [[Joseph Stalin]], and in the [[Brezhnev Era]].<ref name="Cornell">Cornell, Svante E., [http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/0419dissertation.pdf ''Autonomy and Conflict: Ethnoterritoriality and Separatism in the South Caucasus – Case in Georgia''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630141309/http://www.silkroadstudies.org/new/inside/publications/0419dissertation.pdf |date=2007-06-30 }}. Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Report No. 61. p. 89-90. University of Uppsala, {{ISBN|91-506-1600-5}}.</ref>

According to the [[Constitution of the Soviet Union|constitution of the USSR]], in case of a union republic voting on leaving the Soviet Union, autonomous republics, [[Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union|autonomous oblasts]] and [[Autonomous okrugs of the Soviet Union|autonomous okrugs]] had the right, by means of a [[referendum]], to independently resolve whether they will stay in the USSR or leave with the [[Republics of the Soviet Union|seceding union republic]], as well as to raise the issue of their state-legal status.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://docs.cntd.ru/document/902002993|title=СОЮЗ СОВЕТСКИХ СОЦИАЛИСТИЧЕСКИХ РЕСПУБЛИК. ЗАКОН О порядке решения вопросов, связанных с выходом союзной республики из СССР|language=ru|access-date=13 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160912024819/https://docs.cntd.ru/document/902002993|archive-date=12 September 2016}}</ref>

==Azerbaijan SSR==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
!Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
!Years of<br/>membership
!Capital
!Official languages
!Area (km<sup>2)</sup>
!{{Nowrap|Post-Soviet}} subjects
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Nakhichevan ASSR.png|50px]]
| align=center |[[Nakhichevan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Nakhichevan ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1921–1990
|[[Nakhchivan (city)|Nakhichevan]]
|Azerbaijani, Russian
|5,500
|{{nowrap|{{flag|Nakhchivan}}}}
|}

==Georgian SSR==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
!Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
!Years of<br/>membership
!Capital
!Official languages
!Area (km<sup>2)</sup>
!{{Nowrap|Post-Soviet}} subjects
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Abkhaz ASSR (1978–1992).svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Abkhaz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Abkhaz ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1931–1992{{efn|1921-1931: [[Socialist Soviet Republic of Abkhazia|SSR Abkhazia]]}}
|[[Sukhumi]]
| align="left" |[[Abkhaz language|Abkhazian]], [[Georgian language|Georgian]], Russian
|8,600
|{{flag|Abkhazia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Adjar ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Adjarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Adjarian ASSR.svg|100px]]
|1921–1991
|[[Batumi]]
| align="left" | Georgian, Russian
|2,880
|{{flag|Adjara}}
|}

==Russian SFSR==
The [[Russian Constitution of 1978|1978 Constitution of the RSFSR]] recognized sixteen autonomous republics within the RSFSR:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
!Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
!Years of<br/>membership
!Capital
!Official languages
!Area (km<sup>2)</sup>
!{{Nowrap|Post-Soviet}} [[republics of Russia]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Bashkir ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Bashkir Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Bashkir ASSR.svg|100px]]
|1919–1992
|[[Ufa]]
| align="left" |[[Bashkir language|Bashkir]], Russian
|143,600
|{{flag|Bashkortostan}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of the Buryat ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Buryat ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1923–1992
|[[Ulan-Ude]]
| align="left" |[[Buryat language|Buryat]], Russian
|69,857
|{{flag|Buryatia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Chechen-Ingush ASSR.png|50px]]
| align=center |[[Checheno-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag_of_the_Chechen-Ingush_ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1936–1944<br/>1957–1993
|[[Grozny]]
|[[Chechen language|Chechen]], [[Ingush language|Ingush]], Russian
|19,300
|{{flag|Chechnya}}<br/>{{flag|Ingushetia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Chuvash ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Chuvash Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Chuvash ASSR.svg|100px]]
|1925–1992
|[[Cheboksary]]
|[[Chuvash language|Chuvash]], Russian
|18,300
|{{flag|Chuvashia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Dagestan ASSR (1978-1991).svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Dagestan ASSR.svg|100px]]
|1921–1992
|[[Makhachkala]]
|[[Aghul language|Aghul]], [[Avar language|Avar]], Azerbaijani, [[Chechen language|Chechen]], [[Kumyk language|Kumyk]], [[Lezgian language|Lezgian]], [[Lak language|Lak]], [[Nogai language|Nogai]], [[Tabasaran language|Tabasaran]], [[Tat language (Caucasus)|Tat]], Russian
|50,300
|{{flag|Dagestan}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Kabardino-Balkar ASSR.png|50px]]
| align=center |[[Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Kabardino-Balkar ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1936–1992{{efn|1944-1957: Kabardin ASSR}}
|[[Nalchik]]
|[[Kabardian language|Kabardian]], [[Karachay-Balkar language|Karachay-Balkar]], Russian
|12,500
|{{nowrap|{{flag|Kabardino-Balkaria}}}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Kalmyk ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Kalmyk Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Kalmyk ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1935–1943<br/>1958–1992
|[[Elista]]
|[[Kalmyk Oirat]], Russian
|76,100
|{{flag|Kalmykia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Karelian ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Karelian ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1923–1940<br/>1956–1991
|[[Petrozavodsk]]
|[[Finnish language|Finnish]] <small>(1956-1980s)</small>, Russian
|147,000
|{{flag|Karelia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Komi ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Komi ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
| rowspan="2" |1936–1992
|[[Syktyvkar]]
|[[Komi language|Komi]], Russian
|415,900
|{{flag|Komi Republic}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Mari ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Mari ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|[[Yoshkar-Ola]]
|[[Mari language|Mari]] <small>([[Meadow Mari language|Meadow]] and [[Hill Mari language|Hill]] variants)</small>, Russian
|23,200
|{{flag|Mari El}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Mordovian ASSR.png|50px]]
| align=center |[[Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Mordovian ASSR.svg|100px]]
|1934–1993
|[[Saransk]]
|[[Erzya language|Erzya]], [[Moksha language|Moksha]], Russian
|26,200
|{{flag|Mordovia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of North Ossetian ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[North Ossetian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the North Ossetian ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1936–1993
|[[Vladikavkaz|Ordzhonikidze]]
|[[Ossetian language|Ossetian]], Russian
|8,000
|{{nowrap|{{flag|North Ossetia}}}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Tatarstan ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Tatar ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1920–1992
|[[Kazan]]
|[[Tatar language|Tatar]], Russian
|68,000
|{{flag|Tatarstan}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of the Tuvan ASSR (1978-1992).svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Tuvan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Tuvan ASSR (1978-1992).svg|border|100px]]
|1961–1992
|[[Kyzyl]]
|[[Tuvan language|Tuvan]], Russian
|170,500
|{{flag|Tuva}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Udmurt ASSR.png|50px]]
| align=center |[[Udmurt Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Udmurt ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1934–1992
|[[Izhevsk]]
|[[Udmurt language|Udmurt]], Russian
|42,100
|{{flag|Udmurtia}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Yakut ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Yakut Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of the Yakut ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1922–1992
|[[Yakutsk]]
|[[Yakut language|Yakut]], Russian
|3,083,523
|{{flag|Sakha Republic|Sakha (Yakutia) Republic}}
|}

[[Gorno-Altai Autonomous Oblast]] (now [[Altai Republic]]), [[Adyghe Autonomous Oblast]] (now [[Republic of Adygea]]), [[Karachay–Cherkess Autonomous Oblast]] (now [[Karachay–Cherkess Republic]]) and  [[Khakassian Autonomous Oblast]] (now [[Khakassia|Republic of Khakassia]]) were all promoted in status to that of an ASSR in 1991, in the last year of the Soviet Union. Only the [[Jewish Autonomous Oblast]] retained its autonomous oblast status in Russia.

Other autonomous republics also existed within RSFSR at earlier points of the Soviet history:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
! Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
! Capital
! Titular nationality
! Years of<br/>membership
! Population
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
!Soviet successors
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Crimean ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of the Crimean ASSR (1939) copy.svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Simferopol]]
| align="left" |[[Crimean Tatars]]
| align="left" |1921–1945
| align="left" |1,126,000<br/><small>(1939)</small>
| align="left" |26,860
| align="left" |Crimean Oblast
|-
| align="center" | 
| align="center" |[[Mountain Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" | [[File:Flag of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (1918–1925).svg|center|frameless|114x114px]]
| align="left" |[[Vladikavkaz]]
| align="left" |[[Balkars]], [[Chechens]], [[Ingush people|Ingush]], [[Kabardians]], [[Karachays]], [[Ossetians]], [[Terek Cossacks]]
| align="left" |1921–1924
| align="left" |1,286,000<br/><small>(1921)</small>
| align="left" |74,000
| align="left" |[[Karachay-Cherkess Autonomous Oblast|Karachay-Cherkess AO]]<br/>[[Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Oblast|{{nobr|Kabardino-Balkarian AO}}]]<br/>[[Chechen Autonomous Oblast|Chechen AO]]<br/>[[North Ossetian Autonomous Oblast|North Ossetian AO]]<br/>[[Ingush Autonomous Oblast|Ingush AO]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Turkestan ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Turkestan Autonomous SSR Flag.svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Tashkent]]
| align="left" |[[Uzbeks]], [[Kazakhs]], [[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]], [[Tajiks]], [[Turkmens]]
| align="left" |1918–1924
| align="left" |5,221,963<br/><small>(1920)</small>
| align="left" |
| align="left" |{{flag|Uzbek SSR}}<br/>{{flag|Turkmen SSR}}<br/>[[Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Tajik ASSR]]<br/>[[Kara-Kirghiz Autonomous Oblast|Kara-Kirghiz AO]]<br/>[[Karakalpak Autonomous Oblast|Karakalpak AO]]
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Volga German ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Volga German Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of Volga German ASSR.svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Engels, Saratov Oblast|Engels]]
| align="left" |[[Soviet Germans]]
| align="left" |1923–1941
| align="left" | 606,532<br/><small>(1939)</small>
| align="left" |27,400
| align="left" |[[Saratov Oblast]]<br/>[[Volgograd Oblast|Stalingrad Oblast]]
|}

Crimea Oblast was [[Transfer of Crimea in the Soviet Union|transferred]] to the Ukrainian SSR jurisdiction on 19 February 1954 and promoted to the ASSR status following a [[1991 Crimean sovereignty referendum|referendum]] held on January 20, 1991 (now the [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]] / [[Republic of Crimea (Russia)|Republic of Crimea]], territory [[Political status of Crimea|disputed]] between [[Ukraine]] and the [[Russian Federation]]).

==Ukrainian SSR==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
! Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
! Years of<br/>membership
! Capital
! Titular nationality
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
!Post-Soviet successors
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of the Ukrainian SSR.svg|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1991–1992)|Crimean Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1949–1991).svg|100px]]
| align="left" |1991
| align="left" |[[Simferopol]]
| align="left" |[[Crimean Tatars]]
| align="left" |26,860
| align="left" |{{Flagicon image|Flag of Crimea.svg}} [[Autonomous Republic of Crimea]]
|}

The Crimean Oblast was granted ASSR status on 12 February 1991 following a [[1991 Crimean autonomy referendum|referendum]] held in January 1991.

==Uzbek SSR==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
!Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
!Years of<br/>membership
!Capital
!Official languages
!Area (km<sup>2)</sup>
!{{Nowrap|Post-Soviet}} subjects
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Emblem of Karakalpak ASSR.svg|50px]]
| align=center |[[Karakalpak Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
|[[File:Flag of Karakalpak ASSR.svg|border|100px]]
|1932–1992{{efn|Under Russian SFSR until 1936.}}
|[[Nukus]]
|[[Karakalpak language|Karakalpak]] <small>(1956-1980s)</small>, Russian
|165,000
|{{nobr|{{flag|Karakalpakstan}}}}
|}

==ASSRs promoted to union republics==
Some ASSRs existed at earlier points of the Soviet history were promoted into full [[union republic]]s of the Soviet Union.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! class="unsortable" |Emblem
! Name
!class="unsortable"|Flag
! Capital
! Titular nationality
! Years of<br/>membership
! Population
! Area (km<sup>2</sup>)
!Soviet Socialist Republic
!Soviet successor
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of arms of Kazakhstan (1927-1937).svg|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of The Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920-36).svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Almaty|Alma-Ata]]
| align="left" |[[Kazakhs]]
| align="left" |1920–1936{{efn|1920-1925: Kirghiz ASSR}}
| align="left" |6,503,000<br/><small>(1926)</small>
| align="left" |2,960,000 
| rowspan="2" align="left" |{{flag|Russian SFSR}}
| align="left" |{{flag|Kazakh SSR}}
|-
| align="center" |
| align="center" |[[Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1926–1936)|Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of the Kirghiz ASSR (1926–1936).svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Bishkek|Frunze]]
| align="left" |[[Kyrgyz people|Kyrgyz]]
| align="left" |1926–1936
| align="left" |993,000<br/><small>(1926)</small>
| align="left" |196,129 
| align="left" |{{flag|Kirghiz SSR}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Moldavian_ASSR_(1927-1938).png|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1925–1932).svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Tiraspol]]
| align="left" |[[Moldovans]]
| align="left" |1924–1940
| align="left" |599,150<br/><small>(1939)</small>
| align="left" |8,288
| align="left" |{{nobr|{{flag|Ukrainian SSR}}}}
| align="left" |{{nobr|{{flag|Moldavian SSR}}}}
|-
| align="center" |[[File:Coat of Arms of Tajik ASSR.png|50px]]
| align="center" |[[Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic]]
| align="center" |[[File:Flag of the Tajik Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (1924–1929).svg|100px]]
| align="left" |[[Dushanbe]]
| align="left" |[[Tajiks]]
| align="left" |1924–1929
| align="left" |740,000<br/><small>(1924)</small>
| align="left" |
| align="left" |{{flag|Uzbek SSR}}
| align="left" |{{flag|Tajik SSR}}
|}

[[Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic|Karelian ASSR]] was promoted to [[Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic]] in 1940 but demoted back in 1956.

==See also==
*[[Emblems of the Autonomous Soviet Republics]]
*[[Autonomous oblasts of the Soviet Union]]
*[[Autonomous okrugs of the Soviet Union]]
*[[National delimitation in the Soviet Union]]
*[[Republics of Russia]]
*[[Subdivisions of the Soviet Union]]
*[[Autonomous regions of China]]

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union}}
{{Soviet Union topics}}

[[Category:Autonomous republics of the Soviet Union| ]]
[[Category:1918 establishments in Russia]]
[[Category:1991 disestablishments in the Soviet Union]]