Office of the Historian

861.011/51

The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Thurston) to the Secretary of State

No. 726
Moscow, September 4, 1940.
[Received October 8.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith a translation made in the Embassy of a law adopted on August 7, 1940, by the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R., which makes certain routine alterations in the Constitution of the U. S. S. R., in connection with the organization of the newly acquired territories of Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

Respectfully yours,

Walter Thurston
[Enclosure—Translation]

Law of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R. Concerning the Amendment and Supplementation of Articles 13, 23 and 48 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the U. S. S. R.

In connection with the organization of the Constituent Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and the admission into the Union of Soviet [Page 217] Socialist Republics of the Constituent Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Constituent Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, and the Constituent Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic, to introduce amendments and supplementations into Articles 13, 23, and 48 of the Constitution (Fundamental Law) of the U. S. S. R., stating these articles as follows:

  • “Article 13. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics is a federal state, formed on the basis of the voluntary association of Soviet Socialist Republics having equal rights, namely:
    • The Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic,
    • The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Azerbaidzhan Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Tadzhik Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Kirgiz Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic,
    • The Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic”.
  • “Article 23. The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic consists of the oblasts: Akkerman, Vinnitsa, Volyn, Voroshilovgrad, Dnepropetrovsk, Drogobych, Zhitomir, Zaporozhe, Kamenets–Podolsk, Kiev, Kirovograd, Lvov, Nikolaev, Odessa, Poltava, Rovno, Stalino, Stanislav, Sumy, Tarnopol, Kharkov, Chernigov, and Chernovitsy”.
  • “Article 48. The Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R. shall elect, at a joint session of both houses, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R. to be constituted as follows: The President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R., sixteen assistants to him, the Secretary of the Presidium, and 24 members of the Presidium.
  • The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R. is accountable to the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R. for all its action.”

M. Kalinin

President of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R.
A. Gorkin

Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the U. S. S. R.
Moscow, August 7, 1940.