Special Sub-Topic: Union of Soviet Social Republics Click Here To Play: Union of Soviet Social Republics

The principal languages of the USSR consisted of Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Georgian, Armenian, and what other language?

Uzbek. With the USSR consisting of 15 republics, they had the need for several principal languages. The 15 republics were: Russia, Ukraine, Byelorussia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaidan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistakn, Turkmenistan, Kirgizstan, and Tadzhikistan. The different languages were Russian, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Georgian, Armenian, and Uzbek.

The USSR bordered on twelve foreign states. What two foreign states immediately bordered the USSR to the North West?

Norway and Finland. In the NW, the USSR was bordered by Norway and Finland; on the West, Poland and Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Rumania; to the South, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan; to the South East, Communist China, the Mongolian People's Republic, and North Korea.

After May 14, 1955, the USSR were allied to seven other states of Eastern Europe. What was the name of this military alliance?

Warsaw Pact. The members of this bloc, besides the Soviet Union, were Bulgaria, Hungary, the Germany Democratic Republic, Poland, Rumania, and Czechoslovakia. Albania was excluded from membership in 1962. Only on the North West and south did the USSR directly confront countries whose political and social structure and way of life were non-communist.

Economically, the most important Russian river is the ______ River?

Volga. The Volga River carried about half of the river freight of the country. It was as important to the Soviet Union as the Mississippi River is today to the United States. Although navigation ceased on Soviet rivers for a short time during the winter, the waterways were well suited for inland water transport.

What body of water was the largest fresh water lake in the USSR?

Lake Baikal. Lake Baikal covers an area of more than 13,000 square miles and is also one of the deepest lakes in the world.

What was the capital of the USSR?

Moscow. Leningrad (formerly Petrograd and St. Petersburg) was the Russian Empire capital from its founding by Peter the Great in 1703, until Communists re-established Moscow as the new capital in 1918.

What was the most famous Soviet art museum?

Hermitage. The Hermitage (in St. Petersburg) was founded by Catherine the Great in the 18th Century.

When was the last version of the Soviet constitution adopted?

1977. The various versions of the Soviet constitution proclaimed the basic principals not merely of the Soviet political order, but also of economic and social life. These included the socialist system of economy, state ownership of land, factories, mines, economic planning, and the duty of all able bodied citizens to work. They also purported to guarantee many well established 'Western' rights, such as freedom of worship, but this was purely for show.

Next to the Politburo of the Communist Party, what was the most important policy-making body in the USSR?

Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers acted indirectly as a legislative body, preparing legislation to be introduced at sessions of the Supreme Soviet. It also administered almost all aspects of Soviet economic and cultural life.

Ivan IV (reigned 1533-84) was also known by what other name?

Ivan the Terrible. "Ivan the Terrible" was the first to be crowned "tsar". (The Princes of Muscovy had claimed the title since 1472). After the Livonian order was secularized and most of its territory passed to Sweden, many boyars had resisted war. Ivan's answer was to inaugurate a "reign of terror" executing boyars and confiscating their estates, which he distributed to new holders personally dependant on himself. He also put the full force of the state behind the dvoryane (lesser nobles) against the peasantry.