1991 Soviet Union referendum

1991 Soviet Union referendum

17 March 1991 (1991-03-17)
Do you consider it necessary to preserve the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, in which the rights and freedoms of a person of any nationality will be fully guaranteed?
Results
Choice Votes % Yes 113,512,812 77.85% No 32,303,977 22.15% Valid votes 145,816,789 98.14% Invalid or blank votes 2,757,817 1.86% Total votes 148,574,606 100.00% Registered voters/turnout 185,647,355 80.03%
Results by republic   95-100% Yes   90-95% Yes   85-90% Yes   80-85% Yes   75-80% Yes   70-75% Yes   Not participating

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,^[1] although it was boycotted by authorities in six of the fifteen Soviet republics.

The referendum asked whether to approve a new Union Treaty between 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?^[2]

In Kazakhstan, the wording of the referendum was changed by substituting "equal sovereign states" for "equal sovereign republics".^[3]

In Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Kirghizia 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 breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia),^[4] Latvia, Lithuania, and Moldova (though not in Transnistria and Gagauzia),^[5] turnout was 80% across the rest of the Soviet Union.^[3]

The referendum's question was approved by nearly 80% of voters in all nine other republics that took part.^[6] 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.^[7]

The following question was asked:

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.^[8] 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?^{[clarification needed]} (Yes/No)
• Do you feel the need to safeguard the Union in the renewed human rights and freedoms of any nationality?^{[clarification needed]} (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,^[9][10] the Congress adopted two decisions on holding a referendum on the private ownership of land [6] and on the preservation of the Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign of Soviet Socialist Republics [7]. 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.^[9]

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.^[9]

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,^[11] the Congress of People's Deputies USSR decided:

1. 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.
2. 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^[11]

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.^[12]

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".^[13]

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:

1. 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.
2. 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".

3. 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 № 1910-1^[13]

Republic and Autonomous Oblast	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters	Turnout
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Russian SFSR	56,860,783	73.00	21,030,753	27.00	1,809,633	79,701,169	105,643,364	75.44
Bashkiria	1,908,875	85.9	269,007	12.1	43,276	2,221,158	2,719,637	81.7
Buryatia	447,438	83.5	78,167	14.6	10,197	535,802	668,231	80.2
Dagestan	670,488	82.6	131,522	16.2	9,999	812,009	1,008,626	80.5
Kabardino-Balkaria	290,380	77.9	77,339	20.8	4,888	372,607	489,436	76.1
Kalmykia	148,462	87.8	17,833	10.5	2,829	169,124	204,301	82.8
Karelia	317,854	76.0	92,703	22.0	7,544	418,101	551,644	75.8
Komi	412,842	76.0	119,678	22.0	10,883	543,403	797,049	75.44
Mari	333,319	79.6	77,239	18.5	8,041	418,599	525,685	79.6
Mordovia	459,021	80.3	101,886	17.8	10,724	571,631	677,706	84.3
North Ossetia	331,823	90.2	32,786	8.9	3,249	367,858	428,307	85.9
Tatarstan	1,708,193	87.5	211,516	10.8	32,059	1,951,768	2,532,383	77.1
Tuva	126,598	91.4	9,404	6.8	2,494	138,496	171,731	80.6
Udmurtia	622,714	76.0	180,289	22.0	16,137	819,140	1,103,083	74.3
Checheno-Ingushetia	318,059	75.9	94,737	22.6	6,216	419,012	712,139	58.8
Chuvashia	616,387	82.4	113,249	15.1	18,784	748,420	900,913	81.3
Yakutia	415,712	76.7	116,798	21.6	9,483	541,993	688,679	78.7
Byelorussia	5,069,313	83.72	986,079	16.28	71,591	6,126,983	7,354,796	83.31
Ukraine	22,110,899	71.48	8,820,089	28.52	583,256	31,514,244	37,732,178	83.52
Gagauzia (Moldavia)
Transnistria (Moldavia)
Abkhazia (Georgia)	164,231	98.5	1,566	0.9	747	166,544	318,317	52.3
South Ossetia (Georgia)
Azerbaijan	2,709,246	94.12	169,225	5.88	25,326	2,903,797	3,866,659	75.10
Nakhichevan	31,328	87.3	3,620	10.1	918	35,866	174,364	20.6
Kazakhstan	8,295,519	95.00	436,560	5.00	84,464	8,816,543	9,999,433	88.17
Kirghizia	2,057,971	95.98	86,246	4.02	30,377	2,174,593	2,341,646	92.87
Tajikistan	2,315,755	96.85	75,300	3.15	16,497	2,407,552	2,549,096	94.45
Turkmenia	1,766,584	98.26	31,203	1.74	6,531	1,804,310	1,846,310	97.66
Uzbekistan	9,196,848	94.73	511,373	5.27	108,112	9,816,333	10,287,938	95.42
Karakalpakstan	563,916	97.6	10,133	1.8	3,668	577,717	584,208	98.9
Source: Direct Democracy

An official referendum had been held in Estonia on 3 March 1991 on whether to restore the Estonian republic that had been occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940. The result was 77.8% in favour of restoring the Estonian republic.^[15] Latvia also held an official referendum on 3 March 1991, when the overwhelming majority voted to restore the independent Latvian republic. Lithuania had held a referendum on 9 February 1991, in which 93% of voters had approved independence.

Georgia was to hold its own independence referendum two weeks later, and Armenia on 21 September.

Consequently, in these republics, pro-Soviet front-organisations organised voluntary referendums without official sanction.^[16][17] Turnout of voting here was considerably less than 50% of the franchised voters of these countries^{[citation needed]}, but this information was not included in the official statement of the Central Commission of the Referendum of USSR.^[18]

Republic and Autonomous Oblast	For		Against		Invalid votes	Total votes	Registered voters (not equal to franchised voters)	Turnout (based on registered, not franchised voters)
	Votes	%	Votes	%
Armenia	2,541	72.46	966	27.54	42	3,549	4,923	72.09
Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan)
Georgia[a]	43,950	99.98	9	0.02	53	44,012	45,696	96.31
Moldova	688,905	98.72	8,916	1.28	3,072	700,893	841,507	83.29
Estonia	211,090	95.46	10,040	4.54	1,110	222,240	299,681	74.16
Latvia	415,147	95.84	18,015	4.16	3,621	436,783	670,828	65.11
Lithuania	496,050	99.13	4,355	0.87	970	436,783	582,262	86.11
Source: Direct Democracy

In several of the republics, additional questions were added to the ballot. In Russia, an additional question was asked on whether an elective post of the president of Russia should be created. In Kirghizia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan the additional question was on the sovereignty of their republics as part of a new union.^[3]

In Kirghizia, voters were also asked "Do you agree that the Republic of Kirghizistan should be in the renewed Union as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 62.2% of voters, although turnout was lower at 81.7%, compared to 92.9% in the Union-wide referendum.^[19]

In Ukraine, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Ukraine should be part of a Union of Soviet sovereign states on the basis on the Declaration of State Sovereignty of Ukraine?"^[20] The proposal was approved by 81.7% of voters.^[20] Ukraine later held its own referendum on 1 December, in which 92% voted for independence.

At the same day a referendum in the Galician provinces Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, and Ternopil asked the three regions of the USSR about the creation of independent state of Ukraine.^[21][22] 88% of the voters in this referendum supported Ukraine's independence.^[23]

In Uzbekistan, voters were also asked "Do you agree that Uzbekistan should remain part of a renewed Union (federation) as a sovereign republic with equal rights?" It was approved by 94.9% of voters, with a turnout of 95.5%.^[2] On 29 December 98% of Uzbeks would vote for full independence.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2024)

For further reading on subsequent events:

• Dissolution of the Soviet Union § 1990 §§ Western republics
• August Coup

• Dissolution of the Soviet Union

• Quotations related to Soviet Union at Wikiquote