Chairman of the Supreme Soviet
| Heads of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | |
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| Residence | Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow |
| Precursor | None |
| Formation | 30 December 1922 |
| First holder | Mikhail Kalinin |
| Final holder | Mikhail Gorbachev |
| Abolished | 25 December 1991 |
| Succession | President of the Russian Federation |
| Vice heads of state of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics | |
|---|---|
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| Residence | Grand Kremlin Palace, Moscow |
| Formation | 7 October 1977 |
| First holder | Vasili Kuznetsov |
| Final holder | Gennady Yanayev |
| Abolished | 21 August 1991 |
The Constitution of the Soviet Union recognised the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and the earlier Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Congress of Soviets as the highest organs of state authority in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). Under the 1924, 1936 and 1977 Soviet Constitution these bodies served as the collective head of state of the Soviet Union. The Chairman of these bodies personally performed the largely ceremonial functions assigned to a single head of state but held little real power.
The Soviet Union was established in 1922. However, the country's first constitution was adopted in 1924. Before that time, the 1918 Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was adopted as the constitution of the USSR. According to the 1918 Constitution, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (CEC), whose chairman was head of state, had the power to determine what matters of income and taxation would go to the state budget and what would go to the local Soviets. The CEC could also limit taxes. In periods between convocations of the Congress of Soviets the CEC held supreme power. In between sessions of the Congress of Soviets the CEC was responsible for all the affairs of the Congress of Soviets. The CEC and the Congress of Soviets was replaced by the Presidium and the Supreme Soviet by several amendments to the 1936 constitution in 1938.
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