Turkmen SSR

Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic
Russian: Туркменская Советская Социалистическая Республика Turkmen: Түркменистан Совет Социалистик Республикасы
Soviet Socialist Republic (1925-91) De facto sovereign entity (1990–91) Sovereign state (1991-92)
1925-1992
Flag (1973-1992) State emblem (1937-1992)
Motto Әхли юртларың пролетарлары, бирлешиң! (Turkmen) Ähli ýurtlaryň proletarlary, birleşiň! (transliteration) "Proletarians of all nations, unite!"
Anthem Түркменистан Совет Социалистик Республикасы Дөвлет Гимни Türkmenistan Sowet Socialistik Respublikasy Döwlet Gimni "Anthem of the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic" (1946-92)
Location of Turkmenia (red) within the Soviet Union.
Capital		Ashkhabad
Languages		Official languages: Turkmen · Russian Minority languages: Uzbek
Demonym		Turkmen Soviet
Government		Unitary Marxist-Leninist one party Soviet socialist republic (until 1990) Unitary presidential republic (after 1990)
First Secretary
•	1924–1926	Ivan Mezhlauk
•	1985–1991	Saparmurat Niazov
Legislature		Supreme Soviet
History
•	Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR	7 August 1921
•	Republic proclaimed	13 May 1925
•	Sovereignty declared	22 August 1990
•	Independence declared	27 October 1991
•	Independence recognized	26 December 1991
•	New Turkmen Constitution	8 May 1992
Area
•	1989	488,100 km² (188,456 sq mi)
Population
•	1989 est.	3,522,700
Density		7.2 /km²  (18.7 /sq mi)
Currency		Soviet ruble (руб) (SUR) (1925-91; Union-wide) Russian ruble (RUB) (1991-92)
Calling code		+7 360/363/370/378/432
Preceded by Succeeded by Turkestan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Khorezm SSR Bukharan People's Soviet Republic Soviet Union Turkmenistan
Today part of		Turkmenistan

Turkmenia, officially the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR; Turkmen: Түркменистан Совет Социалистик Республикасы, Türkmenistan Sowet Sotsialistik Respublikasy; Russian: Туркменская Советская Социалистическая Республика, Turkmenskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), also commonly known as Soviet Turkmenia was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union located in Central Asia existed as a republic from 1925 to 1991 and as an sovereign state from 1991 to 1992. Initially, on 7 August 1921, it was established as the Turkmen Oblast of the Turkestan ASSR before being made, on 13 May 1925, a separate republic of the USSR as the Turkmen SSR.

Since then the borders of the Turkmenia were unchanged. On 22 August 1990, Turkmenia declared its sovereignty over Soviet laws. On 27 October 1991, it became independent and Turkmen SSR was renamed to Turkmenistan although the new Constitution of Turkmenistan was adopted on 8 May 1992.

Geographically, Turkmenia was bordered between Iran, Afghanistan to the south, Caspian Sea to the west, Kazakhstan to the north and Uzbekistan to the east.

Russian attempts to encroach upon Turkmen territory began in earnest in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Of all the Central Asian peoples, the Turkmen put up the stiffest resistance against Russian expansion. In 1869 the Russian Empire established a foothold in present-day Turkmenistan with the foundation of the Caspian Sea port of Krasnovodsk (now Türkmenbaşy). From there and other points, they marched on and subdued the Khiva Khanate in 1873. Because Turkmen tribes, most notably the Yomud, were in the military service of the Khivan khan, Russian forces undertook punitive raids against Khorazm, in the process slaughtering hundreds of Turkmen and destroying their settlements. In 1881 the Russians under General Mikhail Skobelev besieged and captured Geok Tepe, one of the last Turkmen strongholds, northwest of Ashgabat. With the Turkmen defeat (which is now marked by the Turkmen as a national day of mourning and a symbol of national pride), the annexation of what is present-day Turkmenistan met with only weak resistance. Later the same year, the Russians signed an agreement with the Persians and established what essentially remains the current border between Turkmenistan and Iran. In 1897 a similar agreement was signed between the Russians and Afghans.