All-Union Referendum of 17 March 1991

Background

On 24 December 1990, the Fourth Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR, voting by name, resolved to preserve the Soviet Union as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics and called a referendum. Five questions were originally proposed: (1) whether the USSR should be preserved as a renewed federation of equal sovereign republics, (2) whether the USSR should be preserved as a single state, (3) whether the socialist system should be preserved in the USSR, (4) whether Soviet power should be preserved in the renewed Union, (5) whether the rights and freedoms of every nationality should be guaranteed. On 16 January 1991 the Supreme Soviet whittled these down to the single ballot question.

Boycott and regional variation

Six republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Armenia, and Georgia) officially refused to hold the referendum, though voting still took place there at polling stations organised by military units, local soviets, and labour collectives. Kazakhstan changed the ballot wording to read "equal sovereign states" instead of "equal sovereign republics." Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Kirghizia added supplementary questions on republican sovereignty; Russia simultaneously held a referendum on creating the post of president of the RSFSR.

Results and the unimplemented mandate

Of 185.65 million registered voters, 148.57 million cast ballots (80.0%), with 113.51 million in favour (76.4%), 32.30 million against (21.7%), and 2.76 million invalid. Central Asian republics returned overwhelming support (Turkmenistan 97.9%, Tajikistan 96.2%, Kirghizia 96.4%) while Moscow and Leningrad were nearly split and Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg) recorded only 34% in favour. On 21 March the Supreme Soviet declared the result final and binding across the whole USSR, but the August putsch rendered it moot.