The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a state in Eurasia that existed from 1922 to 1991. The Soviet power in this territory was established resulting from the October Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent Civil War, which led to a consolidation of 4 republics: RSFSR, the Ukrainian SSR, the Byelorussian SSR and the Transcaucasian SFSR.
On December 30, 1922, they were formed into a single state, the USSR, with integrated government authorities and the capital in Moscow, while each federal republic retained de jure the right of a free exit from the Union. According to the Constitution of 1977, the USSR was proclaimed a unified federal multinational socialist State. Federal republics were considered sovereign states. Their number varied from 4 to 16; the USSR boundaries actively enlarged.
In the second half of the 1980s, the USSR encountered an economic and political crisis; an internal political conflict between the federal center and the Union republics intensified. The consequences of all these events led to a collapse of the USSR in 1991. By the time of the break-up, the USSR consisted of 15 federal republics.
The Russian Federation was de facto recognized the legal successor state to the USSR in the international legal relations and took its place in the UN Security Council.
The postal block provides images of coats of arms of 15 Union Republics; the postage stamp features the coat of arms of the USSR.
| Paper |
Printing method |
Perforation |
Format of the block |
Format of the stamp |
Edition |
| Chalk surfaced |
Offset + bronzed paste + partial varnishing + congreve embossing + round cutting + security system |
Frame 11½ |
round d-100 mm |
37 × 37 mm |
30 thousand blocks |