What Countries Were Part of the Soviet Union?
The Soviet Union was made up of 15 constituent republics when it dissolved in December 1991. All 15 became independent countries: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The 15 Soviet Republics
| Republic | Region | Independence Declared |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Eastern Europe / Asia | 1991, as the Russian Federation |
| Ukraine | Eastern Europe | 1991 |
| Belarus | Eastern Europe | 1991 |
| Moldova | Eastern Europe | 1991 |
| Estonia | Baltic | 1991 (re-declared; first independent 1918–1940) |
| Latvia | Baltic | 1991 (re-declared; first independent 1918–1940) |
| Lithuania | Baltic | 1990 (re-declared; first independent 1918–1940) |
| Georgia | Caucasus | 1991 |
| Armenia | Caucasus | 1991 |
| Azerbaijan | Caucasus | 1991 |
| Kazakhstan | Central Asia | 1991 |
| Uzbekistan | Central Asia | 1991 |
| Turkmenistan | Central Asia | 1991 |
| Kyrgyzstan | Central Asia | 1991 |
| Tajikistan | Central Asia | 1991 |
How the Union Actually Fell Apart
Economic stagnation, the reform policies of glasnost and perestroika under Mikhail Gorbachev, and rising nationalist movements in the republics all built up through the late 1980s. The Baltic states led the way, formally moving toward independence in 1990, and a failed coup against Gorbachev in August 1991 accelerated the collapse. By December 1991, the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus signed the Belavezha Accords declaring the Soviet Union dissolved, and the Soviet flag came down over the Kremlin on December 25, 1991.
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Download on the App StoreThe Baltic States Were Different
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were independent countries between the two World Wars before being forcibly annexed by the USSR in 1940. Because of this, the Baltic states and many other countries treat their 1990–1991 independence as a restoration rather than a new creation, and they were the first republics to break away, ahead of the union's formal dissolution.
→The Newest Countries in the WorldWhat Happened to the Soviet Union's Territory?
No new sovereign territory was created or destroyed. The USSR's land was divided entirely among the 15 republics along their existing internal administrative borders, which is part of why several of today's territorial disputes, including Crimea, Nagorno-Karabakh, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, and Transnistria, trace back to how those internal Soviet boundaries were originally drawn.
How many countries were part of the Soviet Union?
Fifteen republics made up the USSR, and all fifteen became independent countries after its dissolution in 1991.
When did the Soviet Union officially end?
The Soviet Union was formally dissolved on December 26, 1991, following the Belavezha Accords signed earlier that month.
Which Soviet republics became independent first?
The three Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, declared independence in 1990 and 1991, ahead of the union's formal collapse.
Is Russia the same country as the Soviet Union?
No. Russia is one of the 15 successor states of the USSR, though it is internationally recognized as the continuation of the Soviet Union's UN seat and many of its treaty obligations.
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