Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

The Supreme Soviet (Russian: Верховный Совет, Verhovnıy Sovet; lit. "Supreme Council") is the national legislature of the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. The Supreme Soviet was established under the 1936 constitution of the Old Union and has remained mostly unchanged to it's dissolution. Nowadays, it is a bicameral legislature that serves four-year terms and consists of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of the Deputies.

The Soviet of the Union
The Soviet of the Union (Russian: Совет Союза, Sovet Soyuza), informally referred to as the Senate of the USSR (Russian: Сенат СССР, Senat SSSR), is the Upper house of the Supreme Soviet. First convened in 2015, the composition and powers of the Soviet of the Union are established in Chapter 12 of the Constitution. The Soviet of the Union meets in Moscow's White House. Each SSR is represented by 32 senators, each CUI by 24, each ASSR by 16, and each Autonomus Oblast by 8, regardless of population. The senators are appointed by the appropriate legislatures.

Unlike the US Senate, the Soviet of the Union has a single exclusive power not granted to the Soviet of Deputies - trial of government officials impeached by the SoD. The Soviet of the Union is widely considered to be both a more deliberative and more prestigious body than the Soviet of Deputies, due to its relatively smaller size and its lack of political parties, which historically led to a more collegial and less partisan atmosphere. The Soviet of the Union is sometimes called the "world's greatest deliberative body," sometimes pejoratively.

The Soviet of the Union elects a Speaker (who would lead the sessions of the chamber), his four deputies, and permanent commissions.

For purposes of succession, the Speaker of the Soviet of the Union is the third highest position, after the president and the prime minister. In the case of incapacity of the President and Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Soviet of the Union becomes Acting President of the USSR.

The Soviet of Deputies
The Soviet of Deputies (Russian: Совет Депутатов, Sovet Deputatov), informally referred to as the Duma of the USSR (Russian: Дума СССР, Duma SSSR), is the Lower house of the Supreme Soviet.

The composition and powers of the Soviet of Deputies are established in Chapter 12 of the Constitution. The Soviet of Deputies has a single exclusive power not granted to the Soviet of the Union - impeachment of officials (impeached officials are subsequently tried in the Soviet of the Union).

The Soviet of Deputies meets in the State Kremlin Palace and consists of 1500 deputies elected by the D'Hondt method of Party-list proportional representation.

The Soviet of Deputies elects a Chairman (who would lead the sessions of the chamber), his four deputies, and permanent commissions.