Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic

Socialist Soviet Republic of Armenia (1920–1936) Հայաստանի Սոցիալիստական Խորհրդային Հանրապետություն (Armenian) Социалистическая Советская Республика Армения (Russian) Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (1936–1990) Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Ռեսպուբլիկա (Armenian) Армянская Советская Социалистическая Республика (Russian) Republic of Armenia (1990–1991) Հայաստանի Հանրապետություն (Armenian) Республика Армения (Russian)
1920–1991 (1922–1936; Part of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic)
Flag (1952–1990) State emblem (1937–1991)
Motto: Պրոլետարներ բոլոր երկրների, միացե՜ք (Armenian) Proletarner bolor erkrneri, miac’ek’ (transliteration) "Proletarians of all countries, unite!"
Anthem: Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետություն օրհներգ Haykakan Sovetakan Soc’ialistakan Hanrapetut’yun òrhnerg "Anthem of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic" (1944–1991)
Location of Armenia (red) within the Soviet Union
Status	Semi-independent state (1920–1922) Part of the Transcaucasian SFSR (1922–1936) Union republic (1936–1991) De facto independent state (1990–1991)
Capital and largest city	Yerevan
Official languages	Armenian (state language) Russian (official)
Religion	Secular state (de jure) State atheism (de facto) Armenian Apostolic (majority)
Demonym(s)	Armenian Soviet
Government	1920–1990: Unitary Marxist-Leninist single-party Soviet socialist republic 1990–1991: Unitary multi-party parliamentary republic Nov–Dec. 1991: Unitary multi-party semi-presidential republic
First Secretary
• 1920–1921 (first)	Gevork Alikhanyan
• 1990 (last)[1]	Vladimir Movsisyan
Head of state
• 1920–1921 (first)	Sarkis Kasyan
• 1990–1991 (last)	Levon Ter-Petrosyan
Head of government
• 1921–1922 (first)	Alexander Miasnikian
• 1991 (last)	Gagik Harutyunyan
Legislature	Supreme Soviet
History
• Republic proclaimed	2 December 1920
• Becomes part of the Transcaucasian SFSR	30 December 1922
• Re-established	5 December 1936
• First Nagorno-Karabakh War	20 February 1988
• Independence declared, Renamed Republic of Armenia	23 August 1990
• Independence referendum	21 September 1991
• Independence recognized	26 December 1991
• Soviet government abolished	5 July 1995
HDI (1991)	0.648 medium
Currency	Soviet ruble (Rbl) (SUR)
Calling code	+7 885
Preceded by Succeeded by First Republic of Armenia Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic Republic of Mountainous Armenia Armenia
Today part of	Armenia

Part of a series on the
History of Armenia
Prehistory Shulaveri–Shomu culture Kura–Araxes culture Legend of Hayk Trialeti–Vanadzor culture Armani Lchashen–Metsamor culture Hayasa-Azzi Arme–Shupria Mushki Urumu Nairi Confederation Urartu (Kingdom of Van) Etiuni
Antiquity Satrapy of Armenia Armenia Minor Kingdom of Armenia Armenian Empire Roman Armenia Christianization of Armenia Kingdom of Sophene Commagene Byzantine Armenia Sasanian Armenia Muslim conquest of Armenia
Middle Ages Emirate of Armenia Principality of Hamamshen Kingdom of Armenia Kingdom of Vaspurakan Kingdom of Tashir-Dzoraget Kingdom of Syunik Kingdom of Artsakh Zakarid Armenia Principality of Khachen Mongol Armenia Kingdom of Cilicia
Early modern age Iranian Armenia Five Melikdoms Ottoman Armenia Russian Armenia Armenian Oblast Armenian question Armenian genocide Western Armenia National movement
Modern age First Republic of Armenia Armenian S.S.R. Republic of Mountainous Armenia Contemporary Armenia Republic of Artsakh
Timeline • Origins • Etymology
v t e

The Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic,^[a] also known as Soviet Armenia,^[b] or simply Armenia,^[d] was one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union, located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Soviet Armenia bordered the Soviet Republics of Azerbaijan and Georgia and the independent states of Iran and Turkey. The capital of the republic was Yerevan and it contained thirty-seven districts (raions). Other major cities in the ArmSSR included Leninakan, Kirovakan, Hrazdan, Etchmiadzin, and Kapan. The republic was governed by Communist Party of Armenia, a branch of the main Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

Soviet Armenia was established on 2 December 1920, with the Sovietization of the short-lived First Republic of Armenia. Consequently, historians often refer to it as the Second Republic of Armenia.^[3] It became part of the Transcaucasian SFSR, along with neighboring Georgia and Azerbaijan, which comprised one of the four founding republics of the USSR. When the TSFSR was dissolved in 1936, Armenia became a full republic of the Soviet Union.

As part of the Soviet Union, Armenia initially experienced stabilization under the administration of Alexander Miasnikian during Lenin's New Economic Policy (NEP). During its seventy-one year history, the republic was transformed from a largely agricultural hinterland to an important industrial production center, while its population almost quadrupled from around 880,000 in 1926 to 3.3 million in 1989 due to natural growth and large-scale influx of Armenian genocide survivors and their descendants.

Soviet Armenia suffered during the Great Purge of Joseph Stalin, but contributed significantly to the Soviet victory in the Great Patriotic War of World War II. After the death of Stalin, Armenia experienced a new period of liberalization during the Khrushchev Thaw. Following the Brezhnev era, Mikhail Gorbachev's reforms of glasnost and perestroika led to the rise of the Karabakh movement. The republic declared "state sovereignty" on 23 August 1990, boycotted the March 1991 referendum on the New Union Treaty, and on 21 September 1991, held a successful independence referendum. It was recognized on 26 December 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, although the republic's 1978 Soviet constitution remained in effect with major amendments until 5 July 1995 when the new Armenian constitution was adopted via referendum.

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