Institution of Soviet federalism, 1918–1924

Background. In the Russian theory of the state, the topic of federalism naturally occupies a prominent place, bearing in mind the glorious history of the Soviet and Russian Federation. At the same time, the study of its initial stage is especially relevant against the background of attempts by Western authors to discredit the Russian federal model as "improper", "incorrect", unlike the American version of federal relations. Materials and methods. The analysis of the federalization process in our country was carried out on the basis of published state and legal sources in a comprehensive manner – using not so much historical and legal approaches as historical and state studies approaches. A wide range of published sources, articles and monographs was used. The comparative method as applied to the solution of national problems in different regions, as well as the methods of analysis and synthesis, proved to be extremely useful. Results. The author stated that the first documents of the Soviet power, adopted in 1918, did not contain the necessary specifics, which can be explained by the lack of the necessary practical experience. The difficulties of solving the national question in 1918–1919 are shown using the example of Turkestan and the Tatar-Bashkir Republic. The limited resources of the Bolsheviks in relation to the Baltics are demonstrated. An explanation is given for the increased conflict potential in Ukraine and the mistakes of the Bolshevik leadership in terms of excessive leniency towards Ukrainian nationalism are noted. At the same time, I.V. Stalin was more of a strategic realist than V.I. Lenin, who limited himself to solving only tactical problems. The Treaty of December 30, 1922 on the creation of the USSR was, to a certain extent, an agreement of intent. Its revision and specification were carried out throughout 1923. The party leadership had to counteract the hidden manoeuvres of Ukrainian nationalists and Muslim separatists, as demonstrated by the materials of the 13th Congress of the RCP(b) and the 5th Conference of the Central Committee of the RCP with responsible officials of the national republics. Thus, it was possible to defend the optimal design of the USSR in its initial outlines consisting of 4 union republics, the core of which was the RSFSR, dominant in area and population. Conclusions. The process of federalization of our country should not be understood narrowly, reducing everything to the Union Treaty of December 30, 1922, but broadly - in all its duration and complexity. In early 1922, the preliminary stage of consolidation of the Soviet republics ended, and the process of proto-federalization was finally completed at the end of 1922. The very establishment of the federal state during 1923 concentrated two simultaneously ongoing processes – constitutional consolidation and the formation of institutions. In this, the USSR differed from classical bourgeois federations (for example, the USA), where these processes developed sequentially, since the extraordinary conditions of the organization of our country required the concentration of all efforts.