which countries were part of the soviet union
The Soviet Union was made up of 15 union republics, all of which are now independent countries.
Core list of countries
These are the countries that were part of the Soviet Union in its final form before it dissolved in 1991:
- Russia (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic)
- Ukraine
- Belarus (then Belorussia)
- Moldova (then Moldavia)
- Lithuania
- Latvia
- Estonia
- Georgia
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Uzbekistan
- Turkmenistan
- Kyrgyzstan (then Kirgiziya)
- Tajikistan
All 15 are often called the “post‑Soviet states” today and are recognized as sovereign countries.
Quick scoop context
- These republics together formed the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) between the early 1920s and 1991.
- After the USSR collapsed in December 1991, each republic became an independent state with its own government and foreign policy.
| Modern country | Was it in the USSR? |
|---|---|
| Russia | Yes (core republic and largest successor state) |
| Ukraine | Yes |
| Belarus | Yes |
| Moldova | Yes |
| Lithuania | Yes |
| Latvia | Yes |
| Estonia | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes |
| Armenia | Yes |
| Azerbaijan | Yes |
| Kazakhstan | Yes |
| Uzbekistan | Yes |
| Turkmenistan | Yes |
| Kyrgyzstan | Yes |
| Tajikistan | Yes |
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.
