The ministries of the
Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic were central bodies of state administration of the
Ukrainian SSR (for brevity Ukraine) as republican ministries of the
Soviet Union. Among other central bodies of state administration there also were committees, state committees, and other agencies. After
World War II in 1946 ministries uniformly as throughout the rest of the
Soviet Union replaced the existing
People's Commissariats. The ministries were part of the Council of Ministries of the UkrSSR until 18 April 1991 when the latter was reformed into the Cabinet of Ministries of the UkrSSR.[1]
General overview
Ministries of the Ukrainian SSR governed their assigned sectors of economy, socially-cultural, and administratively-political administrations within the
Ukrainian SSR. Ministries of the Ukrainian SSR were categorized in union-republican and republican, such division existed until May 13, 1991.[2] Supposedly republican ministries were administered by the
Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, while union-republican ministries had double subordination to the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR as well as to their respective union-republican ministries of the Soviet Union or in some instances - state committees of the Soviet Union.
The general principles of organization and functioning of ministries of the Ukrainian SSR are regulated by the
Constitution of the Soviet Union,
Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, and other legal acts. More detailed regulations are established by the Law of the Ukrainian SSR about the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR of December 19, 1978. Additionally each ministry has its own statute that defines its tasks, powers, and legal status.
Ministries of the Ukrainian SSR are headed by their ministers. Ministries are responsible for status and development of their respective sector and execution of state plans as well as solution of other tasks that those sectors face.
In 1981 there were at least 28 union-republican ministries in Ukraine and only six republican ministries. After transformation of the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR into the Cabinet of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR, number of ministers decreased substantially, while their categorization on union-republican and republican was eliminated after the adaptation of
Declaration on State Sovereignty of Ukraine.[3]
List of Ministries
In bold are ministries that were kept or revived in post-Soviet Ukraine.
Union-republican
Ministry of Internal Affairs (1917–present)
Ministry of State Security (1941, 1943–1953) merged with the Ministry of Interior Affairs
Ministry of Civil Housing Construction (1943–1957)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1917–1920, 1944–present)
Ministry of Light Industry (1932–1934, 1936–1957, 1965–1991) → State Committee of Light Industry
Ministry of Textile Industry (1939–1949, 1955–1956) → Ministry of Light Industry
Ministry of Forestry (1947–1953, 1966–1994)
Ministry of Forest, [Wood, and Paper] Industry (1936–1957, 1965–1990) → "Ukrlisprom"
Ministry of Furniture and Carpentry (1946–1953) → Ministry of Forestry, and Paper
Ministry of Paper and Woodworking Industry (1955–1957)
Ministry of Meat and Diary Industry (1939–1957, 1965–1985) → State Committee of Agrarian-Industrial Complex
Ministry of Education (People's Education) (1917–present) → with Ministry of Science
Ministry of Health Care (1918–present)
Ministry of Construction Materials Industry (1939–1958, 1965–1991) → "Ukrbudmaterialy"
Ministry of Trade (1924–1930, 1934–1994, 1995–2000, 2010–present) → with Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations in 1992–1994 and 1995–2000, with Economical Development
People's Commissariat of Procurement (1930–1935)
Ministry of Finance (1917–present)
Ministry of Food Industry (1936–1957, 1965–1985, 1991–1997, 2010–2019) → with Ministry of Foreign Economic Relations in 1991–1997, 2010–2019
Ministry of Tasting Industry (1946–1949) → Ministry of Food Industry
Ministry of Justice (1917–1963, 1970–present)
Ministry of Culture (Cinematography) (1946–present) with Ministry of Arts (1995–2005), with Ministry of Tourism (2005–2010), with Ministry of Youth and Sports (2019–present)
Ministry of Communication (1955–1991, 1992–1997, 2004–2010) with Ministry of Transportation
Ministry of Higher and Special General Education (1955–1959, 1960–1991) → State Committee on issues of Science and Technology
Ministry of Construction [Industrial] (1956–1967, 1973–1991, 1992–1919) → with Ministry of Investments (1991–1992), with Ministry of Architecture (1992–1994), with Ministry of Architecture and Public Housing (2005–2007), with Ministry of Regional Development (2007–2019), with Ministry of Public Housing (2010–2019)
Ministry of Construction of Heavy Industry Companies
Ministry of Geology
Ministry of Power Generation and Electrification
Ministry of Amelioration and Water Management
Ministry of Montage and Special Construction
Ministry of Fruit and Vegetable Farming
Ministry of Rural Construction
Republican
Ministry of [Automobile] Transportation (1939–2010)[4] merged with the Ministry of Communication in 2004
Ministry of Public Housing (Public Services) (1931–1957, 1960–1990, 2005–2019)
Ministry of Local Industry (1934–1957, 1965–1990)
Ministry of Local Fueling Industry (1939–1957) merged with the Ministry of Local Industry in 1953
Ministry of Social Security (1918–1996, 1997–present) in 1997–2010 along with Ministry of Labor
Ministry of Construction and Exploitation of Automobile Roads
Ministry of Consumer Services of Population
Other
Ministry of Defense (1917–1920, 1944-1978 under undefined status, 1991-present)
Ministry of State Control (1918–1934, 1940–1957) → Commission of People's Control
People's Commissariat of Workers'-Peasants' Inspection merged with People's Commissariat of State Control
Ministry of Agriculture (Land Cultivation) (1917–1985, 1991–present) → with Ministry of Food Industry 1991–1997, 2010–2019, with Ministry of Regional Development and Trade 2019–present