Former Soviet Republics: National and Supranational Subject Headings

This chapter discusses the application of subject headings for 14 of the 15 countries which made up the Soviet Union. It looks first at individual countries. It then examines subject usage for the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and the heading Former Soviet republics, each of which covered/covers all (or almost all) of the geographic span of the 15 countries.

The former Soviet republic not included in this chapter is the Russian Federation, whose unique geographical and political influence within the union causes particular complications for the cataloger. Headings for the Russian Federation, past and present, are discussed in Russia / Soviet Union / Russia (Federation) Subject Headings.

Individual countries

The Soviet Union consisted of 15 republics. For 11 of these, the Name Authority File contains one form for the Soviet republic (e.g., Byelorussian S.S.R.) and another for the post-Soviet successor state (e.g., Belarus). The other 4 republics have a single form for the Soviet and modern state - these are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Ukraine.

In terms of subject cataloging, however, as stated in SHM H708, the latest form of geographic name should be used “as long as the territorial identity remains essentially unchanged”. As a result, the post-Soviet state form is used for subject headings for the Soviet and post-Soviet country.

In many cases, the modern country is also the appropriate subject form to use for earlier periods too. This is not, however, the case across the board, because the “territorial identity” of many countries did change when they were constituted as Soviet republics. It is important that the cataloger consults both the list referred to in the next paragraph and the subject authority file to ensure correct usage. (Note, though, that - as SHM H830 section 2 tells us - local geographical subdivisions are always made using the current jurisdictional name “regardless of the form of the name or period covered in the work cataloged”.)

A list of authorized access points for the individual countries can be found in Authorized Access Points for Countries and Areas in the Former Soviet Space. Subject usage guidance is provided. The list also includes authorized access points for many pre-Soviet states and for entities which covered some or all of the territory of more than one modern state (e.g., Kievan Rusʹ and the Zakavkaz Socialist Federative Soviet Republic). Note that not all authorized access points in that list can be applied as subject headings; please read the notes on this point accompanying each heading carefully.

Major group headings

Almost all of the former Soviet republics were also part of the territory of the Russian Empire. For material which covers a greater number of individual countries than can sensibly or correctly be listed individually, the supranational headings Russia (for the Russian Empire), Soviet Union, and Former Soviet republics should be used. The timeline below shows how these three headings apply.

Historical subjects

For historical subjects, the cataloger uses the heading appropriate for that period. If the material in question is about the Russian Empire, the heading is Russia; if it is about the Soviet Union, the heading is Soviet Union; if it is about that area after the end of the Soviet Union, the heading is Former Soviet republics. [Note that the heading Commonwealth of Independent States is not synonymous with Former Soviet republics. The Commonwealth has never included all 15 former republics.]

Examples of history subject headings:

Russia--History--Peter I, 1689-1725
(resource on the Russian Empire under Peter the Great)

Soviet Union--History--1925-1953
(resource on the Stalin era of the Soviet Union)

Former Soviet republics--History--1991-
(resource on the republics since the December 1991 dissolution of the Soviet Union)

A resource might describe a subject’s history covering more than one of the three major eras. In that case, subject headings will need to be doubled or tripled as necessary. For example, a 2010 book providing a history of agriculture in the former Soviet republics over the last 300 years would require three subject headings:

Agriculture--Russia--History

Agriculture--Soviet Union--History

Agriculture--Former Soviet republics--History

It is worth drawing attention here to the point that the free-floating subdivision 20th century should never be applied to a Soviet subject heading. The Soviet Union existed only in that period, so there is no need to specify the century. For example:

Philosophy--Soviet Union--History

NOT Philosophy--Soviet Union--History--20th century

Note that most catalogs will, however, contain examples of incorrect usage. Many of those records were added during the Soviet period, when there was no reason to think that the Soviet Union would not last into another century – at that point in time, then, the use of the subdivision 20th century would have been perfectly correct. Since such usage is now incorrect, the subdivision should be removed whenever encountered.

Non-historical subjects

If the resource in hand deals with a non-historical subject, the cataloger must use the date of publication to determine the correct geographical subdivision to use. Our example is a book about birds in the area:

published in 1900: Birds--Russia

published in 1950: Birds--Soviet Union

published in 2000: Birds--Former Soviet republics

Biographical subjects

When applying biographical subject headings, consider what is appropriate in term of geographical elements for the person in question. Is the individual country appropriate or the supranational entity? Stalin, for example, came from Georgia. Books about him, however, will more standardly feature the subdivision “Soviet Union” (in the construction Heads of state--Soviet Union--Biography) because it is normally his role as the head of the supranational Soviet state that is the subject of the resource in hand. For persons less connected with the supranational entity, a local country subdivision is normally more appropriate. For example, the historian Mykhaĭlo Hrushevsʹkyĭ lived and worked within the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union, but his identification is very strongly with Ukraine. A biography of Hrushevsʹkyĭ would therefore have the subject heading Historians--Ukraine--Biography.

In some cases, both supranational and national subdivisions might be appropriate. Ėduard Shevardnadze, for example, held political office in the Soviet Union and also in independent Georgia. A biography of him might include the headings Politicians--Soviet Union--Biography and Presidents--Georgia (Republic)--Biography.

Overview of past practice

In the late Soviet period, the subject heading for the Russian Empire – Russia – was dropped in favor of the heading Soviet Union. In 1992, the heading Russia was restored for the pre-Soviet period. This change is reflected in the authority file by the presence of references such as:

Soviet Union--History--Alexander I, 1801-1825

SEE Russia--History--Alexander I, 1801-1825

Many catalog records, however, continue to reflect previous practice. These should be corrected when encountered. No catalog record for a resource either solely about the Russian Empire or published before 1917 should have Soviet Union subject headings.

Revised: Oct. 2015