Oblasts of the Soviet Union

The oblasts of the Soviet Union were second-level administrative units of the Soviet Union, and first-level entities of the republics of the [Soviet Union].

Terminology

Oblast is a Slavic term that exists in the Russian language. Russian was official in all republics along with national languages of other republics.

By location

Baltic region

In the 1950s there were 10 oblasts in the three Baltic republics.

1953-04-28 Law on abolition of Pärnu, Tallinn and Tartu oblasts
1953-04-25 Law on abolition of Riga, Daugavpils and Liepāja oblasts
1953-05-28 Law on abolition of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda and Šiauliai oblasts

Transcaucasian region

In the 1950s there were 4 oblasts in two of the three Transcaucasian republics.

1953-04-23 Law on abolition of Baku and Ganja oblasts
1953-04-23 Law on abolition of Kutaisi and Tbilisi oblasts