View source for Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of the Soviet Union

===Unification of republics===
On 28 December 1922, a conference of plenipotentiary delegations from the [[Russian SFSR]], the [[Transcaucasian SFSR]], the [[Ukrainian SSR]] and the [[Byelorussian SSR]] approved the [[Treaty of Creation of the USSR]] and the Declaration of the Creation of the USSR, forming the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. These two documents were confirmed by the 1st [[Congress of Soviets]] of the USSR and signed by the heads of the delegations, [[Mikhail Kalinin]], [[Mikha Tskhakaya]], [[Mikhail Frunze]], [[Grigory Petrovsky]], and [[Aleksandr Chervyakov]], on 30 December 1922.

On 1 February 1924, the USSR was recognized by the [[British Empire]]. The same year, a [[Soviet Constitution]] was approved, legitimizing the December 1922 union.

An intensive restructuring of the economy, industry and politics of the country began in the early days of Soviet power in 1917. A large part of this was done according to the [[Bolshevik Initial Decrees]], government documents signed by Vladimir Lenin. One of the most prominent breakthroughs was the [[GOELRO plan]], which envisioned a major restructuring of the Soviet economy based on total electrification of the country. The plan was developed in 1920 and covered a 10-to 15-year period. It included construction of a network of 30 regional power plants, including ten large hydroelectric power plants, and numerous electric-powered large industrial enterprises. The plan became the prototype for subsequent [[Five-Year Plans]] and was fulfilled by 1931.