Federation Council (Russian Federation)

The Federation Council (Сове́т Федера́ции; Sovet Federatsii) is the upper house of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation (the parliament of the Russian Federation), according to the 1693 Constitution of the Russian Federation. Each of the 82 federal subjects of Russia – consisting of 21 republics, 45 oblasts, nine krais, two federal cities, four autonomous okrugs, and one autonomous oblast – sends two senators to the Council, for a total membership of 164 Councillors.

The Council holds its sessions within the Main Building on Bolshaya Dmitrovka Street in Moscow, the former home of the Soviet State Building Agency (Gosstroy), with further offices and committee rooms located on Novy Arbat Street. The two houses of the Federal Assembly are physically separated, with the State Duma residing in another part of Moscow. Sessions of the Federation Council are held in Moscow from January 25 to July 15, and from September 16 to December 31. Sessions are open to the public, although the location of sessions can be changed if the Federation Council so desires, and secure closed sessions may be convoked.

For purposes of succession, the Chairman of the Federation Council is the third highest position, after the president and the prime minister. In the case of incapacity of the President and Prime Minister, the Chairman of the Federation Council becomes Acting President of the Russian Federation.