The subjects of the Soviet Union (Russian: субъекты СССР, sub"yekty SSSR), colloquially known as union subjects (субъекты союза, sub"yekty soyuza, lit. "subjects of the union") are the top-level constituent entities within the Union of Soviet Sovereign Republics. The Soviet Union currently comprises of 38 union subjects, which includes 34 union republics (союзные республики, soyuznyye ryespubliki) and four union cities (города союзного значения, goroda soyuznogo znachyeniya; lit. "cities of union significance").