Its membership was elected for the first time on December 27, 1938, at the first session of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR.
The presidium was competent to issue ukazes and resolutions and possessed the right of legislative initiative in the Supreme Soviet, and was, in effect, the Ukrainian SSR's collective head of state.
Some of the powers were delegated to the newly created post of the President of Ukraine, while others were transferred to the Verkhovna Rada.
With the adoption of the post-Soviet constitution in 1996, the presidium was dissolved, though the term is still collectively applied to the chairman, deputy chairmen and occasionally also to the parliamentary faction leaders of the Verkhovna Rada.
The presidium was initially composed of a chairman, two vice chairmen, a secretary, and fifteen ordinary members.