What If: Moscow as a "Union Territory" under USSR?

[King Alexander]

The 15 Republics of the Soviet Union were the first-level administrative divisions of the Union, which was a highly centralised state while keeping a nominal federalised constitutional framework. The Union capital Moscow was part of the RSFSR, unlike many other countries where the national capital was its own first-level sub-division. So here is a question, what if somehow during the formation of the Soviet Union, Moscow was separated from the RSFSR and become a "Union Territory", akin to the Australian Capital Territory of Canberra, the Federal District of Brasilia, and Washington D.C.? (A "Union Territory" was more likely than another Republic since Soviet Republics were nominally organised along ethnic lines). This "Union Territory" will be on the same level with the 15 Republics.

How would the history and politics of the Union be affected by this?

 

[LSCatilina]

Could it be linked to the so-called Leningrad Affair, with an earlier death of Stalin and greater de-stalinization backlash in the 40's including an actual project of making Leningrad the capitol of the RSFSR while Moscow kept being the union capital?

Another point that could be linked would be the possibility of having a "Russian Communist Party" along the lines of other SSRs, contrary to IOTL.

 

[Jackson Lennock]

Another point that could be linked would be the possibility of having a "Russian Communist Party" along the lines of other SSRs, contrary to IOTL.

Even though much of Russian Nationalism today is tied to Soviet nostalgia, the USSR was very wary of Russian Nationalism. This was why (IIRC) there was no specifically Russian Communist Party.