Petrograd Soviet of working people' and soldiers' deputies

Categories / City Administration/Government Bodies
PETROGRAD SOVIET OF WORKING PEOPLE' AND SOLDIERS' DEPUTIES (Petrograd Soviet), was established on February 27 (March 12 New Style), 1917 as Petrograd Soviet of working people's deputies; on March 1 (14 New Style) it united with Petrograd Soviet of soldiers' deputies. Until August 4 (17 New Style), 1917 it was quartered in Taurida Palace, then in Smolny. The chairman of the Soviet was Menshevik N.S. Chkheidze, vice-chairmen - socialist-revolutionary A.F. Kerensky and menshevik M.I. Skobelev. Of 15 members of the Executive Committee only 2 were Bolshevists (A.G. Shlyapnikov and P.A. Zalutsky). During the February Revolution Petrograd Soviet sent its commissars to all districts of Petrograd for organization of local Soviets; it also directed the establishment of working militia detachments at enterprises, banned the publishing of the Right newspapers. At the urgent requests of the soldier masses Petrograd Soviet passed a resolution prohibiting garrison forces' leaving Petrograd; issued the decree no. 1 that established elective soldier comittees in the army and navy; in political respect this decree put Petrograd garrison under the jurisdiction of the Soviet (the issue of this decree resulted in the disastrous decline of military discipline in the army). On February 28 (March 13 New Style) Petrograd Soviet began publishing Izvestiya newspaper. On March 10 (23 New Style) Petrograd Soviet and Petrograd manufacturers' society completed an agreement on the introduction of an 8-hour working day and establishment of factory committees. On the night of March 2 (15 New Style) Petrograd Soviet approved the establishment of the Provisional government and organized so-called contact commission for performing the control of its activity [the commission existed until May 5 (18 New Style), 1917]. In the midst of March Petrograd Soviet comprised nearly 3 thousand deputies (800 in the working section and 2 thousand in the soldier one), then the number of deputies in the sections became equal. On April 17 (30 New Style) The Executive Committee Bureau was introduced for dispatch of current affairs. Plenary sessions of Petrograd Soviet and its Executive Committee came to be the scene of acute struggle between Mensheviks and Socialist-Revolutionary leaders and bolshevist faction which was registered on March 9 (22 New Style) (in the end of March it consisted of 65 persons, by the beginning of July - nearly 400 persons). After the suppression of Kornilov's uprising the policy of Petrograd Soviet experienced a radical turn. On August 31 (September 13 New Style) the plenum of Petrograd Soviet for the first time approved of the bolshevist resolution, On authority. The Presidium of Petrograd Soviet (Chkheidze, A.R. Gots, F.I. Dan, I.G. Tsereteli, V.M. Chernov and others) sent in their resignation. On September 9 (22 New Style) during the plenary session of the Soviet 519 deputies out of 1 thousand voted for Bolsheviks, 412 deputies voted against, and 67 abstained from voting. On September 25 L.D. Trotsky was elected a chairman of Petrograd Soviet. On October 12 (25 New Style) Petrograd Military Revolutionary committee attached to Petrograd Soviet was established; it became legal headquarters for the preparation of bolshevist seizure of power. On the day of October 25 (November 7 New Style) V.I. Lenin spoke at the extraordinary session of Petrograd Soviet and declared "the working people and peasants' revolution" accomplished. On November 27 (December 10 New Style) the plenary session of Petrograd Soviet confirmed the appointment of the new members of the Executive Committee (34 Bolsheviks and 10 Left socialist revolutionaries), on December 13 G.E. Zinovyev was elected a chairman of Petrograd Soviet. Since April of 1918 Petrograd Soviet had adopted the name of Petrograd Soviet of working people' and Red Army deputies, since August of 1920 it has been called Petrograd Soviet of working people', peasants' and red Army deputies.

References: Потехин М. Н. Первый Совет пролетарской диктатуры: Очерки по истории Петрогр. Совета рабочих и солд. деп., 1917-1918 гг. Л., 1966; Старцев В. И. Революция и власть: Петрогр. Совет и Врем. правительство в марте - апр. 1917 г. М., 1978; Гоголевский А. В. Петроградский Совет в годы гражданской войны. Л., 1982; Петроградский Совет рабочих и солдатских депутатов в 1917 г.: Протоколы, стенограммы и отчеты, резолюции, постановления..., 25 февр.-25 окт. 1917 г. Л.; СПб.; М., 1991-2003. Т. 1-4.

A. M. Kulegin. Chernov Viktor Mikhailovich
Chkheidze Nikolay Semenovich
Dan Fedor Ilyich
Goz Abram Rafailovich
Kerensky Alexander Fedorovich
Kornilov Lavr Georgievich
Lenin (real name Ulyanov) Vladimir Ilyich
Shlyapnikov Alexander Gavrilovich
Skobelev Matvey Ivanovich
Trotsky (real name Bronstein) Lev Davidovich
Tsereteli Irakly Georgievich
Zalutsky Peter Antonovich
Zinovyev Grigory Evseevich
Потехин М. Н. Первый Совет пролетарской диктатуры: Очерки по истории Петрогр. Совета рабочих и солд. деп., 1917-1918 гг. Л., 1966
Гоголевский А. В. Петроградский Совет в годы гражданской войны. Л., 1982
Петроградский Совет рабочих и солдатских депутатов в 1917 г.: Протоколы, стоногр. и отчеты, резолюции, постановления..., 25 февр. - 25 окт. 1917 г. Л.; СПб., 1991-1996
Старцев В. И. Революция и власть: Петрогр. Совет и Врем. правительство в марте - апреле 1917 г. М., 1978 Tauride Palace
Smolny Architectural Ensemble
February Revolution of 1917
Society of Plant and Factory Owners of St. Petersburg