People's Commissariats

Categories / Capital/Superior and Central State Institutions
PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIATS, central institutions of public administration in Soviet Russia, established by the Decree of the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of 26 October (8 November) 1917, which sanctioned the establishment of a Government of Workers and Peasants. The commissariats took over the functions of the former ministries. They executed planning and administration within the bounds of their jurisdiction, and were directly involved in writing legislature. Each commissariat was headed by a People's Commissar, who had several deputies. Attached to each commissariat was a collegium which functioned as a deliberative body to help the commissar. By virtue of their position, the People's Commissars were also members of the Soviet (Council) of People's Commissars, which was located at Smolny from 26 October (8 November) 1917 through to 10 March 1918. Most of commissariats were accommodated in the same building until the middle of November 1917, when they were moved to the locations of their respective former ministries. The staff and the structure of the People's Commissariats had mostly taken their final shape by January 1918. At first, the commissariats were undermined by sabotage committed by officials, and by a shortage of qualified specialists among Bolshevik leaders, who had become commissars. The Soviet of People's Commissars included only Bolsheviks; in December 1917, the Leftist Socialist-Revolutionaries were also admitted into the organization (withdrawing from the Soviet in March 1918). Several People's Commissariats functioned in Petrograd, including the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, established on October 26 (November 8) 1917, its staff formed by January 1918, with People's Commissars of Internal Affairs included A.I. Rykov (1917), G.I. Petrovsky (1917-19); the People's Commissariat for State Welfare, established on 29 October (11 November), 1917, with Commissar A.M. Kollontay; the People's Commissariat for State Property, established on 9 (22) December 1917, with Commissar V.A. Karelin; the People's Commissariat for Agriculture, established on 26 October (8 November), 1917, with People's Commissars of Agriculture V.P. Milutin (1917), A.G. Schlichter (1917), A.L. Kolegaev (1917-18); the People's Commissariat for Local Government, established on 19 December 1917 (1 January 1918), with the Commissar V.E. Trutovsky; the People's Commissariat for Military Affairs, established in November 1917, with People's Commissar N.I. Podvoysky (November 1917 - February 1918); the People's Commissariat for Naval Affairs, established in January - February 1918, with Commissar P.E. Dybenko; the People's Commissariat for Nationalities, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with Commissar J.V. Stalin; the People's Commissariat for Postal and Telegraph Service, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with People's Commissars N.P. Avilov (Glebov) (1917), P.P. Proshyan (1917-18); the People's Commissariat for Supplies, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with People's Commissars I.A. Teodorovich (1917), A.G. Schlichter (1917-18), A.D. Tsyurupa (1918-21); the People's Commissariat for Education, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with Commissar A.V. Lunacharsky (1917-29); the People's Commissariat for Transport Communications, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917 (its original name was the People's Commissariat for Railways), with Commissars M.T. Elizarov (1917-18), A.G. Rogov (1918); the People's Commissariat for Industry and Commerce, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with Commissars V.P. Nogin (1917), A.G. Shlyapnikov (temporary acting Commissar in 1917-18), V.M. Smirnov (1918); the People's Commissariat for Labour, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with Commissars A.G. Shlyapnikov (1917-18), V.V. Schmidt (1918-28); the People's Commissariat for Finance, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with People's Commissars I.I. Skvortsov-Stepanov (1917; he failed, and V. R. Menzhinsky became de facto head), Menzhinsky (1918); the People's Commissariat for Justice, established on 26 October (8 November) 1917, with Commissars A. Lomov (G.I. Oppokov) (1917, he failed, and P.I. Stuchka became de facto head), I.Z. Steinberg (1917-18). On 10 March and 11 March 1918, the Soviet of People's Commissars and all the People's Commissariats were transferred from Petrograd to Moscow.

References: Городецкий Е. Н. Рождение Советского государства, 1917-1918 гг. М., 1965; Ирошников М. П. Создание советского центрального государственного аппарата: Совет нар. комиссаров и нар. комиссариаты. Окт. 1917- янв. 1918. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Л., 1967.

A. M. Kulegin. Avilov Nikolay Pavlovich
Dybenko Pavel Efimovich
Elizarov Mark Timofeevich
Karelin Vladimir Alexandrovich
Kolegaev Andrey Lukich
Kollontay Alexandra Mikhailovna
Lomov A. (Oppokov Georgy Ippolitovich)
Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilievich
Menzhinsky Vyacheslav Rudolfovich
Milyutin Vladimir Pavlovich
Nogin Viktor Pavlovich
Petrovsky Grigory Ivanovich
Podvoysky Nikolay Ilyich
Proshyan Prosh Perchevich
Rogov A.G.
Rykov Alexey Ivanovich
Schlichter Alexander Grigorievich
Schmidt Vasily Vladimirovich
Shlyapnikov Alexander Gavrilovich
Skvortsov-Stepanov Ivan Ivanovich
Smirnov Vladimir Mikhailovich
Stalin (real name Dzhugashvili) Iosif Vissarionovich
Steinberg Isaak Zakharovich
Stuchka Peter Ivanovich (Yanovich)
Teodorovich Ivan Adolfovich
Trutovsky Vladimir Evgenievich
Tsyurupa Alexander Dmitrievich
Городецкий Е. Н. Рождение Советского государства, 1917-1918 гг. М., 1965
Ирошников М. П. Создание советского центрального государственного аппарата: Совет нар. комиссаров и нар. комиссариаты. Окт. 1917 - янв. 1918. 2-е изд., испр. и доп. Л., 1967 Smolny Institute