Union of Communes of the Northern Region

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UNION OF COMMUNES OF THE NORTHERN REGION (Northern Commune, Northern Region), an association of regional Soviets formed in April-May 1918, including the Petrogradskaya, Vologodskaya, Pskovskaya, Novgorodskaya, Olonetskaya, and Arkhangelskaya provinces; from June 1918, it was joined by the Severo-Dvinskaya and Cherepovetskaya provinces. Its centre was in Petrograd, with the Soviet of Commissars as its governing body (situated in Smolny). The Soviet was formed by the regional Central Executive Committee, and elected at the First Congress of the Union of Communes of the Northern Region (24-26 April 1918). The chairman of the Central Executive Committee and the Soviet of Commissars was G.E. Zinoviev, and members (commissars) included M.S. Uritsky, A.L. Shenkman, P.A. Zalutsky, N.N. Krestinsky, V.M. Molotov, S.P. Voskov, E.P. Pervukhin, Z.I. Lilina, V. Volodarsky, A.D. Bekleshev, Ya. A. Anvelt, B.P. Posern, S.N. Ravich, and others. Until July 1918, the Soviet of Commissars also included the left socialist-revolutionaries P.P. Proshyan and N.M. Kornilov. The Central Executive Committee and the Soviet of Commissars worked under supervision of the Petrograd Bureau of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (of Bolsheviks), and the Committee of the Russian Communist Party (of Bolsheviks) of the Northern Region. Their activities generally included the organization of military production at local and regional factories, the formation of Red Army units, and the creation of local governmental bodies dealing with issues of food, control of epidemics, creation of poverty committees, and other social activities. From autumn 1918, separatist positions among leaders of the Union of Communes of the Northern Region grew stronger, fed by Zinoviev's personal ambitions; conflicts with the central Soviet and Party organs escalated. Dissolution of the Union started in December 1918, when the Vologodskaya province's administration declared its withdrawal. In February 1919, the Third Regional Congress of Soviets decided to abolish the Union of Communes of the Northern Region. Its newspaper was called Severnaya Kommuna (The Northern Commune, June 1918 - February 1919).

References: Серебрякова З. Л. Областные объединения Советов России: Март 1917 - дек. 1918. М., 1977; Петроград на переломе эпох: Город и его жители в годы революции и гражд. войны. СПб., 2000.

A. M. Kulegin. Anvelt Yan Yanovich
Bekleshev A.D.
Kornilov N.M.
Krestinsky Nikolay Nikolaevich
Lilina Zlata Ionovna
Molotov (real name Skryabin) Vyacheslav Mikhailovich
Pervukhin Evgeny Porfirievich
Posern Boris Pavlovich
Proshyan Prosh Perchevich
Ravich Sarra Naumovna
Shenkman A.L.
Uritsky Moisey Solomonovich
Volodarsky V. (Moisey Markovich Goldstein)
Voskov Semen Petrovich
Zalutsky Peter Antonovich
Zinovyev Grigory Evseevich
Петроград на переломе эпох: Город и его жители в годы революции и гражд. войны. СПб., 2000
Серебрякова З. Л. Областные объединения Советов России: Март 1917 - дек. 1918. М., 1977 1918