Executive Committee of Leningrad Soviet of Working People’s Deputies

Categories / City Administration/Government Bodies
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF LENINGRAD SOVIET OF WORKING PEOPLE’S DEPUTIES, the highest organ of executive authority on the territory of Leningrad in 1941-91. It dates back to the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet [elected on February 27 (March 12) 1917]. In March-May 1918 sessions of the Executive Committee were held together with the sessions of the Petrograd Trade Commune Soviet of Commissars (from April 29, 1918, Union of Communes of the Northern District). By order of the 10th Congress of Soviets of Petrograd Region dated August 2, 1920 the Executive Committee of the Petrograd Soviet was joined with the Regional Executive Committee. In 1920-31, the highest organ of executive power in Petrograd (Leningrad) was Provincial (since 1927, Regional) Executive Committee, and after the City of Leningrad was made an independent administrative and economic centre of the City, the Presidium of the Leningrad Soviet became the highest organ of executive power on its meeting on December 17, 1931. In the course of the first session of the Leningrad City Soviet on January 3, 1941 the City Executive Committee comprised of 23 people was elected, and on January 19, 1945 the Bureau of the Executive Committee was created to handle current affairs and oversee compliance with previously adopted decisions. In May 1956 it was transformed into the Presidium. The Executive Committee included the general department, section of reports and rights, organizational training department, section (department) of personnel and educational institutions, group (section, department) on state awards, complaints handling department, department (administration) of external relations, legal office, and urban landscaping and utilities department. The structure of the Executive Committee also included the following commissions: Retirement Commission (1957), Minors’ Commission (1963), Supervisory Commission (1975), Sobriety Commission (1975), Inter-Departmental Energy Commission (1976), Social Commission Of Civil Rights (1977), Standing Inter-Departmental Commission of Building and Reconstruction in Leningrad (from 1976, New Object Placement Commission). Branch bodies engaged in different sectors of city economy were subordinated to the Executive Committee. Annually the city executive Committee adopted up to 2,000 decisions and up to 2,500 orders on all issues of city life, including change of city borders, administrative territorial division and toponymy, plans of development, planting of greenery, building of waste treatment plans, protective facilities and transport structures etc. In the years of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45 the City Executive Committee adopted decisions on rationing food, labour duty, evacuation of the population, stocking up fuel, development of hospitals, burials of the dead etc. From 1977, some 24-25 people were included in the City Executive Committee; the last team of staff elected in October 1990 consisted of 10 people. The Presidium of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad Soviet of Working People’s Deputies functioned in 1980-91. In May 1990 the Leningrad Soviet ordered to elect the head of the Executive Committee of Leningrad Soviet of Working People’s Deputies in free elections. According to the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic On the Structure of Organs of Government of Leningrad dated May 20, 1991 and the decision of the session of the Leningrad Soviet dated June 28, 1991 the Executive Committee of the Leningrad Soviet of Working People’s Deputies was liquidated. On July 1, 1991, its functions were transferred to the City Hall. Archives of the Executive Committee of the Leningrad Soviet of Working People’s Deputies and of the Leningrad Soviet for 1917-93 are kept in the Central State Archive of St. Petersburg.

N. Y. Cherepenina. Union of Communes of the Northern Region
City Hall