Who was a member of the first Council of People's Commissars. Council of People's Commissars of the rsfsr

16.10.2019

Council of People's Commissars, SNK), the highest executive and administrative bodies of state power in Soviet Russia, the USSR, union and autonomous republics in 1917-46. In March 1946 they were transformed into Councils of Ministers.

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Council of People's Commissars - SNK - in 1917-1946. the name of the highest executive and administrative bodies of state power in the USSR, union and autonomous republics. In March 1946 they were transformed into Councils of Ministers. According to the USSR Constitution of 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formed by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR at a joint meeting of both chambers, consisting of: the chairman, his deputies and other members. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formally responsible to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and was accountable to it, and in the period between sessions of the Supreme Soviet it was responsible to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, to which it was accountable. The Council of People's Commissars could issue decisions and orders binding on the entire territory of the USSR on the basis of and in pursuance of existing laws and verify their implementation.

The first government after the victory of the October Revolution was formed in accordance with the "Decree on the Establishment of the Council of People's Commissars" adopted by the II All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies on October 27 (old style) 1917.

Initially, the Bolsheviks expected to agree on the participation in it of representatives of other socialist parties, in particular the Left Socialist Revolutionaries, but such an agreement could not be reached. As a result, the first revolutionary government turned out to be purely Bolshevik.

The authorship of the term "People's Commissar" was attributed to themselves by several revolutionary leaders, in particular Leon Trotsky... In this way, the Bolsheviks wanted to emphasize the fundamental difference between their power and the tsarist and Provisional governments.

The term "Council of People's Commissars" as the definition of the Soviet government will exist until 1946, until it is replaced by the now more familiar "Council of Ministers".

The first composition of the Council of People's Commissars will last only a few days. A number of its members will resign from their posts due to political contradictions, connected mainly with the same issue of participation in the government of members of other socialist parties.

The first composition of the Council of People's Commissars included:

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Vladimir Ulyanov (Lenin);
People's Commissar for Internal Affairs;
People's Commissar of Agriculture;
People's Commissar of Labor;
People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs - a committee composed of: Vladimir Ovseenko (Antonov), Nikolay Krylenko and Pavel Dybenko;
People's Commissar for Trade and Industry;
People's Commissar of Public Education;
People's Commissar of Finance;
People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs;
People's Commissar of Justice;
People's Commissar for Food;
People's Commissar of Posts and Telegraphs;
People's Commissar for Nationalities Joseph Dzhugashvili (Stalin);
the post of People's Commissar for Railway Affairs remained temporarily not replaced.

The biographies of the head of the first Soviet government, Vladimir Lenin, and the first people's commissar for national affairs are well known to the general public, so let's talk about the other people's commissars.

The first People's Commissar of Internal Affairs stayed in his post for only nine days, but managed to sign a historic document on the creation of the militia. After leaving the post of People's Commissar, Rykov went to work in the Moscow Soviet.

Alexey Rykov. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In the future, Alexei Rykov held high government posts, and since February 1924 he officially headed the Soviet government - the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

Rykov's career went downhill in 1930 when he was removed from his post as head of government. Rykov, who has long supported Nikolai Bukharin, was declared a "right deviator", and could not get rid of this stigma, despite numerous speeches of repentance.

At the plenum of the party in February 1937, he was expelled from the CPSU (b) and on February 27, 1937, he was arrested. During interrogations, he pleaded guilty. As one of the main defendants, he was involved in an open trial in the case of the "Pravotrotskyist anti-Soviet bloc". On March 13, 1938, he was sentenced to death and shot on March 15. Rykov was fully rehabilitated by the USSR Chief Military Prosecutor's Office in 1988.

Nine days after the creation of the first Soviet government, Milyutin advocated the creation of a coalition government and, in protest against the decision of the Central Committee, submitted an application to withdraw from the Central Committee and the Council of People's Commissars, then admitted the erroneousness of his statements and withdrew his application to withdraw from the Central Committee.

Vladimir Milyutin. Photo: Public Domain

Subsequently, he held high positions in the government, from 1928 to 1934 he was Deputy Chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee.

Arrested on July 26, 1937. On October 29, 1937, he was sentenced to death for belonging to the counter-revolutionary organization of the "rightists". He was shot on October 30, 1937. Rehabilitated in 1956.

Shlyapnikov also advocated the inclusion of members of other political parties in the government, however, unlike his colleagues, he did not leave his post, continuing to work in the government. Three weeks later, in addition to the duties of the people's commissar of labor, he was also entrusted with the duties of the people's commissar of trade and industry.

Alexander Shlyapnikov. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In the Bolshevik Party, Shlyapnikov was the leader of the so-called "workers' opposition", which manifested itself especially clearly in the party discussion about the role of trade unions. He believed that the task of the trade unions is to organize the management of the national economy, and they should take this function away from the party.

Shlyapnikov's position was sharply criticized by Lenin, which affected the further fate of one of the first Soviet people's commissars.

Later he held secondary positions, for example, he worked as the chairman of the board of the joint-stock company "Metalloimport".

Shlyapnikov's memoirs "The Seventeenth Year" drew sharp criticism in the party. In 1933 he was expelled from the CPSU (b), in 1934 he was administratively exiled to Karelia, in 1935 he was sentenced to 5 years for belonging to the "workers' opposition" - a punishment replaced by exile to Astrakhan.

In 1936 Shlyapnikov was arrested again. He was accused of being the head of the counter-revolutionary organization "Workers' Opposition", in the fall of 1927 he gave a directive to the Kharkov center of this organization on the transition to individual terror as a method of struggle against the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and the Soviet government, and in 1935-1936 he gave directives on the preparation of a terrorist act against Stalin. Shlyapnikov pleaded not guilty, but by the verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR on September 2, 1937 he was shot. On January 31, 1963, the Military Collegium of the USSR Supreme Court rehabilitated Alexander Shlyapnikov for the absence of corpus delicti in his actions.

The fate of the members of the triumvirate, who headed the defense department, was quite similar - they all held high government posts for many years, and they all became victims of the "great terror".

Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, Nikolay Krylenko, Pavel Dybenko. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, who arrested the Provisional Government during the armed uprising in Petrograd, was one of the founders of the Red Army, spent many years in diplomatic work, during the Spanish Civil War he was the Consul General of the USSR in Barcelona, providing great assistance to the republican troops as a military adviser ...

On his return from Spain he was arrested, on February 8, 1938, he was sentenced to death "for belonging to a Trotskyist terrorist and spy organization." Shot on February 10, 1938. Rehabilitated posthumously on February 25, 1956.

Nikolai Krylenko was one of the founders of Soviet law, held the posts of People's Commissar of Justice of the RSFSR and the USSR, Prosecutor of the RSFSR and Chairman of the Supreme Court of the USSR.

Krylenko is considered one of the “architects of the Great Terror” of 1937-1938. Ironically, Krylenko himself became his victim.

In 1938, at the first session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Krylenko was criticized. Soon after, he was removed from all posts, expelled from the CPSU (b) and arrested. On the verdict of the Military Collegiums of the Supreme Court of the USSR, he was shot on July 29, 1938. In 1956 he was rehabilitated for lack of corpus delicti.

Pavel Dybenko made a military career, bore the rank of commander of the 2nd rank, commanded troops in various military districts. In 1937 he took an active part in the repressions in the ranks of the army. Dybenko was a member of the Special Judicial Presence, which condemned a group of top Soviet military leaders in the "Tukhachevsky Case" in June 1937.

In February 1938, Dybenko himself was arrested. He pleaded guilty to participation in the anti-Soviet Trotskyist military-fascist conspiracy. On July 29, 1938, he was sentenced to death and shot on the same day. Rehabilitated in 1956.

Speaking for the creation of a "homogeneous socialist government", Nogin was among those who left the Council of People's Commissars a few days later. However, after three weeks, Nogin "admitted mistakes" and continued to work in leadership positions, but at a lower level. He held the posts of labor commissar of the Moscow region, and then deputy commissar of labor of the RSFSR.

Victor Nogin. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

He died on May 2, 1924, and was buried in Red Square. The surname of one of the first Soviet people's commissars has been immortalized to this day in the name of the city of Noginsk near Moscow.

The People's Commissar of Education was one of the most stable figures in the Soviet government, holding his post permanently for 12 years.

Anatoly Lunacharsky. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Thanks to Lunacharsky, many historical monuments have been preserved, and the activities of cultural institutions have been established. There were, however, very ambiguous decisions - in particular, already at the end of his career as People's Commissar, Lunacharsky was preparing a translation of the Russian language into the Latin alphabet.

In 1929 he was removed from the post of People's Commissar of Education and appointed chairman of the Academic Committee at the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.

In 1933, Lunacharsky was sent by the plenipotentiary of the USSR to Spain. He was deputy head of the Soviet delegation during the disarmament conference at the League of Nations. Lunacharsky died in December 1933 on his way to Spain in the French resort of Menton. The urn with the ashes of Anatoly Lunacharsky is buried in the Kremlin wall.

At the time of his appointment as People's Commissar, Skvortsov served as a member of the Moscow Military Revolutionary Committee. Upon learning of his appointment, Skvortsov announced that he was a theorist, not a practitioner, and resigned. Later he was engaged in journalism, since 1925 he was the executive editor of the newspaper Izvestia of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and the Central Executive Committee, since 1927 - deputy. executive secretary of the newspaper "Pravda", at the same time since 1926 director of the Lenin Institute under the Central Committee of the CPSU (b).

Ivan Skvortsov (Stepanov). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In the party press, Skvortsov acted as an active supporter of Stalin, but did not reach the highest government posts - on October 8, 1928, he died of a serious illness. The ashes are buried in the Kremlin wall.

One of the main leaders of the Bolsheviks, the second person in the party after Lenin, lost outright in the internal party struggle in the 1920s, and in 1929 he was forced to leave the USSR as a political emigrant.

Lev Bronstein (Trotsky). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Trotsky continued his confrontation with the Stalinist course in absentia until 1940, until it was interrupted in August 1940 by an ice ax blow from an NKVD agent Ramon Mercader.

For Georgy Oppokov, his tenure as People's Commissar for several days was the pinnacle of his political career. Later, he continued his activities in secondary positions, such as chairman of the Oil Syndicate, chairman of the board of Donugol, deputy chairman of the USSR State Planning Committee, member of the bureau of the Soviet Control Commission under the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR.

Georgy Oppokov (Lomov). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

In June 1937, within the framework of the Great Terror, Oppokov was arrested, and on the verdict of the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, he was shot on December 30, 1938. He was posthumously rehabilitated in 1956.

Like other supporters of the creation of a government from among members of various socialist parties, Teodorovich announced his resignation from the government, but he fulfilled his duties until December 1917.

Ivan Teodorovich. Photo: Public Domain

Later he was a member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture, and since 1922 he was the Deputy People's Commissar of Agriculture. In 1928-1930 he was the general secretary of the Peasant International.

Arrested on June 11, 1937. Sentenced by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR on September 20, 1937 on charges of participating in an anti-Soviet terrorist organization to death and shot on the same day. Rehabilitated in 1956.

Avilov held his post until the decision to create a coalition government with the Left SRs, after which he changed the post of People's Commissar to the post of Assistant Director of the State Bank. Later he held various positions of the second rank, was the People's Commissar of Labor of Ukraine. From 1923 to 1926 Avilov was the leader of the Leningrad trade unions and became one of the leaders of the so-called "Leningrad opposition", which ten years later became a fatal circumstance for him.

Nikolay Avilov (Glebov). Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

Since 1928 Avilov was in charge of Selmashstroy, and since 1929 he became the first director of the Rostov plant of agricultural machinery “Rostselmash”.

On September 19, 1936, Nikolai Avilov was arrested on charges of terrorist activity. On March 12, 1937, by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, he was sentenced to death on charges of participation in a counter-revolutionary terrorist organization. The verdict was carried out on March 13, 1937. Rehabilitated in 1956.

The government of the world's first workers 'and peasants' state was first formed as the Council of People's Commissars, which was created on October 26. (November 8) 1917, the day after the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution, by the resolution of the 2nd All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers 'and Soldiers' Deputies on the formation of a workers 'and peasants' government.

The decree, written by V. I. Lenin, stated that to govern the country, "until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly, a Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Government, which would be called the Council of People's Commissars, was established." VI Lenin was elected the first chairman of the Council of People's Commissars, who held this post for seven years (1917-1924) until his death. Lenin developed the basic principles of the Council of People's Commissars, the tasks facing the highest government bodies of the Soviet Republic.

The name "Provisional" with the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly disappeared. The first composition of the Council of People's Commissars was one-party - it included only the Bolsheviks. The offer of the Left SRs to join the SNK was rejected by them. Dec. 1917 Left SRs entered the SNK and were in the pr-ve until March 1918. They left the SNK because of disagreement with the conclusion of the Brest Peace and took the position of counterrevolution. Subsequently, the CHK was formed only by representatives of the Communist Party. According to the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918, adopted by the 5th All-Russian Congress of Soviets, the government of the Republic was called the SNK of the RSFSR.

The 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR determined the main functions of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR. The general management of the activities of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR belonged to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The composition of the prospect was approved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets or by the Congress of Soviets. The Council of People's Commissars possessed the necessary completeness of rights in the field of executive and administrative activities and, along with the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, enjoyed the right to issue decrees. Exercising executive and administrative power, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR directed the activities of the people's commissariats and other centers. departments, and also directed and controlled the activities of local authorities.

The Administrative Department of the Council of People's Commissars and the Small Council of People's Commissars were created, which on January 23. (Feb. 5) 1918 became a permanent commission of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR for preliminary consideration of issues submitted to the Council of People's Commissars, and issues of current legislation governing the department of branches of state administration and government. In 1930, the Small Council of People's Commissars was abolished. By decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of November 30, 1918 was established under the pre. V.I. Lenin Council of Workers 'and Peasants' Defense 1918-20. In April 1920, it was transformed into the Council of Labor and Defense, (STO). The experience of the first SNK was used in the state. construction of pr-in all union Soviet socialist republics.

After the unification of the Soviet republics into a single union state - the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), a union government was created - the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. The regulation on the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was approved by the Central Executive Committee on November 12, 1923.

The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formed by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and was its executive and administrative body. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR directed the activities of the all-Union and united (union-republics.) People's Commissariats, considered and approved decrees and decisions of all-Union significance within the limits of the rights provided for by the USSR Constitution of 1924, the provisions on the Council of People's Commissars of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and other legislative acts. Decrees and resolutions of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR were binding on the entire territory of the USSR and could be suspended and canceled by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and its Presidium. For the first time, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, headed by Lenin, was approved at the 2nd session of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on July 6, 1923. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, according to the regulations of 1923, were: chairman, deputy. Chairman, People's Commissars of the USSR; representatives of the union republics took part in the meetings of the Council of People's Commissars with an advisory vote.

According to the Constitution of the USSR, adopted in 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was the highest executive and administrative body of state power in the USSR. It was formed Top. By the Soviet of the USSR. The USSR Constitution of 1936 established the responsibility and accountability of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Top. Council, and in between sessions Top. Council of the USSR - to its Presidium. According to the USSR Constitution of 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR united and directed the work of the all-Union and Union-republican people's commissariats of the USSR and other households subordinate to it. and cultural institutions, took measures to implement the nar.-households. plan, state. budget, carried out leadership in the field of foreign relations with foreign states, supervised the general construction of the country's armed forces, etc. According to the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR had the right to suspend resolutions and orders of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republic and to cancel the orders and instructions of the USSR People's Commissariats. Art. 71 of the Constitution of the USSR of 1936 established the right of a deputy's request: a representative of the Council of People's Commissars or the People's Commissar of the USSR, to whom the request of a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is addressed, are obliged to give an oral or written answer in the appropriate chamber.

The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, according to the Constitution of the USSR in 1936, was formed at the 1st session of the Top. Of the Soviet of the USSR January 19. 1938. June 30, 1941 by the decision of the Presidium of the Top. The Council of the USSR, the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was created, in which all the fullness of state power in the USSR was concentrated during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45.

The Council of People's Commissars of the union republic is the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the union republic. He is responsible to the Supreme Soviet of the republic and is accountable to him, and in the period between sessions of the top. Council - in front of the Presidium of the Top. Council of the Republic and the Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republic is accountable to it, according to the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, issues decisions and orders on the basis of and in pursuance of the existing laws of the USSR and the Union Republic, decisions and orders of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and is obliged to check their implementation Vert N. History of the Soviet state. 1900-1991. M., 1999.S. 130-131 ..

Council of People's Commissars (1917-1937) and its functional activities.

The history of Soviet state administration dates back to the Second Congress of Soviets. It met at a turning point, when Petrograd was in the hands of the insurgent workers and peasants, and the Winter Palace, where the bourgeois Provisional Government sat, had not yet been taken by the insurgents. The creation of a new system of public administration began with the development and proclamation of certain political postulates. In this sense, the address of the Second Congress of Soviets "To Workers, Soldiers, Peasants!" the formation of the Soviet state. Here, the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of the new state were formulated:

the establishment of peace, the free transfer of land to the peasantry, the introduction of workers' control over production, the democratization of the army, etc. The next day, October 26, these programmatic theses were concretized and embodied in the first decrees of the Soviet government - "On Peace" and "On Land". The first Soviet government was formed by another decree. The resolution of the congress said: “To form a temporary workers 'and peasants' government, which will be called the Council of People's Commissars, to govern the country until the convocation of the Constituent Assembly. The management of individual branches of state life is entrusted to commissions, the composition of which must ensure the implementation of the program proclaimed by the congress. " The decree established the following people's commissariats: agriculture, labor, military and naval affairs, trade and industry, public education, finance, foreign affairs, justice, food, mail and telegraphs, nationalities and railway affairs. Control over the activities of the People's Commissars and the right to remove them belonged to the Congress of Soviets and its Central Executive Committee.

Soviet statehood was born under the strong influence of democratic sentiments that reigned in society. At the same II Congress of Soviets, V.I. Lenin argued that the Bolsheviks are striving to build a state in which “the government would always be under the control of the public opinion of their country ... In our view,” he said, “the state is strong because of the consciousness of the masses. It is strong when the masses know everything, can judge everything and go for everything consciously. " Such a broad-based democracy was supposed to be realized by attracting the masses to governing the state.

Is the emergence of a new government in Russia and the creation of a new management system logical? In the literature, one can find the point of view about the illegality of the decisions of the Second Congress of Soviets due to its insufficient representativeness. Indeed, the representation at the congress was not nationwide, but class: it was a congress of workers 'and soldiers' deputies. The Peasants 'Congress of Soviets met separately, and the unification of the Soviets of Workers', Soldiers 'and Peasants' Deputies took place only in January 1918. Nevertheless, such global changes in the life of the country could not happen without reason. The Second Congress of Soviets was undoubtedly the organ of the insurgent people, the organ of the revolutionary masses, representing practically the entire country and all more or less significant national regions. The congress expressed the will of the most organized and socially active part of society, which wanted changes for a better life and actively sought them. Although the congress was All-Russian, it was not and could not be nation-wide.

The Soviet system of government was born in a multi-party system. According to researchers, there were about 300 political parties in Russia, which can be conditionally subdivided into regional, national, and all-Russian. The latter numbered about 60. The composition of the Second Congress of Soviets by party affiliation was, as is known, mainly Bolshevik. But other socialist and liberal parties were also represented there. The positions of the Bolsheviks were further strengthened when the representatives of the Right Socialist-Revolutionaries, Mensheviks and Bundists left the congress. They demanded to suspend the work of the forum, because, in their opinion, Lenin's supporters usurped power. More than 400 local councils from the largest industrial and political centers of the country were represented at the congress.

The congress formed the supreme and central authorities. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets was declared the supreme body. He could solve any questions of state power and administration. The congress created the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK), which performed the functions of the supreme power between the congresses of the Soviets. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee was created on the basis of proportional representation from all party factions of the congress. Of the 101 members of the first composition of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, 62 were Bolsheviks, 29 were Left SRs, 6 were Menshevik internationalists, 3 were Ukrainian socialists, and 1 SR-maximalist. The Bolshevik L.B. Kamenev. The central body of power was the government formed by the decision of the II Congress of Soviets - the Council of People's Commissars (Sovnarkom, SNK). It was also headed by the Bolshevik V.I. Lenin. The offer to join the government was received by the Left Socialist-Revolutionaries and Menshevik internationalists, but they refused. A distinctive feature of the new bodies of power and administration was the combination of legislative and executive functions. The force of law was not only the decisions of the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, but also the decrees of the Council of People's Commissars and even the acts of individual people's commissariats.

Thus, the Second Congress of Soviets proclaimed the creation of a new state and formed the bodies of power and administration. The congress formulated the most general principles of the organization of Soviet statehood and laid the foundation for the creation of a new system of state administration.

Having seized power, the Bolsheviks were looking for opportunities to expand its social base. To this end, they negotiated with the leaders of the Left SRs about the conditions for their entry into the Council of People's Commissars. At the beginning of November 1917, at a plenary meeting of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, a compromise resolution was adopted "On the conditions for an agreement between the socialist parties." It emphasized that an agreement is possible only on condition that the Second Congress of Soviets is recognized as the "only source of power" and that "the program of the Soviet government, as expressed in the decrees on land and peace" is recognized.

The negotiations of the Bolsheviks with the Left SRs ended in December 1917 with the creation of a coalition government. Along with the Bolsheviks, the SNK included seven representatives of the Left Socialist-Revolutionary Party. They headed the People's Commissariats for Agriculture (A.L. Kolegaev), Posts and Telegraphs (P.P. Proshyan), Local Self-Government (V.E. Trutovsky), Property (V.A.Karelin) and Justice (I.Z. Shteinberg) ... In addition, V.A. Aglasov and A.I. Diamonds became Commissars without a portfolio (with a casting vote). The first was a member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs, the second - the People's Commissariat of Finance. The Left Socialist-Revolutionaries, holding important posts in the cabinet, like the Bolsheviks, were responsible for the key directions of the government's activity during the revolution. This made it possible to expand the social base of management processes and thereby strengthen state power. The alliance with the Left SRs left a noticeable mark on the administrative practice of the first months of Soviet power. Representatives of the Left SRs were included not only in the central government bodies, but also in the governments of the national republics, the revolutionary committees of the counter-revolutionary bodies, and the leadership of army units. With their direct participation, the "Declaration of the Rights of the Working and Exploited People" was developed and adopted by the III All-Russian Congress of Soviets, which proclaimed Russia a Republic of Soviets. Together with the Bolsheviks, the Left SRs unanimously voted in the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to dissolve the Constituent Assembly.

The bloc with the Left SRs allowed the Bolsheviks to solve the most important political and administrative task - to unite the Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies with the Soviets of Peasants' Deputies. The unification took place at the III All-Russian Congress of Soviets in January 1918. At the congress, a new composition of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee was elected, which included 160 Bolsheviks and 125 Left Social Revolutionaries.

However, the alliance with the Left SRs was short-lived. March 18, 1918, not recognizing the ratification of the Brest-Litovsk Peace, the Left SRs withdrew from the government

The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR (Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, SNK of the RSFSR) is the name of the government of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from the October Revolution of 1917 to 1946. The SNK included People's Commissars who headed the People's Commissariats (People's Commissariats, NK). Similar councils of people's commissars were created in other Soviet republics; during the formation of the USSR, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was also created at the union level.

general information

The Council of People's Commissars (SNK) was formed in accordance with the "Decree on the Establishment of the Council of People's Commissars" adopted by the II All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers' and Peasants' Deputies on October 27, 1917.

Immediately before the seizure of power on the day of the revolution, the Central Committee of the Bolsheviks instructed Kamenev and Winter (Berzin) to enter into political contact with the Left SRs and begin negotiations with them on the composition of the government. During the work of the Second Congress of Soviets, the Bolsheviks offered the Left SRs to join the government, but they refused. The factions of the Right Socialist-Revolutionaries and Mensheviks left the Second Congress of Soviets at the very beginning of its work - before the formation of the government. The Bolsheviks were forced to form a one-party government.

The name "Council of People's Commissars" was proposed by Trotsky:

Power has been won in St. Petersburg. It is necessary to form a government.

What should you call it? - reasoned out loud Lenin. Only not by ministers: this is a vile, worn-out name.

It could be commissars, I suggested, but now there are too many commissars. High Commissioners, perhaps? No, "supreme" sounds bad. Couldn't it be "folk"?

People's Commissars? Well, that would probably do. And the government as a whole?

Council of People's Commissars?

The Council of People's Commissars, Lenin added, this is excellent: it smells awful of revolution.

The Council of People's Commissars lost its character as a temporary governing body after the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, which was legislatively enshrined in the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1918. The body of general management of the affairs of the RSFSR - which in the Constitution of the RSFSR was called the "Council of People's Commissars" or "Workers 'and Peasants' Government" - was the highest executive and administrative body of the RSFSR, having full executive and administrative power, the right to issue decrees having the force of law, while combining legislative, administrative and executive functions.

The issues considered by the Council of People's Commissars were decided by a simple majority of votes. The meetings were attended by members of the Government, the chairman of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, the manager of affairs and secretaries of the Council of People's Commissars, representatives of departments.

The permanent working body of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR was the affairs department, which prepared questions for the meetings of the Council of People's Commissars and its standing commissions, and received delegations. The staff of the administration of affairs in 1921 consisted of 135 people. (according to the data of the Central State Autonomous Educational Establishment of the USSR, f. 130, op. 25, d. 2, ll. 19 - 20.)

By the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR dated March 23, 1946, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR was transformed into the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR.

[edit] Legislative base of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR

According to the Constitution of the RSFSR of July 10, 1918, the activities of the Council of People's Commissars are:

management of general affairs of the RSFSR, management of individual branches of management (Articles 35, 37)

the publication of legislative acts and the adoption of measures "necessary for the correct and rapid course of state life." (Article 38)

The People's Commissar has the right to single-handedly make decisions on all issues under the jurisdiction of the commissariat, bringing them to the attention of the collegium (Article 45).

All adopted resolutions and decisions of the Council of People's Commissars are reported by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee (Article 39), which has the right to suspend and cancel the resolution or decision of the Council of People's Commissars (Article 40).

17 people's commissariats were created (in the Constitution, this figure is indicated erroneously, since there are 18 of them in the list presented in article 43) ..

on foreign affairs;

on military affairs;

on maritime affairs;

for internal affairs;

social security;

education;

post and telegraph;

on affairs of nationalities;

financial affairs;

ways of communication;

agriculture;

trade and industry;

food;

State control;

The Supreme Council of the National Economy;

health care.

Under each people's commissar and under his chairmanship, a board is formed, the members of which are approved by the Council of People's Commissars (Article 44).

With the formation of the USSR in December 1922 and the creation of an all-Union government, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR became the executive and administrative body of state power of the Russian Federation. The organization, composition, competence and procedure for the activity of the Council of People's Commissars were determined by the Constitution of the USSR in 1924 and the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1925.

From that moment on, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars was changed due to the transfer of a number of powers to the allied departments. 11 people's commissariats were established:

domestic trade;

finance

internal affairs

enlightenment

health care

farming

social security

The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR now included, with the right of a decisive or advisory vote, the representatives of the People's Commissariats of the USSR under the Government of the RSFSR. The Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, in turn, allocated a permanent representative to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. (according to the information of the SU, 1924, No. 70, art. 691.) Since February 22, 1924, the SNK of the RSFSR and the SNK of the USSR have a single Department of Affairs. (based on materials of the TsGAOR USSR, f. 130, op. 25, d. 5, l. 8.)

With the introduction of the Constitution of the RSFSR of January 21, 1937, the SNK of the RSFSR is accountable only to the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, in the period between its sessions - to the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR.

Since October 5, 1937, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR includes 13 people's commissariats (data of the Central State Archive of the RSFSR, f. 259, op. 1, d. 27, l. 204.):

Food Industry

light industry

timber industry

farming

grain state farms

livestock farms

finance

domestic trade

health care

enlightenment

local industry

communal services

social security

The SNK also includes the chairman of the State Planning Committee of the RSFSR and the head of the Department of Arts under the SNK of the RSFSR.

The 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR determined the main functions of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR. The general management of the activities of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR belonged to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. The composition of the prospect was approved by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets or by the Congress of Soviets. The Council of People's Commissars possessed the necessary completeness of rights in the field of executive and administrative activities and, along with the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, enjoyed the right to issue decrees. Exercising executive and administrative power, the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR supervised the activities of the people's commissariats and other centers. departments, and also directed and controlled the activities of local authorities.

The Administrative Department of the Council of People's Commissars and the Small Council of People's Commissars were created, which on January 23. (Feb. 5) 1918 became a permanent commission of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR for preliminary consideration of issues submitted to the Council of People's Commissars, and issues of current legislation governing the department of branches of state administration and government. In 1930, the Small Council of People's Commissars was abolished. By decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of November 30, 1918 was established under the pre. V.I. Lenin Council of Workers 'and Peasants' Defense 1918-20. In April 1920, it was transformed into the Council of Labor and Defense, (STO). The experience of the first Council of People's Commissars was used in state building in all the union Soviet socialist republics.

The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was formed by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and was its executive and administrative body. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR directed the activities of the All-Union and United (Union-Republican) People's Commissariats, considered and approved decrees and decisions of all-Union significance within the limits of the rights provided for by the USSR Constitution of 1924, the provisions on the Council of People's Commissars of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and other legislative acts. Decrees and resolutions of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR were binding on the entire territory of the USSR and could be suspended and canceled by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and its Presidium. For the first time, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, headed by Lenin, was approved at the 2nd session of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR on July 6, 1923. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, according to the regulations of 1923, were: chairman, deputy. Chairman, People's Commissars of the USSR; representatives of the union republics took part in the meetings of the Council of People's Commissars with an advisory vote.

According to the Constitution of the USSR, adopted in 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was the highest executive and administrative body of state power in the USSR. It was formed Top. By the Soviet of the USSR. The USSR Constitution of 1936 established the responsibility and accountability of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR Top. Council, and in between sessions Top. Council of the USSR - to its Presidium. According to the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR united and directed the work of the all-Union and Union-republican people's commissariats of the USSR and other economic and cultural institutions subordinate to it, took measures to implement the national economic plan, the state budget, carried out leadership in the field of foreign relations with foreign states, supervised the general construction of the country's armed forces, etc. According to the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR had the right to suspend the decisions and orders of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republics and cancel orders and instructions of the People's Commissariats of the USSR in the areas of management and economy within the competence of the USSR. Art. 71 of the Constitution of the USSR of 1936 established the right of a deputy's request: a representative of the Council of People's Commissars or the People's Commissar of the USSR, to whom the request of a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR is addressed, are obliged to give an oral or written answer in the appropriate chamber.

The Council of People's Commissars of the union republic is the highest executive and administrative body of state power of the union republic. He is responsible to the Supreme Soviet of the republic and is accountable to him, and in the period between sessions of the top. Council - in front of the Presidium of the Top. Council of the Republic and the Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republic is accountable to it, according to the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, it issues decisions and orders on the basis of and in pursuance of the current laws of the USSR and the Union Republic, decisions and orders of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and is obliged to check their implementation.

Composition and formation of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR

An important stage in the adoption of the Constitution of the USSR in 1924 was the Second Session of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, which opened on July 6, 1923.

The Central Executive Committee of the USSR formed the Soviet government - the Council of People's Commissars. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was the executive and administrative body of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR and was responsible in its work to it and its Presidium (Article 37 of the Constitution). In the chapters on the highest bodies of the USSR, the unity of the legislative and executive powers is enshrined.

To manage the branches of public administration, 10 People's Commissariats of the USSR were created (Chapter 8 of the Constitution of the USSR of 1924): five all-Union (for foreign affairs, military and naval affairs, foreign trade, communications, mail and telegraphs) and five united (Supreme Council of the National Economy , food, labor, finance and workers 'and peasants' inspection). All-Union People's Commissariats had their own representatives in the Union republics. The united people's commissariats exercised leadership on the territory of the union republics through the republics commissariats of the same name. In other spheres, management was carried out exclusively by the union republics through the corresponding republican people's commissariats: agriculture, internal affairs, justice, education, health care, social security.

People's Commissars of the USSR were headed by People's Commissars. Their activities combined the principles of collegiality and one-man management. Under the people's commissar, under his chairmanship, a board was formed, whose members were appointed by the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. The People's Commissar had the right and solely to make decisions, bringing them to the attention of the collegium. The collegium or its individual members, in case of disagreement, could appeal the decision of the People's Commissar to the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, without suspending the execution of the decision.

The second session approved the composition of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR and elected V.I.Lenin as its chairman.

Since V.I. Lenin was ill, the leadership of the Council of People's Commissars was carried out by five of its deputies: L. B. Kamenev, A. I. Rykov, A. D. Tsyurupa, V. Ya. Chubar, M. D. Orakhelashvili. The Ukrainian Chubar was from July 1923 the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine, and the Georgian Orakhelashvili was the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the TSFSR, so they performed, first of all, their direct duties. From February 2, 1924, Rykov will become the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR. Rykov and Tsyurupa were Russian by nationality, and Kamenev was Jewish. Of the five deputies of the Council of People's Commissars, only Orakhelashvili had a higher education, the other four had a secondary education. The Council of People's Commissars of the USSR was the direct successor of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR. In addition to the chairman and his five deputies, the first Council of People's Commissars of the Union also included 10 people's commissars and the chairman of the OGPU with an advisory vote. Naturally, when selecting leaders of the Council of People's Commissars, problems arose associated with the necessary representation from the union republics.

There were also problems with the formation of the allied people's commissariats. The RSFSR People's Commissars for Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Communications, Posts and Telegraphs, Military and Naval Affairs were transformed into allied. The cadre of the people's commissariats at that time was still formed mainly from former employees of the administrative apparatus and specialists from the pre-revolutionary period. For employees who were workers before the revolution in 1921-1922. accounted for only 2.7%, which was explained by the lack of a sufficient number of literate workers. These employees automatically flowed from the Russian People's Commissariats to the Union with a very small number of workers transferred from the national republics.

The Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republic is formed by the Supreme Soviet of the Union Republic, consisting of: Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Union Republic; Deputy Chairmen; Chairman of the State Planning Commission; People's Commissars: Food Industry; Light industry; The timber industry; Agriculture; Grain and livestock farms; Finance; Domestic trade; Internal Affairs; Justice; Health care; Enlightenment; Local industry; Communal services; Social Security; Authorized Committee of Blanks; The Head of the Office of the Arts; Authorized All-Union People's Commissariats.

History of the legislative base of the Council of People's Commissars

According to the Constitution of the RSFSR of July 10, 1918, the activities of the Council of People's Commissars are:

Management of general affairs of the RSFSR, management of individual branches of management (Articles 35, 37)

· The publication of legislative acts and the adoption of measures "necessary for the correct and rapid course of state life." (Article 38)

The People's Commissar has the right to single-handedly make decisions on all issues under the jurisdiction of the commissariat, bringing them to the attention of the collegium (Article 45).

17 people's commissariats were created (in the Constitution, this figure is indicated erroneously, since there are 18 of them in the list presented in article 43).

· On foreign affairs;

· On military affairs;

· On maritime affairs;

· On internal affairs;

· Justice;

· Social security;

· Education;

· Post and telegraph;

· On affairs of nationalities;

· On financial affairs;

· Ways of communication;

· Agriculture;

· Trade and industry;

· Food;

· State control;

· Supreme Council of National Economy;

· Health care.

From that moment on, the composition of the Council of People's Commissars was changed due to the transfer of a number of powers to the allied departments. 11 people's commissariats were established:

· Domestic trade;

Finance

Internal affairs

Justice

Education

Health care

Agriculture

Social security

· Food Industry

Light industry

Timber industry

Agriculture