All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets

Всеукраїнський з'їзд Рад

Vseukrayinsky zyizd Rad
 
Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR

The All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets (

Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR, modeled on the 1918 Russian Constitution
, mandated that Congress to be convened at least twice a year. The 1926 Constitution (in correspondence to all Soviet constitutions) lowered the minimum to once a year.

In total there were 14 Congresses of Soviets that for the most of the time took place in Kharkiv.

Description

Following the end of the

Soviet regime, former Petlurites, "bandits of any kind", moonshiners, deserters, and other enemies of the Soviet regime.[3]

History

First Congress (Kyiv)

Trinity Public House (also known at that time as Sadovsky Theater)

The very first Congress of Soviet initially took place in Kyiv on December 17 (December 4, old style), 1917 in the hall of the M.Sadovsky Theater (also known as Trinity Public House). Over 2500 delegates participated at the congress. The Congress was called by the Kyiv regional soviet of workers' and soldiers' deputies on the request of the Bolshevik organizations of Ukraine. Concurrently on December 16–18, 1917 in Kyiv was taken place a regional congress of Bolsheviks of Ukraine. The Bolshevik Congress created a united political party of Ukraine the "RSDLP(b) - Social-Democracy of Ukraine" headed by the Chief Committee.

The first addressed issue was the election of the Congress presidium which was headed by the honorary chairman of congress

Vladimir Zatonsky announced that there has been a misunderstanding as too many delegates that were present at the congress without a right of vote. Zatonsky proposed to announce a break and check credentials of all delegates. As an answer to the proposal, the leader of the Peasant Association Mykola Stasyuk
declared that the regional committee of Soviets of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies wished to falsify the will of Ukrainian people by giving preference to workers and soldier who in addition were not even Ukrainians over peasants. Therefore, the central committee of the Peasant Association took care on its part to increase the peasant representation at the congress. After that Bolsheviks proposed to recognize the congress as a consultative meeting. When the proposal was rejected, the 127 supporters of Bolsheviks left the congress in protest. The rest participating delegates recognized the assembly as a competent congress. On December 18, 1917, the 124 delegates from 49 Soviets who left the Kyiv Congress gathered at a separate meeting in the Kyiv Central Bureau of Trade Unions.

First bolshevik-controlled Congress (Kharkiv)

On December 21, 1917, the

revkom
(revolutionary committee). The headquarters of a local Red Guard was established on December 14, 1917, and was located in the Stock Exchange building at Market Square (today Ploshcha Konstytutsii or Constitution Square).

On December 24–25, 1917 in the Kharkiv building of Noble Assembly (Market Square) another First Congress of Soviets was held. The congress gathered initially 964 participants, amount of which later grew to 1250. The congress reviewed several issues: attitudes towards the Central Council of Ukraine, war and peace as well as about organization of military force, about Ukraine and Soviet Russia, estate and financial issues and others.

The congress approved the

Vladimir Zatonsky
.

Second Congress (Katerynoslav)

The Second All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets took place in Katerynoslav.

Transformation

The Congress ceased to exist at the end of the constitutional reform of 1936-1937, when the first on the union and then at the republican levels indirect election to Soviets were replaced by direct elections at all levels with the Supreme Soviet as the highest body.

List of all congresses

Order Date Location Main events Delegates
I[4]
(not bolshevik-controlled)
December 17–19 [O.S. December 4–6], 1917 Kyiv Adaption of the
Central Council of Ukraine
as the supreme authority

Mykhailo Hrushevsky (Chairman of the Central Council of Ukraine)

2,000–2,500
I (bolshevik-controlled) December 24–25 [O.S. December 11–12], 1917 Kharkiv Proclamation of the Soviet power, establishing of Ukraine as a federative entity of the
Central Council of Ukraine

Central Executive Committee
)

<200
II March 17–19, 1918 Katerynoslav Approved the Soviet Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and only formally breaks the federative union with Russia

Decided to create the Red Army and will fight against the restored bourgeois power, adopted "temporary provisions on socialization of land"

Central Executive Committee
)

964
III March 6–10, 1919 Kharkiv Reformed the government body of Ukraine, approved the decision to create regular Red Army, policies of the People's Commissariat of Food supply and
Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR

Central Executive Committee
)

1,719
IV May 16–20, 1920 Kharkiv Polish–Soviet War

Committees of Poor Peasants
Election of 34 members to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee

811
V February 25 – March 3, 1921 Kharkiv Ratification of the 1920 Union Workers-Peasant Treaty between Soviet Ukraine and Soviet Russia,

Adopted resolutions on revival of coal and metallurgical industries, electrification, improving land use
Established the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (the only order of Soviet Ukraine)

841
VI December 14–17, 1921 Kharkiv Prodnalog, grain fund for poor peasants and the 1922 sowing campaign

New Economic Policy
Election of 254 delegates to the 9th Congress of Soviets of the Russian SFSR

820
VII December 10–14, 1922 Kharkiv Declaration on creation of the Soviet Union

Election of delegates to the 10th Congress of Soviets of the Russian SFSR

785
VIII January 17–20, 1924 Kharkiv
IX May 3–10, 1925 Kharkiv Amendments to the Constitution in correspondence with the
1924 Soviet Constitution
838
X
April 6–13, 1927 Kharkiv 1,059
XI
May 7–15, 1929 Kharkiv Adaptation of the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR as member of the Soviet Union 893
XII February 25 – March 4, 1931 Kharkiv
XIII January 15–22, 1935 Kyiv
XIV
(extraordinary)
January 25–31, 1937 Kyiv Transformation of the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee into the Supreme Soviet and Presidium of the Supreme Soviet respectively

Adaptation of the

Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR

Election

According to article 24 of the 1929

rural council areas, one delegate should be elected.[5]

Powers

The exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress consisted of:

  • Election of the
    Central Executive Committee of Ukraine
  • Adoption of the Constitution of the Ukrainian SSR and amendments to it.
  • Approval of amendments proposed by the Central Executive Committee
  • Approval of constitutions of the autonomous republics of Ukraine

On the other issues the Congress and Central Executive Committee had the same authority.

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets in the Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia
  2. ^ Congress of Soviets in the Handbook on the Communist Party
  3. ^ a b c d e f All-Ukrainian congresses of Soviets in 1920–1937: composition, competence, and order of work (Всеукраїнські з’їзди Рад у 1920-1937 рр.: склад, компетенція та порядок роботи). History of state and law of Ukraine.
  4. ^ Congress of Soviets at the Institute of History of Ukraine
  5. ^ "Конституція Української Соціалістичної Радянської Республіки (1929)". Wikisource (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2022-11-19.

External links