The Congress of the Enslaved Peoples of Russia was a congress of representatives of different nationalities to discuss their political situation in the Russian Empire. It was held on in Kyiv, Ukraine.

History

World War I and the

February Revolution The February Revolution ( rus, Февра́льская револю́ция, r=Fevral'skaya revolyutsiya, p=fʲɪvˈralʲskəjə rʲɪvɐˈlʲutsɨjə), known in Soviet historiography as the February Bourgeois Democratic Revolution and somet ...

brought hopes that the various minorities in the Russian Empire could attain some freedoms. The congress was organized by the

Ukrainian Central Rada The Central Council of Ukraine ( uk, Українська Центральна Рада, ) (also called the Tsentralna Rada or the Central Rada) was the All-Ukrainian council (soviet) that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputie ...

to discuss these political aspirations and better coordinate their efforts. In total, there were 93 representatives of 20 nations, including

Belarusians , native_name_lang = be , pop = 9.5–10 million , image = , caption = , popplace = 7.99 million , region1 = , pop1 = 600,000–768,000 , region2 = , pop2 ...

Buryats The Buryats ( bua, Буряад, Buryaad; mn, Буриад, Buriad) are a Mongolic peoples, Mongolic ethnic group native to southeastern Siberia who speak the Buryat language. They are one of the two largest indigenous groups in Siberia, the oth ...

Georgians The Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and indigenous Caucasian ethnic group native to Georgia and the South Caucasus. Georgian diaspora communities are also present throughout Russia, Turkey, G ...

, Estonians, Jews,

Lithuanians Lithuanians ( lt, lietuviai) are a Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another million or two make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Uni ...

, Latvians, Crimean Tatars, Moldavians,

Don Cossacks Don Cossacks (russian: Донские казаки, Donskie kazaki) or Donians (russian: донцы, dontsy) are Cossacks who settled along the middle and lower Don. Historically, they lived within the former Don Cossack Host (russian: До� ...

, and

Cossacks The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...

. Polish and Finnish representatives did not participate as they had already proclaimed independence. The Russian Provisional Government was represented by

Maksym Slavinsky Maksym Slavinsky (also as Slavynsky uk, Максим Антонович Славинський ;12 August 1868 in Stavyshche, Kiev Governorate - 23 November 1945 in Kiev) was a Ukrainian journalist, political and public figure, diplomat and statesm ...

, member of the Constitutional Democratic Party (Kadets). Latvians had ten representatives, including future Prime Minister Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics. Estonians were represented by future Minister of Foreign Affairs Ants Piip. The congress resolved the Russia should be organized as a federation of nations that would grant autonomy to the various nations. Only Lithuanians, represented by nine men, including

Augustinas Voldemaras Augustinas Voldemaras (16 April 1883 – 16 May 1942) was a Lithuanian nationalist political figure. He briefly served as the country's first prime minister in 1918 and continued serving as the minister of foreign affairs until 1920, representing ...

Antanas Tumėnas Antanas Tumėnas (13 May 1880 in Kurkliečiai, near Rokiškis – 8 February 1946 in Bachmanning, Austria) was a Lithuanian politician, teacher, professor of law, judge, Prime Minister of Lithuania in the 10th cabinet, Chairman of the Supreme Com ...

, and

Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas Juozas Tumas also known by the pen name Vaižgantas (20 September 1869 – 29 April 1933) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest and an activist during the Lithuanian National Revival. He was a prolific writer, editor of nine periodicals, univers ...

, demanded full independence. The congress elected the Council of the Peoples of Russia, chaired by Mykhailo Hrushevsky, and established journal (, Free Union). However, due to the October Revolution, the council and the journal were short-lived.

References

External links

З'їзд поневолених народів
{{Authority control September 1917 events 1917 conferences 1910s in Kyiv 1917 in Russia 1917 in Ukraine Ukrainian People's Republic International conferences in Ukraine