The Council of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan ( az, Azərbaycan SSR Xalq Komissarları Soveti) was established as the governing body of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Accounts differ as to whether it was formed on 28 April 1920 (Mil'man and Guliev) or at the First All-Azerbaijan Congress of Soviets, 6-19 May (Kharmandarian). The 11th Red Army had moved into north Azerbaijan following the defeat of General

Anton Denikin Anton Ivanovich Denikin (russian: Анто́н Ива́нович Дени́кин, link= ; 16 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._4_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Old Style and New St ...

Volunteer Army The Volunteer Army (russian: Добровольческая армия, translit=Dobrovolcheskaya armiya, abbreviated to russian: Добрармия, translit=Dobrarmiya) was a White Army active in South Russia during the Russian Civil War from ...

. The Baku Bureau of Kavkraikom (the Caucasian Regional Committee) of the Russian Communist Party (Bolshevik) had held a joint meeting with the

Communist Party of Azerbaijan The Azerbaijan Communist Party ( az, Azərbaycan Kommunist Partiyası; russian: Коммунистическая партия Азербайджана) was the ruling political party in the Azerbaijan SSR, making it effectively a branch of the ...

on 27 April at which they formed the Azerbaijan Revolutionary Committee (Azrevkom). This new body issued an ultimatum to the government of the

Azerbaijan Democratic Republic The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic), or simply as Azerbaijan in Paris Peace Conference, 1919–1920,''Bulletin d'Information de l'Azerbaidjan'', No. I, September 1, 1919, pp. 6–7''125 H.C.Debs.'', 58., February 24, 1920, p. 1467. Caucasian A ...

, who immediately surrendered: The Red Army had sent an armoured train directly to Baku which arrived on 28 April.Zeynaloğlu C. (1992) ''Müxtəsər Azərbaycan tarixi'', 1992, p.142 The terms of the surrender passed lawful power to Azrevkom, to whom several key figures had been appointed in their absence. In particular

Nariman Narimanov Nariman Karbalayi Najaf oghlu Narimanov ( az, Nəriman Kərbəlayi Nəcəf oğlu Nərimanov, russian: Нарима́н Кербелаи Наджа́ф оглы Нарима́нов; – 19 March 1925) was an Azerbaijani Bolshevik revolutionary, w ...

was absent having travelled to

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

to see

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. ( 1870 – 21 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin,. was a Russian revolutionary, politician, and political theorist. He served as the first and founding head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1 ...

and

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

and only arrived in Baku on 16 May. Thus although he was declared the chairperson of the AzSovnarkom, this was a role he could only truly assume when he arrived in the middle of the First All-Azerbaijan Congress of Soviets. The senior Bolsheviks responsible for stage managing the foundation of the AzSovnarkom were

Sergei Kirov Sergei Mironovich Kirov (né Kostrikov; 27 March 1886 – 1 December 1934) was a Soviet politician and Bolshevik revolutionary whose assassination led to the first Great Purge. Kirov was an early revolutionary in the Russian Empire and membe ...

and

Grigoriy Ordzhonikidze Sergo Konstantinovich Ordzhonikidze,, ; russian: Серго Константинович Орджоникидзе, Sergo Konstantinovich Ordzhonikidze) born Grigol Konstantines dze Orjonikidze, russian: Григорий Константино ...

Original membership of AzSovnarkom

The First Council of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan SSR

Established 28 April 1920: *

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars * Chingiz Ildyrym, People's Commissar of Naval Affairs * Hamid Sultanov,Декреты Азревкома 1920-1921 гг: сборник документов. Azerbaijan State Publ., 1988; p. 428. People's Commissar of Internal Affairs *

Aliheydar Garayev Aliheydar Agakerim oglu Garayev ( az, Əliheydər Ağakərim oğlu Qarayev) (June 20, 1896 – April 24, 1938) also spelled as Ali Heydar Garayev, was an Azerbaijani Menshevik and later Bolshevik revolutionary, People's Commissar of Justice of A ...

, People's Commissar of Labor and Justice *

Gazanfar Musabekov Gazanfar Mahmud oghlu Musabeyov or Musabekov ( az, Qəzənfər Mahmud oğlu Musabəyov, , Perebidil, Baku Governorate - 9 February 1938, Moscow) was an Azerbaijani Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet statesman. He was Chairman of the Central Exe ...

, People's Commissar of Agriculture, Commerce, Industry and Food *

Mirza Davud Huseynov Mirza Davud Baghir oghlu Huseynov ( az, Мирзә Давуд Һүсејнов, italic=no, Mirzə Davud Bağır oğlu Hüseynov; Russian: ), also spelled Husseynov or Huseinov (March 1894 – March 21, 1938), was an Azerbaijani revolutionary and ...

, People's Commissar of Finance * Samad aga Agamalioglu *

Dadash Bunyadzade Dadash Hodge oglu Bunyadzade (1888–1938) was the chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic from 14 March 1930 to 23 October 1932. During the Great Purge, he was arrested, accused of ...

, People's Commissar of Education and State Control * Cemil bey Vezirov, People's Commissar of Posts, Telegraphs and Communications * Ağahüseyn Kazımov People’s Commissar of Health

Later development

On 28 November 28, Movsum Kadyrli was appointed People’s Commissar of Health of the AzSSR. He held this position until January 21, 1935.

References

{{reflist 1920s in Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic