The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of the

Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...

(RSFSR), the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

(USSR), and the

Soviet republics The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics ( rus, Сою́зные Респу́блики, r=Soyúznye Respúbliki) were national-based administrative units of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( ...

from 1917 to 1946. The Sovnarkom of the RSFSR was founded in the

Russian Republic The Russian Republic,. referred to as the Russian Democratic Federal Republic. in the 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state which controlled, ''de jure'', the territory of the former Russian Empire after its proclamation by the Rus ...

soon after the

October Revolution The October Revolution,. officially known as the Great October Socialist Revolution. in the Soviet Union, also known as the Bolshevik Revolution, was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin that was a key mom ...

in 1917 and its role was formalized in the 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR to be responsible to the Congress of Soviets of the RSFSR for the "general administration of the affairs of the state". Unlike its predecessor the

Russian Provisional Government The Russian Provisional Government ( rus, Временное правительство России, Vremennoye pravitel'stvo Rossii) was a provisional government of the Russian Republic, announced two days before and established immediately ...

which had representatives of various political parties, the Sovnarkom was a government of a single party, the

Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks (russian: Большевики́, from большинство́ ''bol'shinstvó'', 'majority'),; derived from ''bol'shinstvó'' (большинство́), "majority", literally meaning "one of the majority". also known in English ...

. The Sovnarkom of the USSR and

Congress of Soviets of the USSR The All-Union Congress of Soviets (russian: Всесоюзный съезд Советов), was the formal governing body of the Soviet Union from its formation (30 December 1922) until the adoption of its second constitution. The Congress o ...

founded in 1922 were modelled on the RSFSR system, and identical Sovnarkom bodies were founded in the Soviet republics and

autonomous republics An autonomous republic is a type of administrative division similar to a province or state. A significant number of autonomous republics can be found within the successor states of the Soviet Union, but the majority are located within Russia. Ma ...

. The Sovnarkom evolved into the main executive of the

government of the Soviet Union The Government of the Soviet Union ( rus, Прави́тельство СССР, p=prɐˈvʲitʲɪlʲstvə ɛs ɛs ɛs ˈɛr, r=Pravítelstvo SSSR, lang=no), formally the All-Union Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, commonly ab ...

with its head, the Premier of the USSR, serving as

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a ...

. The Sovnarkom issued decrees having the force of law when the Congress was not in session, and if these decrees were not approved at the Congress's next session, they were considered revoked. The principles of

democratic centralism Democratic centralism is a practice in which political decisions reached by voting processes are binding upon all members of the political party. It is mainly associated with Leninism, wherein the party's political vanguard of professional revo ...

meant the Congress merely rubber-stamped Sovnarkom decrees at its next session. The Sovnarkom was dissolved and transformed into the

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or ...

in 1946.

Original People's Commissars

The first council elected by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets was composed as follows. Many early

commisar Commissar (or sometimes ''Kommissar'') is an English transliteration of the Russian (''komissar''), which means 'commissary'. In English, the transliteration ''commissar'' often refers specifically to the political commissars of Soviet and Eas ...

s later opposed the party majority organized by Stalin and allegedly conspired with the Trotskyist opposition or some other opposition group, which resulted in their expulsion from the party or being arrested. The party had banned factional opposition groups at the Eleventh Party Congress during 1921. Still the original People's Comissariat included Left-Communists, Trotskyists and other ex-oppositionists. Most alleged conspirators were executed for treason during the

Great Purge The Great Purge or the Great Terror (russian: Большой террор), also known as the Year of '37 (russian: 37-й год, translit=Tridtsat sedmoi god, label=none) and the Yezhovshchina ('period of Yezhov'), was Soviet General Secreta ...

, some had sentences reduced to imprisonment.

All-Union Sovnarkom

Upon the creation of the USSR in 1922, the Soviet Union's government was modelled after the first Sovnarkom. The

retained their own governments which dealt with domestic matters.

Sovmin

In 1946, the Sovnarkoms were transformed into the

(Sovmin) at both

all-Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

and

Union Republic The Republics of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics or the Union Republics ( rus, Сою́зные Респу́блики, r=Soyúznye Respúbliki) were national-based administrative units of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ...

level.

Councils by administrative division

Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union The Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union was the highest collegial body of executive and administrative authority of the Soviet Union from 1923 to 1946. As the government of the Soviet Union, the Council of People's Commissars of th ...

Soviet republics

Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic The Council of People's Commissars of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was the government of Soviet Russia in 1917–1946. It was established by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deput ...

Council of People's Commissars (Ukraine) Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR ( uk, Рада Народних Комісарів УРСР) or the Radnarkom ( uk, Раднарком) was the highest governing body of executive power in Ukrainian SSR from January 1919 to 19 ...

(Temporary government of Workers and Peasants of Ukraine) *

Council of People's Commissars of Belarus The Council of People's Commissars of Belarus was established part of the governing apparatus of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR). It was formed by the All-Byelorussian Congress of Soviets and functioned alongside the Central Exe ...

, including LitBel *

Council of People's Commissars of Azerbaijan 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'm ...

Council of People's Commissars (Armenia) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Bukhara) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Khorezm) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Georgia) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Turkestan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Transcaucasia) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Kazakhstan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

, including as autonomous Kyrgyz (before 1925) *

Council of People's Commissars (Turkmenistan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Kyrgyzstan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

, including as autonomous Kyrgyz (after 1925) *

Council of People's Commissars (Uzbekistan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Tajikistan) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

, including as autonomous *

Council of People's Commissars (Karelia-Finland) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

, including as autonomous Karelia *

Council of People's Commissars (Moldova) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

, including as autonomous *

Council of People's Commissars of the Lithuanian SSR The Council of Ministers of the Lithuanian SSR ( lt, Lietuvos TSR Ministrų Taryba) or Council of People's Commissars in 1940–46 ( lt, Lietuvos TSR Liaudies Komisarų Taryba) was the cabinet (executive branch) of the Lithuanian SSR, one of the re ...

Council of People's Commissars (Latvia) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Council of People's Commissars (Estonia) The Councils of People's Commissars (SNK; russian: Совет народных комиссаров (СНК), ''Sovet narodnykh kommissarov''), commonly known as the ''Sovnarkom'' (Совнарком), were the highest executive authorities of ...

Autonomous republics

* Council of People's Commissars (Adjara) * Council of People's Commissars (

Volga German The Volga Germans (german: Wolgadeutsche, ), russian: поволжские немцы, povolzhskiye nemtsy) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Sarato ...

) * Council of People's Commissars (Bashkorstan) * Council of People's Commissars (Buryat-Mongolia) * Council of People's Commissars (Mountainous) * Council of People's Commissars (Dagestan) * Council of People's Commissars (Kabardin-Balkaria), including Kabardin (1944-1957) * Council of People's Commissars (Cossack) * Council of People's Commissars (Kalmykia) * Council of People's Commissars (Karakalpakistan) * Council of People's Commissars (Komi) * Council of People's Commissars (Crimea) * Council of People's Commissars (Mari) * Council of People's Commissars (Mordva) * Council of People's Commissars (Nakhichevan) * Council of People's Commissars (North Osetia) * Council of People's Commissars (Tatarstan) * Council of People's Commissars (Tuva) * Council of People's Commissars (Udmurtia) * Council of People's Commissars (Chechnia-Ingushetia) * Council of People's Commissars (Chuvashia) * Council of People's Commissars (Yakutia) * Council of People's Commissars (Abkhazia), including as autonomous

Short-lived early soviet republics

* Council of People's Commissars (Donetsk-Krivoi Rog) * Council of People's Commissars (Odessa), initially as Rumcherod * Council of People's Commissars (Poland) * Council of People's Commissars (Galicia) * Council of People's Commissars (

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The t ...

) * Council of People's Secretaries (

Soviet Ukraine The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...

)

References

External links

Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1917–1964
an

*
Lenin as Head of Government
', an English-language Soviet book on Lenin's activities as Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars {{Authority control Government of Russia Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic 1917 establishments in Russia 1946 disestablishments in the Soviet Union Government agencies established in 1917 Government agencies disestablished in 1946