All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Soviet of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom), Decree on the Autonomous Crimean Socialist Soviet Republic (ACSSR). October 18, 1921
The VTsIK and the Sovnarkom decree:
1. To form an ACSSR as a part of the RSFSR, within the limits of the Crimean peninsula, out of the existing circuits of Dzhankoi, Evpatoria, Kerch, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Feodosia, and Yalta.
Note: In order to settle questions concerning the northern boundaries of Crimea, a commission is formed, consisting of representatives of the people’s commissariats for interior of the RSFSR, of the UkSSR, of the ACSSR, and the people’s commissariat for nationalities. The decision of the commission is confirmed by the VTsIK.
2. [Corresponds to article 1 of the decree of May 19, 1920, on the ACSSR.]
3. For the administration of affairs of the ACSSR the following people’s commissariats are established: (1) interior, (2) justice, (3) education, (4) health, (5) social welfare, (6) agriculture, 7) food, (8) finance, (9) labor, (10) soviet of people’s economy, (11) workmen’s and peasants’ inspection, (12) communications, and the division of communal economy and statistics.
4. a. For the administration of military affairs of the ACSSR is attached to the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR a Crimean military commissariat; this commissariat is subordinate to the nearest military district.
b. For the fight against counter-revolution is created and attached to the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR a Crimean Cheka directly subordinate to the ail-Russian Cheka; its collegium is formed by the Crimean Sovnarkom and approved by the all-Russian Cheka.
c. Foreign affairs and foreign trade remain entirely within the jurisdiction of the people’s commissariats of the RSFSR; the latter creates corresponding representations attached to the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR.
d. The administration of ways of communication within the ACSSR remains entirely in the jurisdiction of the people’s commissariat for ways of communication of the RSFSR. For the administration of the ways of communication on the territory of Crimea is appointed a plenipotentiary of the people’s commissariat for ways of communication attached to the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR. This plenipotentiary acts under the guidance of the southern district of ways of communication, in conformity with the interests of the ACSSR, and within the limits of the general plan and rules of using the ways of communication of the RSFSR.
e. The central administration of the Crimean health resorts remains directly subordinate to the people’s commissariat for public health of the RSFSR; the collegium of the former is formed by mutual agreement of the people’s commissariat for health of ‘the RSFSR and the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR.
Note: The chief of the marine, the president of the collegium of the Central Administration of Crimean Health Resorts, representatives of the people’s commissariats for foreign affairs and for foreign trade, the plenipotentiary of the people’s commissariat for ways of communication of the RSFSR, the director of communal economy, and the president of the division of statistics enter into the Crimean Sovnarkom with advisory voices.
5. All institutions and individual representatives of the unified people’s commissariats of the RSFSR situated on the territory of Crimea, which are not provided for by the present statute of the ACSSR, must act according to the directions of the corresponding people’s commissariats of the RSFSR in agreement with the Crimean Sovnarkom.
6. In order to maintain the unity of the financial and economic policy over the whole territory of the RSFSR, all decrees and instructions of the people’s commissariats of the RSFSR for food, finance, soviet of people’s economy, labor, ways of communication, posts and telegraphs, workmen’s and peasants’ inspection, and the central statistical administration are obligatory for the corresponding people’s commissariats of the ACSSR.
Note: The people’s commissars of the above-mentioned commissariats and administrations are appointed by the Crimean Sovnarkom and confirmed by the corresponding people’s commissariats of the RSFSR; the same order is established in regard to the president of the Crimean Cheka.
7. The people’s commissariats of the ACSSR for interior, justice, education, health, social welfare, agriculture, and the division of communal economy are independent in their activities but responsible directly to the Crimean central executive committee, the Crimean Sovnarkom, and the VTsIK.
8. In order to correlate and unify the activity of the economic organs of the ACSSR, is created and attached to the Sovnarkom of the ACSSR, the Crimean economic conference which acts in conformity with the decree of the VTsIK of June 30, 1921.
9. [Corresponds to article 6 of the decree of January 20, 1921, on the ACSSR.]
10. Pending the convocation of the ail-Russian Crimean constituent congress of Soviets and the election of a Crimean central executive committee and Sovnarkom, the territory of Crimea is administered by the Crimean revolutionary committee.
Signed: President of the VTsIK: M. Kalinin.
President of the Sovnarkom: V. Ul’ianov (Lenin).
Secretary of the VTsIK: A. Enukidze.
Source: Walter Russell Batsell, Soviet Rule in Russia (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1929), pp. 148-151.