Soviet of People’s Commissars (Sovnarkom)

Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets, On the Formation of a Worker and Peasant Government. November 8, 1917

Original Source: Vtoroi vserossiiskii s"ezd Sovetov rabochikh i soldatskikh deputatov: sbornik dokumentov (Moscow, 1957), pp. 79-80.

By decree of the All-Russian Congress of Soviets a Provisional Workers' and Peasants' Government, to be known as the Soviet of People's Commissars, is formed to govern the country until the meeting of the Constituent Assembly.

The administration of the different departments of state shall be entrusted to special commissions, whose membership will insure the realization of the program of the Congress in close co-operation with the organized masses of workers, soldiers, sailors, peasants, and other employees. Government power shall be vested in a collegium of chairmen, of those commissions, i.e., the Soviet of People's Commissars.

Control over the acts of the People's Commissars and the right of recall belong to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers', Soldiers', and Peasants' Deputies and its Central Executive Committee.

For the present the Soviet of People's Commissars is made up of the following persons: President of the Soviet, Vladimir Ul'ianov (Lenin); Commissar of the Interior, A. I. Rykov; Commissar of Agriculture, V. P. Miliutin; Commissar of Labor, A. G. Shliapnikov; Commissar of War and Navy, Committee made up of V. A. Ovseenko (Antonov), N. V. Krylenko, and P. E. Dybenko; Commissar of Commerce and Industry, V. P. Nogin; Commissar of Education, A. V. Lunacharskii; Commissar of Finance, I. I. Skvortsov (Stepanov); Commissar of Foreign Affairs, L. D. Bronstein (Trotsky); Commissar of Justice, G. I. Oppokov (Lomov); Commissar of Food, I. A. Teodorovich; Commissar of Post and Telegraph, N. P. Avilov (Glebov); Chairman for Nationalities, I. V. Dzhugashvili (Stalin); Commissar of Railroads (not named for the time being).

Source: Decrees of the Soviet Government (Moscow: Institute of Marxism-Leninism, 1957), Vol. I, pp. 20-21.

1917

EVENTS February Revolution Formation of the Soviets April Crisis Revolution in the Army July Days Kornilov Affair Bolsheviks Seize Power First Bolshevik Decrees Constituent Assembly Treaty of Brest Litovsk
FOUR KINDS OF STATES Communist Party Building Economic Apparatus Building the Soviets Red Guard into Army State Security
DISINTEGRATION OF THE OLD SOCIETY Depopulation of the Cities Food Supply Conflict with the Church Death of the Old Culture Destruction of the Left The Empire Falls
CREATION OF A NEW SOCIETY New Letters and Dates Culture and Revolution The New Woman Workers Organization Peasant Revolution Organs of the Press Raising Socialist Youth