Russian Federation 1918 Constitution

SECTION III. CONSTRUCTION OF THE SOVIET POWER

A. Organization of the Central Power

Chapter Six. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers’, Peasants’, Cossacks’, and Red Army Deputies

Article 24

The All-Russian Congress of Soviets is the supreme power of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.

Article 25

The All-Russian Congress of Soviets is composed of representatives of urban Soviets (one delegate for 25,000 voters), and of representatives of the provincial (Gubernia) congresses of Soviets (one delegate for 125,000 inhabitants).

Note 1

In case the Provincial Congress is not called before the All-Russian Congress is convoked, delegates for the latter are sent directly from the county (Ouezd or Uyezd) Congress.

Note 2

In case the Regional (Oblast) Congress is convoked indirectly, previous to the convocation of the All-Russian Congress, delegates for the latter may be sent by the Regional Congress.

Article 26

The All-Russian Congress is convoked by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee at least twice a year.

Article 27

A special All-Russian Congress is convoked by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee upon its own initiative, or upon the request of local Soviets having not less than one-third of the entire population of the Republic.

Article 28

The All-Russian Congress elects an All-Russian Central Executive Committee of not more than 200 members.

Article 29

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee is entirely responsible to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets.

Article 30

In the periods between the convocation of the Congresses, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee is the supreme power of the Republic.

Chapter Seven. The All-Russian Central Executive Committee

Article 31

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee is the supreme legislative, executive, and controlling organ of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.

Article 32

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee directs in a general way the activity of the Workers’ and Peasants’ government and of all organs of the Soviet authority in the country, and it coordinates and regulates the operation of the Soviet constitution and of the resolutions of the All-Russian Congresses and of the central organs of the Soviet power.

Article 33

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee considers and enacts all measures and proposals introduced by the Soviet of People’s Commissars or by the various departments, and it also issues its own decrees and regulations.

Article 34

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee convokes the All-Russian Congress of Soviets, at which time the Executive Committee reports on its activity and on general questions.

Article 35

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee forms a Council of People’s Commissars for the purpose of general management of the affairs of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, and it also forms departments (People’s Commissariats) for the purpose of conducting various branches.

Article 36

The members of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee work in the various departments (People’s Commissariats) or execute special orders of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Chapter Eight. The Council of People’s Commissars

Article 37

The Council of People’s Commissars is entrusted with the general management of the affairs of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic.

Article 38

For the accomplishment of this task the Council of People’s Commissars issues decrees, resolutions, orders, and, in general, takes all steps necessary for the proper and rapid conduct of government affairs.

Article 39

The Council of People’s Commissars notifies immediately the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of all its orders and resolutions.

Article 40

The All-Russian Central Executive Committee has the right to revoke or suspend all orders and resolutions of the Council of People’s Commissars.

Article 41

All orders and resolutions of the Council of People’s Commissars of great political significance are referred for consideration and final approval to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Note

Measures requiring immediate execution may be enacted directly by the Council of People’s Commissars.

Article 42

The members of the Council of People’s Commissars stand at the head of the various People’s Commissariats.

Article 43

There are seventeen People’s Commissars:

1. Foreign Affairs;
2. Army;
3. Navy;
4. Interior;
5. Justice;
6. Labor;
7. Social Welfare;
8. Education;
9. Post and Telegraph;
10. National Affairs;
11. Finances;
12. Ways of Communication;
13. Agriculture;
14. Commerce and Industry;
15. National Supplies;
16. State Control;
17. Supreme Soviet of National Economy;
18. Public Health.

Article 44

Every commissar has a College (committee) of which he is the president, and the members of which are appointed by the Council of People’s Commissars.

Article 45

A People’s Commissar has the individual right to decide on all questions under the jurisdiction of his commissariat, and he is to report on his decision to the College. If the College does not agree with the commissar on some decisions, the former may, without stopping the execution of the decision, complain of it to the executive members of the Council of People’s Commissars or to the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Individual members of the College have this right also.

Article 46

The Council of People’s Commissars is entirely responsible to the All-Russian Congress of Soviets and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Article 47

The People’s Commissars and the Colleges of the People’s Commissariats are entirely responsible to the Council of People’s Commissars and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

Article 48

The title of People’s Commissar belongs only to the members of the Council of People’s Commissars, which is in charge of general affairs of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, and it cannot be used by any other representative of the Soviet power, either central of local.

Chapter Nine. Affairs In The Jurisdiction Of The All-Russian Congress And The All-Russian Central Executive Committee

Article 49

The All-Russian Congress and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee deal with the questions of state, such as:

1. Ratification and amendment of the Constitution of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
2. General direction of the entire interior and foreign policy of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
3. Establishing and changing boundaries, also ceding territory belonging to the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
4. Establishing boundaries for regional soviet unions belonging to the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, also settling disputes among them;
5. Admission of new members to the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, and recognition of the secession of any parts of it;
6. The general administrative division of the territory of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic and the approval of regional unions;
7. Establishing and changing weights, measures, and money denominations in the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
8. Foreign relations, declaration of war, and ratification of peace treaties;
9. Making loans, signing commercial treaties and financial agreements;
10. Working out a basis and a general plan for the national economy and for its various branches in the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
11. Approval of the budget of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic;
12. Levying taxes and establishing the duties of citizens to the state;
13. Establishing the bases for the organization of armed forces;
14. State legislation, judicial organization and procedure, civil and criminal legislation, etc.;
15. Appointment and dismissal of the individual People’s Commissars or the entire council, also approval of the president of the Council of People’s Commissars;
16. Granting and cancelling Russian citizenship and fixing rights of foreigners;
17. The right to declare individual and general amnesty.

Article 50

Besides the above-mentioned questions, the All-Russian Congress and the All-Russian Central Executive Committee have charge of all other affairs which, according to their decision, require their attention.

Article 51

The following questions are solely under the jurisdiction of the All-Russian Congress:

1. Ratification and amendment of the fundamental principles of the Soviet constitution.
2. Ratification of peace treaties.

Article 52

The decision of questions indicated in Paragraphs 3 and 8 of Article 49 may be made by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee only in case it is impossible to convoke the Congress.

B. Organization of Local Soviets

Chapter Ten. The Congresses of the Soviets

Article 53

Congresses of Soviets are composed as follows:

1. Regional: of representatives of the urban and county Soviets, one representative for 25,000 inhabitants of the county, and one representative for 5,000 voters of the cities—but not more than 500 representatives for the entire region—or of representatives of the provincial Congresses, chosen on the same basis, if such a Congress meets before the regional Congress.
2. Provincial (Gubernia): of representatives of urban and rural (Volost) Soviets, one representative for 10,000 inhabitants from the rural districts, and one representative for 2,000 voters in the city; altogether not more than 300 representatives for the entire province. In case the county Congress meets before the provincial, election takes place on the same basis, but by the county Congress instead of the rural.
3. County: of representatives of rural Soviets, one delegate for each 1,000 inhabitants, but not more than 300 delegates for the entire county.
4. Rural (Volost): of representatives of all village Soviets in the Volost, one delegate for ten members of the Soviet.

Note 1

Representatives of urban Soviets which have a population of not more than 10,000 persons participate in the county Congress; village Soviets of districts of less than 1,000 inhabitants unite for the purpose of electing delegates to the county Congress.

Note 2

Rural Soviets of less than ten members send one delegate to the rural (Volost) Congress.

Article 54

Congresses of the Soviets are convoked by the respective Executive Committees upon their own initiative, or upon request of local Soviets comprising not less than one-third of the entire population of the given district. In any case they are convoked at least twice a year for regions, every three months for provinces and counties, and once a month for rural districts.

Article 55

Every Congress of Soviets (regional, provincial, county, and rural) elects its Executive organ—an Executive Committee the membership of which shall not exceed:

1. for regions and provinces, 25;
2. for a county, 20;
3. for a rural district, 10.

The Executive Committee is responsible to the Congress which elected it.

Article 56

In the boundaries of the respective territories the Congress is the supreme power; during intervals between the convocations of the Congress, the Executive Committee is the supreme power.

Chapter Eleven. The Soviet of Deputies

Article 57

Soviets of Deputies are formed:

1. In cities, one deputy for each 1,000 inhabitants; the total to be not less than 50 and not more than 1,000 members.
2. All other settlements (towns, villages, hamlets, etc.) of less than 10,000 inhabitants, one deputy for each 100 inhabitants; the total to be not less than 3 and not more than 60 deputies for each settlement.

Term of the deputy, three months.

Note

In small rural sections, whenever possible, all questions shall be decided at general meetings of voters.

Article 58

The Soviet of Deputies elects an Executive Committee to deal with current affairs; not more than 6 members for rural districts, one for every 60 members of the Soviets of cities, but not more than 16 and not less than 3 in the aggregate (Petrograd and Moscow not more than 40). The Executive Committee is entirely responsible to the Soviet which elected it.

Article 59

The Soviet of Deputies is convoked by the Executive Committee upon it’s own initiative, or upon the request of not less than one-half of the membership of the Soviet; in any case at least once a week in cities, and twice a week in rural sections.

Article 60

Within its jurisdiction the Soviet, and in cases mentioned in Paragraph 57, Note, the meeting of the voters, is the supreme power in the given district.

Chapter Twelve. Jurisdiction of the local organs of the Soviets

Article 61

Regional, provincial, county, and rural organs of the Soviet power and also the Soviets of Deputies have to perform the following duties:

1. Carry out all orders of the respective higher organs of the Soviet power.
2. Take all steps towards raising the cultural and economic standard of the given territory.
3. Decide all questions of local importance within their respective territory.
4. Coordinate all Soviet activity in their respective territory.

Article 62

The Congresses of Soviets and their Executive Committees have the right to control the activity of the local Soviets (i. e., the regional Congress controls all Soviets of the respective regions; the provincial, of the respective province, with the exception of the urban Soviets, etc.); and the regional and provincial Congresses and their Executive Committees in addition have the right to overrule the decisions of the Soviets of their districts, giving notice in important cases to the central Soviet authority.

Article 63

For the purpose of performing their duties, the local Soviets, rural and urban, and the Executive Committees form sections respectively.