Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union

The Central Executive Committee of the USSR (Russian: Центральный исполнительный комитет, СССР (ЦИК), Tsentral'nyj ispolnitel'nyj komitet (TsIK) was the most authoritative governing body of the USSR during the interims of the sessions of the Congress of Soviets of the USSR. Established in 1922 by the First All-Union Congress of Soviets (see Treaty on the Creation of the USSR), in 1938 it was replaced by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of first convocation.

Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union Центральный исполнительный комитет СССР
Soviet Union
Type
Type	Bicameral
History
Established	1922
Disbanded	1938
Preceded by	None (creation of a new state)[lower-alpha 1]
Succeeded by	Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union

Initially the committee consisted of four members, after 1925 there were seven. Please note that Kazakh SSR and Kirgiz SSR were created in 1936 and did not have their representative in the committee.

Except for Kalinin and Petrovsky, most of the committee members were arrested during the Great Purge except for one who committed suicide. Among arrested were also former members of the committee. All the arrested in 1938 were executed by shooting.

Description

The Central Executive Committee was created with adaptation of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR in December of 1922.

By the 1924 Soviet Constitution, the Central Executive Committee comprised two chambers: the Soviet of the Union (delegates elected broadly) and the Soviet of Nationalities (delegates elected regionally). At the constituent republic level there operated a Central Executive Committee in each of the federal republics:

• the All-Russian Central Executive Committee in the RSFSR
• the All-Byelorussian Central Executive Committee in the Byelorussian SSR
• the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee in the Ukrainian SSR
• the All-Caucasian Central Executive Committee of the Transacaucasian SSR

Leadership

Presidium chairmen

The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee consisted of 21 members and included the Presidium of the Soviet of the Union and the Soviet of Nationalities. A representative of each constituent republic (initially four) was elected one of the directors of the presidium.

• Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic: Mikhail Kalinin (December 30, 1922 - January 12, 1938)
• Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic: Grigory Petrovsky (December 30, 1922 - January 12, 1938)
• Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic: Aleksandr Chervyakov (December 30, 1922 - June 16, 1937)
• Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic:
  • Nariman Narimanov (December 30, 1922 - March 19, 1925)
  • Gazanfar Musabekov (May 21, 1925 - June 1937)

As more entities (usually previously Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republics) were promoted to the status of constituent republics of the USSR, they received representation among the directors of the Presidium:

• Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (from 1924): Fayzulla Khodzhayev (May 21, 1925 - June 17, 1937)
• Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (from 1925): Nedirbay Aytakov (May 21, 1925 - 21 July 1937)
• Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic (from 1929):
  • Nusratullo Maksum (March 18, 1931 - January 4, 1934)
  • Abdullo Rakhimbayev (January 4, 1934 - September 1937)

Presidium secretaries

• 1922 – 1935 Avel Enukidze
• 1935 – 1937 Ivan Akulov
• 1937 – 1938 Aleksandr Gorkin

Soviet of the Union chairmen

Soviet of Nationalities chairmen

• Nikolai Skrypnik

Powers

The 1924 Soviet Constitution defined the powers of the CEC as:

• Calling of the Congresses of Soviets
• Election of the Council of the People's Commissars (Sovnarkom)
• Adoption of decrees and legislative acts.
• Work concerning legislation and management.

See also

• All-Union Council on physical culture and sports

Notes

1. per statement of the First All-Union Congress of Soviets

External links

• The highest organs of state power of the USSR (Высшие органы государственной власти СССР).