# Lensovet

Leningrad City Soviet (in short Lensovet) (Russian: Ленинградский городской Совет, Ленсовет) was the city legislature of Saint Petersburg (then called Leningrad) during the Soviet period.

## History

The Leningrad Soviet traces its history back to the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies, which was formed on February 27, 1917, during the February Revolution as an organ of revolutionary power.
On August 2, 1920, the 10th Congress of Soviets of the Petrograd Province decided to merge the executive committee of the Petrograd Soviet and the provincial executive committee. The Petrograd Soviet continued its work as the supreme organ of power in the city. The supreme organ of executive power in both the city and the province was the provincial executive committee, which was subordinate to the Petrograd Soviet in the period between provincial congresses of Soviets.
By the decision of the Second All-Union Congress of Soviets of January 26, 1924, Petrograd was renamed Leningrad, and the Petrograd Soviet became known as the Leningrad Soviet of Workers', Peasants', and Red Army Deputies (Lensovet).
According to the resolution of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR "On the Formation of the Leningrad Region" of August 1, 1927, the Leningrad Governorate was liquidated, the provincial executive committee transferred its functions to the regional executive committee, to which the presidium of the Leningrad City Council was subordinate.
In accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) and the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union of December 3, 1931, Leningrad was allocated as an independent administrative and economic center with its own budget.
In December 1939, elections to the city council were held in accordance with the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union, adopted on December 5, 1936. After the elections, the Lensoviet became known as the Leningrad City Council of Workers' Deputies (Lengorsovet).
With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, it was effectively subordinated to the Military Council of the Leningrad Front, and was engaged in organizing defensive construction on the approaches to Leningrad, converting industry to weapons production, etc. In the spring of 1942, the Leningrad City Council organized the sanitary cleanup of the city after the first winter of the siege.
In May 1944, the Leningrad City Council session adopted a plan for the restoration of the municipal economy. In the second half of the 1940s - early 1950s, the main efforts of the Leningrad City Council were focused on the restoration of the city.
According to the 1977 Constitution of the Soviet Union, the Leningrad City Council of Workers' Deputies became known as the Leningrad City Council of People's Deputies.
Elected as a result of direct elections held in two rounds on March 4 and 18, 1990, the Leningrad City Council of the 21st convocation became the first representative authority in the RSFSR where the participants of the democratic forces bloc "Democratic Elections - 90" had an absolute majority - approximately 2/3 in the 400-seat Council. About 120 deputies of the Leningrad City Council represented the Leningrad People's Front - the largest informal political organization in Russia in 1989-90. Over the next three and a half years, the city council determined the life of the city. In particular, it played an important role in organizing resistance to the State Emergency Committee during the August Putsch of 1991.
In connection with the decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of September 6, 1991 on returning the name St. Petersburg to Leningrad, on September 30, 1991 the city council was renamed the St. Petersburg City Council of People's Deputies (Petrosoviet).
In accordance with the Decrees of the President of Russia "On the phased constitutional reform in the Russian Federation" of September 21, 1993 and "On the reform of representative bodies of local self-government in the Russian Federation" of October 9, 1993, and with paragraph 2 of the Decree of the President of Russia "On the reform of state authorities of the city of St. Petersburg" of December 21, 1993 No. 2252 on the termination of the powers of the St. Petersburg City Council of People's Deputies and its deputies, the session of the City Council on December 22, 1993 adopted a decision to abolish the Council and transfer functions to the Legislative Assembly of Saint Petersburg.