Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union

Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union
The All-Union Central Executive Committee was the most authoritative governing body of the USSR during the interims of the sessions of the All-Union Congress of Soviets. 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. Under the 1924 Soviet Constitution the Central Executive Committee served as the collective head of state of the USSR until 1938.
Initially the Committee consisted of four members, after 1925 there were seven. The Kazakh and Kirghiz SSRs were created in 1936 and did not have representatives in the Committee, as it dissolved just two years later.
Description
The Central Executive Committee was created with adoption of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR in December of 1922. The Central Executive Committee was elected by the Congress of Soviet to govern on its behalf whenever the Congress of Soviets was not in session. The Central Executive Committee was convened by the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee, which was elected by the Central Executive Committee to govern on its behalf whenever it was not in session.
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 SFSR
List of the Central Executive Committees of the Soviet Union
Central Executive Committee of the First Congress of Soviets (elected on 30 December 1922)
1st session (Moscow) – 30 December 1922
2nd session (Moscow) – 6 July 1923
3rd session (Moscow) – 6-12 November 1923
Central Executive Committee of the Second Congress of Soviets (elected on 2 February 1924)
1st session (Moscow) – 2 February 1924
2nd session (Moscow) – 17-29 October 1924
3rd session (Tbilisi) – 3-7 March 1925
Central Executive Committee of the Third Congress of Soviets (elected on 20 May 1925)
1st session (Moscow) – 21 May 1925
2nd session (Moscow) – 12-25 April 1926
3rd session (Moscow) – 14-25 February 1927
Central Executive Committee of the Fourth Congress of Soviets (elected on 26 April 1927)
1st session (Moscow) – 27 April 1927
2nd session (Leningrad) – 15-20 October 1927
3rd session (Moscow) – 11-21 April 1928
4th session (Moscow) – 3-15 December 1928
Central Executive Committee of the Fifth Congress of Soviets (elected on 28 May 1929)
1st session (Moscow) – 29 May 1929
2nd session (Moscow) – 29 November - 8 December 1929
3rd session (Moscow) – 4-12 January 1931
Central Executive Committee of the Sixth Congress of Soviets (elected on 17 March 1931)
1st session (Moscow) – 18 March 1931
2nd session (Moscow) – 22-28 December 1931
3rd session (Moscow) – 23-30 January 1933
4th session (Moscow) – 28 December 1933 - 4 January 1934
Central Executive Committee of the Seventh Congress of Soviets (elected on 6 February 1935)
1st session (Moscow) – 7-8 February 1935
2nd session (Moscow) – 10-17 January 1936
3rd session (Moscow) – 11-14 January 1937
4th session (Moscow) – 7-9 July 1937
Leadership
Chairmen
The Presidium of the Central Executive Committee consisted of 21 members and included the Presidia 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: Alexander 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 Yenukidze
1935–1937 Ivan Akulov
1937–1938 Aleksandr Gorkin
Soviet of the Union chairmen
Soviet of Nationalities chairmen
1927–? Mykola Skrypnyk
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
Legislative and administrative actions assigned to it
See also
All-Union Congress of Soviets
All-Union Council on Physical Culture and Sports
Notes
References
External links
The highest organs of state power of the USSR (Высшие органы государственной власти СССР).
Government of the Soviet Union
Defunct bicameral legislatures
1922 establishments in the Soviet Union
1938 disestablishments in the Soviet Union
Collective heads of state