The Council of People's Commissars (Russian: Совет народных комиссаров or Совнарком, translit. Soviet narodnykh kommissarov or Sovnarkom, also as generic SNK) was a government institution formed shortly after the October Revolution in 1917. Created in the Russian Republic the council laid foundations in restructuring the country to form the Soviet Union. It evolved to become the highest government authority of executive power under the Soviet system in states which came under the control of the Bolsheviks.
The 1918 Constitution of the RSFSR formalised the role of the Sovnarkom of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR): it was to be responsible to the Congress of Soviets for the "general administration of the affairs of the state". The constitution enabled the Sovnarkom to issue decrees carrying the full force of law when the Congress was not in session. The Congress then routinely approved these decrees at its next session.
When the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was established in December 1922, the USSR Sovnarkom was modelled on the RSFSR Sovnarkom. It was transformed in 1946 into the Council of Ministers.
The first council elected by the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets was composed as follows:
Upon the creation of the USSR in 1922, the Union's government was modelled after the first Sovnarkom. The Soviet republics retained their own governments which dealt with domestic matters.
In 1946, the Sovnarkoms were transformed into the Council of Ministers (Sovmin) at both all-Union and Union Republic level.
Council of People's Commissars (Soviet Union)
Council of People's Commissars (Russia)
Council of People's Commissars (Ukraine) (Temporary government of Workers and Peasants of Ukraine)
Council of People's Commissars (Belarus), including LitBel
Council of People's Commissars (Azerbaijan)
Council of People's Commissars (Far East)
Council of People's Commissars (Armenia)
Council of People's Commissars (Bukhara)
Council of People's Commissars (Khorezm)
Council of People's Commissars (Georgia)
Council of People's Commissars (Abkhazia), including as autonomous
Council of People's Commissars (Turkestan)
Council of People's Commissars (Transcaucasia)
Council of People's Commissars (Kazakhstan), including as autonomous Kyrgyz (before 1925)
Council of People's Commissars (Turkmenistan)
Council of People's Commissars (Kyrgyzstan), including as autonomous Kyrgyz (after 1925)
Council of People's Commissars (Uzbekistan)
Council of People's Commissars (Tajikistan), including as autonomous
Council of People's Commissars (Karelia-Finland), including as autonomous Karelia
Council of People's Commissars (Moldova), including as autonomous
Council of People's Commissars (Lithuania)
Council of People's Commissars (Latvia)
Council of People's Commissars (Estonia)
Council of People's Commissars (Adjara)
Council of People's Commissars (Volga German)
Council of People's Commissars (Bashkorstan)
Council of People's Commissars (Buryat-Mongolia)
Council of People's Commissars (Mountainous)
Council of People's Commissars (Dagestan)
Council of People's Commissars (Kabardin-Balkaria), including Kabardin (1944-1957)
Council of People's Commissars (Cossack)
Council of People's Commissars (Kalmykia)
Council of People's Commissars (Karakalpakistan)
Council of People's Commissars (Komi)
Council of People's Commissars (Crimea)
Council of People's Commissars (Mari)
Council of People's Commissars (Mordva)
Council of People's Commissars (Nakhichevan)
Council of People's Commissars (North Osetia)
Council of People's Commissars (Tatarstan)
Council of People's Commissars (Tuva)
Council of People's Commissars (Udmurtia)
Council of People's Commissars (Chechnia-Ingushetia)
Council of People's Commissars (Chuvashia)
Council of People's Commissars (Yakutia)
Council of People's Commissars (Donetsk-Krivoi Rog)
Council of People's Commissars (Odessa), initially as Rumcherod
Council of People's Commissars (Poland)
Council of People's Commissars (Galicia)
Council of People's Secretaries (Soviet Ukraine)
