Sixteenth All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers, Peasants, and

a congress held from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, 1935, in Moscow. The congress was attended by 1,748 delegates, 1,293 of whom were voting delegates. Industrial workers made up 39.2 percent of the delegates, peasants, 22.9 percent, and nonindustrial workers, 37.9 percent; 71.3 percent of the delegates were members of the ACP(B), 4.9 percent were Komsomol members, and 23.8 percent were not party affiliated. The delegates represented 48 nationalities.

The agenda of the congress consisted of a number of reports, the election of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, and the election of the RSFSR’s representatives in the Soviet of Nationalities of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. D. E. Sulimov delivered the report of the government of the RSFSR, N. P. Komarov spoke on the state and development of the communal services system in the RSFSR, and G. N. Kamin-skii apprised the congress of achievements and tasks in the area of public health. G.G. Baichurin gave the report of the Central Executive Committee of the Tatar ASSR on soviet, economic, and cultural construction, and A. S. Kiselev discussed amendments to the Constitution of the RSFSR.

The congress approved the activities of the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR and noted that the first five-year plan (1929–32) had been fulfilled ahead of schedule. It also pointed out that the first two years—1933 and 1934—of the second five-year plan had been completed successfully. The congress directed the government to promote rapid development of sectors of local industry and industrial cooperation. The completion of collectivization in the RSFSR and the extension of MTS (machine-tractor station) service to all kolkhozes were set as goals in agriculture. A decree was passed on the training of medical personnel and on the improvement of health services in rural areas.

After hearing the report of the Central Executive Committee of the Tatar ASSR, the congress called upon the governments of the RSFSR and the Tatar ASSR to provide for the further economic and cultural development of the Tatar republic. The decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee converting the Kara-Kalpak, Mordovian, and Udmurt autonomous oblasts into autonomous soviet socialist republics was ratified. A new All-Russian Central Executive Committee, with 401 members, was elected, and five persons from the RSFSR became members of the Soviet of Nationalities of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR.