Council of People's Commissars

until 1946, the highest executive and administrative organ of state power in the USSR, the Union republics, and the autonomous republics.

The first Council of People’s Commissars, headed by V. I. Lenin, was established at the Second All-Russian Congress of Soviets. Under the Constitution of the RSFSR of 1918, it was named the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR. In July 1923, after the formation of the USSR, the first Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR was established, with V. I. Lenin as chairman. Under the Constitution of the USSR of 1924, the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR was established by decree of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR, and those of the Union republics and autonomous republics by the central executive committees of corresponding republics. Under the Constitution of the USSR of 1936, the councils of people’s commissars of the USSR, the Union republics, and the autonomous republics were established by the Supreme Soviet of the USSR and by the supreme soviets of the republics, respectively.

The Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR had within its competence the coordination and guidance of the work of people’s commissariats on the all-Union and Union republic levels; the implementation of measures to meet the national economic plan, manage the state budget, strengthen the credit and monetary system, and maintain public order; and the general direction of foreign relations.

In March 1946 the Council of People’s Commissars of the USSR was reorganized as the Council of Ministers of the USSR, and the councils of people’s commissars in the Union republics and autonomous republics were correspondingly reorganized as the councils of ministers in those republics.