The First All-Russian Congress of Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies was held on 3 –24 June 1917 in Petrograd in the building of the First Cadet Corps on Vasilievsky Island.

 

The congress was attended by 1090 delegates (822 with a casting vote, 268 with an advisory vote). The congress was chaired by the Chairman of the Petrograd Soviet, the Menshevik Nikolay Chkheidze, and the secretary was the Menshevik Evgeny Gegechkori. The Presidium included representatives of Socialist Revolutionaries (SRs), the Mensheviks, the Bolsheviks, United Social Democrats, Trudoviks [Labour party members], and Popular Socialists.

 

On the issue of relations between the Soviets and the Provisional Government, the Congress adopted a resolution proposed by the Mensheviks and SRs approving the establishment of a coalition Provisional Government and expressing full confidence in the socialist ministers. The Bolsheviks’ leader Vladimir Lenin opposed a coalition with bourgeois parties advocating the transfer of power to the Soviets.

 

On the issue of the attitude to the war, the congress adopted a resolution proposed by the Mensheviks and SRs on the desire for peace without annexations and indemnities and the support of strengthening the army until a peace treaty was concluded. Bolsheviks’ proposal to address the workers and soldiers of the belligerent countries with an appeal to fight against their governments did not receive sufficient support from the delegates.

 

The congress elected its permanent body, the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of the Soviets of Workers’ and Soldiers’ Deputies (VTsIK), in which Nikolay Chkheidze was elected Chairman. In general, the congress confirmed the leadership of the bloc of the Mensheviks and SRs in the Soviets throughout Russia and enshrined their policy aimed at a coalition and the participation of representatives of socialists in the Provisional Government.