Statute of workers’ and peasants’ militia adopted

June 10, 1920 the All-Russian Central Executive Committee and the CPC of the RSFSR adopted the first provision of the workers’ and peasants’ militia, which compiled and legislated experience in building militia (police), obtained in the first years of Soviet power.

The legal basis for the organization of the Soviet militia was the resolution of the NKVD of the RSFSR "On the workers' militia", published immediately after the revolution – 28 October (10 November) 1917. 12 October 1918 the NKVD RSFSR adopted the directions on the organization of Soviet workers' and peasants' militia, which enshrined the legal framework of functioning of the Soviet militia, as regular public body charged with maintenance of public order. In 1919, SNK released a decree of the RSFSR "On the Soviet workers' and peasants' militia”, and in 1920 its first statute was issued.   

Draft statute was considered by the Council of People's Commissars, June 8, 1920. At the same time SNK adopted ​​a decree which charged the NKVD with immediate development of the instruction in order to introduce rapidly a military discipline in the police.

The Statute of 10 June 1920 clearly defined the system of management and distribution of functions and powers of militia and criminal investigation of the RSFSR. It regulated the nature of all structural units of the militia subject to the conditions of war and for a certain period it had been the main policy document for the militia.

Under the Statute, the main links of a single police unit were: a) city and county militia; b) industrial militia (factory, timber, mining, etc.); c) railway militia; d) water militia (river and sea); e) investigative militia. All bodies of common, criminal investigation and industrial militia formed on a territorial basis, and the railway authorities and the water militia - according to a linear principle.

The main governing body of the militia of the republic was GUM NKVD RSFSR (General Directorate of Police of the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs of the RSFSR), to which were subordinate the provincial militia department, railway and water transport militia. Provincial departments led all bodies of the general militia and criminal investigation within its province.

The Statute for the first time divided the personnel of the militia into two categories: employees - commanders, investigators, search agents, junior and senior police officers; and the supporting staff - clerical and technical workers.

To serve for militia, one should have be “over 21 years old, educated, enjoying the right to vote in the Soviets, not under investigation and trial for crimes, quite healthy and fit for service....".

The Statute established one year of mandatory service for the newly adopted to militia.

Workers' and peasants' militia was regarded as an executive body, having the value of armed special forces units and a reserve of the Red Army. People's Commissariat for Military Affairs was allowed to get policemen involved in combat operations at the fronts, but in such a way that the regular army included no more than 1 / 5 the personnel of the militia. If necessary in a war zone all the police officers on the request of the Revolutionary Military Council could be brought into the ranks of the army. After the cessation of hostilities in the area, they immediately returned to their duties.

The Statute stressed, that militia was to be supplied with food, equipment, uniforms, weapons, at the expense of the state budget which also was to support militia officers’ families.

The publication of the Statute of the workers’ and peasants’ militia on 10 June 1920 generally completed the process of institutionalization of the Soviet militia.

Lit.: Еропкин М. И. Милиция // Большая советская энциклопедия. М., 1974. Т. 16.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Transport police Day // On this day. 18 February 1919;

The Soviet Criminal Investigation Department established // On this day. 5 October 1918.