The Provisional Council of the Russian Republic (Pre-parliament) was established

15 October 1917

2 (15) October 1917 was established a Provisional Council of the Russian Republic (Pre-parliament), an advisory body under the Provisional Government.

The decision on the establishment of the Pre-parliament was made during a session of the Presidium of the Democratic Conference September 20 (October 3), 1917. In accordance with this decision, the Pre-parliament was charged with the duties of a representative body to which the Provisional Government was to report before the convocation of the Constituent Assembly.

Meetings of the Pre-Parliament were public, but sometimes closed - by the decision and order of the Pre-Parliament, or on the proposal of the Provisional Government. At the committee meetings could be invited "knowledgeable" persons having the right of a deliberative vote.

Internal regulations of work of the Pre-parliament were to be determined by the Pre-parliament mandates, drawn up in accordance with the Regulations. Until the regulations were developed, it was decided to be guided by instructions of the State Duma.

Initially, the total number of members of the Pre-Parliament was 313 (at 15% of each fraction and the Democratic Conference). However, the new coalition Provisional Government, formed on September 25 (October 8), changed its composition; the Pre-Parliament also included representatives of the so-called propertied organizations and institutions (the Cadet Party, trade and industrial associations, etc.), thus the number of members increased to 555. Among them, was elected a chairman, a deputy chairman, a secretary, deputies of secretary.

The first meeting of the Pre-Parliament was held on 7 (20) October 1917 in the Mariinsky Palace. Chairman of the Pre-Parliament was elected the chairman of the Central Executive Committee of All-Russian Soviet of Peasants' Deputies, SR, N. D. Avksentiev, Deputies Chairman – A. V. Peshekhonov, V. D. Nabokov, V. N. Krohmal; Secretary – M. V. Vishniac, Deputy Secretary – V. P. Chefrankov.

In order to process ​cases and issues submitted to the Pre-Parliament for discussion, 12 committees were formed out of the Council members: the Personnel Committee; the Mandate Committee; the Regulatory Committee; the Defence Committee; the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Committee for Developing Measures to strengthen the foundations of the republican system and the fight against anarchy and counterrevolution; the Committee on settlement of the state economy and labor; the Control and Finance Committee; the Food Committee; the Land Committee, the Committee on the National Question; the Editorial Committee.

5 (18) October the RSDLP adopted a resolution on withdrawal of the Bolsheviks from the Pre-Parliament, and 7 (20) October 1917 Bolshevik party members left the deliberative body.

October 25 (November 7), 1917 Pre-Parliament was dissolved by the Provisional Revolutionary Committee of Petrograd.

Lit.: Абросимова Т. А. Временное правительство и Предпарламент // Власть и общество. СПб., 2000. С. 7—12; Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России. 1801—1917 гг. Т. 1. СПб., 1998; Константинов Г. Демократическое совещание и предпарламент // Пропаганда и агитация. 1937. № 19. С. 15—22; Крылова М. П. В. И. Ленин о тактике большевистской партии в отношении Демократического совещания и Предпарламента // Некоторые вопросы стратегии и тактики партии большевиков в Октябрьской революции. М., 1968. С. 137—154; Руднева С. Е. Предпарламент. Октябрь 1917 г. Опыт исторической реконструкции. М., 2006; Славин Н. Ф. К вопросу об отношении большевиков к Демократическому совещанию и Предпарламенту // Вопросы истории КПСС. 1967. № 9. С. 83—94; Славин Н. Ф. Кризис власти в сентябре 1917 года и образование Временного совета республики (Предпарламент) // Исторические записки 1957. Т. 61. С. 35—61; Славин Н. Ф. Октябрьское вооруженное восстание и Предпарламент // Ленин и Октябрьское вооруженное восстание в Петрограде. М., 1964. С. 222—231; Соколов К. Н. Предпарламентаризм // Нива. 1917. № 40. С. 617—618; Соколов К. Н. Трагедия предпарламента // Нива. 1917. № 46—47; Суханов Н. Н. Записки о революции. М., 1992. Т. 3.

Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:

Council of the Russian Republic (Preparliament) // 1917: [digital collection].