Russian Republic

For its successor and the constituent republic of the Soviet Union, see Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. For the modern-day country, see Russia. For its federal subjects, see Republics of Russia.

In the wake of the Romanov dynasty's collapse following the February Revolution, the Russian Provisional Government established a short-lived, nascent parliamentary system known as the Russian Republic. The Provisional Government, a caretaker administration that faced immense internal and external pressures, formalized the Republic's inception on September 14, 1917, through a decree signed by its leaders, Minister-Chairman Alexander Kerensky and Minister of Justice Alexander Zarudny.

Russian Republic (1917–1918) Российская Республика[a] Russian Democratic Federative Republic (1918) Российская Демократическая Федеративная Республика[b]
1917–1918
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Рабочая Марсельеза Rabochaya Marsel'yeza "Worker's Marseillaise" Гимн Свободной России Gimn Svobodnoy Rossii "Anthem of Free Russia" (Unofficial)
Government Seal and Coat of Arms (1917):
Territories under Russian control during the final years of WWI (including temporary occupations)
Capital and largest city	Petrograd
Common languages	Russian
Demonym	Russian
Government	Russian provisional government (1917) Federal parliamentary directorial republic under a provisional government (1917–1918)
Minister-Chairman
• September–November 1917	Alexander Kerensky[c]
• 1917–1918	none[d]
Chairman of the Constituent Assembly
• 18–19 January 1918	Viktor Chernov
Legislature	Provisional Council (1917) none (1917–1918) Constituent Assembly[e] (1918)
Historical era	World War I / Russian Revolution
• Kornilov affair	10–13 September 1917
• Republic proclaimed	14 September 1917
• October Revolution	7 November 1917
• Assembly elected	25 November 1917
• Constitution adopted	18 January 1918
• Constituent Assembly dissolved	19 January 1918
Currency	Ruble
Preceded by Succeeded by Russian Empire Russian Soviet Republic (Soviet Russia) Russian State Transcaucasian Commissariat Turkestan Autonomy Alash Autonomy Crimean People's Republic Moldavian Democratic Republic State of Buryat-Mongolia Provisional Siberian Government (Vladivostok) Ukraine Estonia Yakutia Idel-Ural State Karakorum Government Belarus Green Ukraine United Republics of Northern Caucasus Regional Government of Northwest Russia Latvia Kingdom of Lithuania (1918) Kuban

The political entity, later defined in its 1918 Constitution as the Russian Democratic Federative Republic, struggled for legitimacy and stability from its inception. Its existence was predicated on the promise of eventual elections to a Constituent Assembly that would determine the nation's permanent political structure. However, the government's authority was fatally undermined by its unpopular decision to continue Russia’s involvement in World War I , which exacerbated widespread societal discontent and economic hardship. This culminated in the Bolshevik-led October Revolution, which saw the Republic's executive body, the Directorate, unceremoniously dismantled on November 7, 1917, following a seizure of power.

Despite the Bolsheviks' pre-emptive usurpation of control, a partially democratic election for the long-awaited Constituent Assembly was still held in November. In its singular session on January 18, 1918, the assembly issued a final decree affirming Russia as a democratic federal republic. However, this declaration was immediately nullified by the Bolsheviks, who forcibly dissolved the assembly the very next day, thereby extinguishing the last vestiges of non-Bolshevik democratic governance and paving the way for the consolidation of Soviet authority.

Principal institutions

• All-Russian Congress of Soviets
• Directorate (Russia)
• Provisional Council of the Russian Republic
• Russian Constituent Assembly
• Russian Provisional Government

See also

• Russian Empire
• Russian Revolution
• Russian Civil War
• Soviet Union
• Petrograd Soviets
• World War I
• Bolshevists
• Elections in Russia

Notes

1. Pre-Reform Russian: Россійская Pеспублика
2. Pre-Reform Russian: Россійская Демократическая Федеративная Республика
3. Served as the prime minister of the provisional government from July 1917
4. De facto power seized by the Bolsheviks led by Vladimir Lenin
5. Dissolved after the first meeting