Russian Republic
The Russian Republic, referred to as the Russian Democratic Federative Republic in the 1918 Constitution, was a short-lived state which controlled, de jure, the territory of the former Russian Empire after its proclamation by the Russian Provisional Government on 1 September (14 September, N.S.) 1917 in a decree signed by Alexander Kerensky as Minister-Chairman and Alexander Zarudny as Minister of Justice.
Russian Republic (1917–1918) Российская Республика Russian Democratic Federative Republic (1918) Российская Демократическая Федеративная Республика | |
|---|---|
| 1917–1918 | |
| Anthem: Рабочая Марсельеза Rabochaya Marsel'yeza "Worker's Marseillaise" Гимн Свободной России Gimn Svobodnoy Rossii "Anthem of Free Russia" (Unofficial) | |
| Government Seal: | |
Under control shortly before the October Revolution | |
| Capital and largest city | Petrograd |
| Common languages | Russian |
| Demonym(s) | Russian |
| Government | Federal republic under a provisional government |
| Minister-Chairman | |
• September–November 1917 | Alexander Kerensky |
• 1917–1918 | none |
Chairman of the Constituent Assembly | |
• 18–19 January 1918 | Viktor Chernov |
| Legislature | Provisional Council (1917) none (1917–1918) Constituent Assembly (1918) |
| Historical era | World War I / Russian Revolution |
| 8–16 March 1917 | |
• Republic proclaimed | 14 September 1917 |
| 7 November 1917 | |
| 25 November 1917 | |
• Constitution adopted | 18 January 1918 |
| 19 January 1918 | |
| Currency | Ruble |
| History of Russia |
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| Russia portal |
The government of the Russian Republic was dissolved after the Bolsheviks seized power by force on 7 November 1917. Nonetheless, a partially democratic election of the Constituent Assembly still took place later in November. On 18 January 1918, this assembly issued a decree, proclaiming Russia a democratic federal republic, but had also been dissolved by the Bolsheviks on the next day after the proclamation.
The Bolsheviks also used the name "Russian Republic" until the official name "Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic" was adopted in the Constitution of July 1918. The term is sometimes used erroneously for the period between the abdication of the Emperor Nicholas II on 3 March 1917 (16 March, N.S.) and the declaration of the Republic in September. However, during that period the status of the Russian political system was unresolved, left up to be decided by a future elected Constituent Assembly.