Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus
and the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic
After the liberation of Belarus from the German occupiers and the restoration of Soviet power, there was a real opportunity to exercise the right of the Belarusian people to form their national statehood on the basis of the Soviet system. Having given all the peoples of Russia the opportunity to decide the question of the form of the state system, the Communist Party and its leader V.I. Lenin recommended them to choose one that would fully meet the interests of the broadest masses of working people, the tasks of socialist construction.
The working people of Belarus, led by the Bolsheviks, strongly opposed the attempts of local bourgeois nationalists to tear off Belarus from Soviet Russia. The workers spoke in favor of strengthening the union with the fraternal Russian people, for the formation of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic as part of the Soviet state.
The Central Committee of the RCP (b), V.I. Lenin paid great attention to issues of the state structure of Belarus, the creation of the Communist Party of Belarus. With the participation of V.I. Lenin's question about the creation of the BSSR and the CP (b) B was raised and discussed in the Central Committee of the RCP (b). At the initiative of the Central Committee of the RCP (B.) In Moscow, talks and meetings of members of the Central Committee and the Soviet Government with leading party and Soviet workers of Belarus were held. Lenin gave valuable advice to his Belarusian comrades on issues of party, Soviet and economic construction. On behalf of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) and the Soviet Government, the National Commissariat for Nationalities Affairs (Narkomnats), which was headed by I.V. Stalin. The Belarusian National Commissariat established under the People's Commissariat actively participated in this work.
In response to the wishes of the Belarusian people, the Central Committee of the RCP (B.) At the end of December 1918 decided to form the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. This decision was of great importance for the formation of the CP (B) of Belarus.
On December 25, a meeting was held in the Narkomnats with the responsible employees of Belnatskom, members of the Central Bureau of the Belarusian Communist sections and the committee of the Moscow Belarusian section of the RCP (B). The issues of practical implementation of the decision of the RCP (b) on the establishment of the BSSR were discussed. On December 27, in the Narkomnat, with the participation of senior officials of the North-Western Regional Committee of the RCP (B.), Issues on the territory of the republic, the structure and composition of its government were discussed, and a draft manifesto on the proclamation of the BSSR was prepared.
To discuss the issue of the formation of the BSSR and KP (b) B, the North-Western Regional Committee of the RCP (B) decided to convene the next North-West Conference of the RCP (B), which opened on December 30, 1918 in Smolensk. It was attended by 206 delegates representing 17771 communists from party organizations in the Minsk, Mogilyov, Vitebsk, Smolensk, parts of the Chernihiv and Vilna provinces. The conference discussed a report on the current moment, which was delivered by the Chairman of the North-Western Regional Committee of the RCP (b) A.F. Myasnikov, the report of the regional committee of the RCP (b), reports on the situation on the ground, resolved organizational issues. At the suggestion of A.F. Myasnikov adopted a decision on the proclamation of the Western Commune by the Belarusian Soviet Republic. All the communist organizations of Belarus were represented at the conference, and on this basis, declared itself the First Congress of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Belarus.
The conference sent telegrams from the Central Committee of the RCP (B.) And the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR. The VI North-Western Regional Conference of the RCP (b), was noted in a telegram to the Central Committee of the RCP (b), by deciding to separate Belarus into an independent worker-peasant Soviet Republic, proclaims itself the I Congress of the Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of the Belarusian Republic and confirms the unbreakable ideological, tactical and organizational relationship with the Russian Communist Party, which was created over the long years of working together. In a telegram to the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, it was stated that by proclaiming an independent Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic, the Belarusian people "were and will forever remain inseparably linked by a commonality of their interests with all the peoples of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic."
The I Congress of the CP (b) B adopted a resolution on the borders of Belarus. In accordance with it, it consisted of the following provinces: Minsk, Smolensk, Mogilev, Vitebsk, Grodno, with parts of the adjacent provinces of the neighboring provinces populated mainly by Belarusians.
The congress elected the governing body of the CP (b) - the Central Bureau of the CP (b) B. On December 31, its first meeting was held. The Presidium of the CP (b) B Central Committee was elected as part of A.F. Myasnikov (chairman), M.I. Kalmanovich and V.G. Knorin The CP (B) B Congress adopted the “Provision on Party Organizations”, which determined the structure and functions of the Central Bureau, provincial and district party committees, volost and rural party cells. The situation fully complied with the requirements of the Charter of the RCP (b), based on the principles of democratic centralism. Completing the work, the First Congress of the CP (B) B appealed to the workers, farm laborers, peasants and soldiers of the Red Army to rally closer around the Communist Party to fight for the consolidation of Soviet power, for socialism. On December 31, the Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Government of Belarus, headed by D.F. Zhilunovych. On January 1, 1919, it promulgated the Manifesto on the proclamation of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. It said: "From today, the Belarusian Soviet Republic becomes a republic of the working people — the workers, the peasant poor, and the Red Army men of Belarus." The day of the publication of the Manifesto was the birthday of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. For the first time in a long history, thanks to the victory of the Great October Socialist Revolution and the implementation of the Leninist national policy, the Belarusian people gained their freedom, independence and national statehood.
The news of the First Congress of the Communist Party of Belarus and the proclamation of the Byelorussian SSR quickly spread throughout Belarus. In the greetings of the Communist Party and the Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Government of Belarus, the working people of the republic expressed their readiness to fully contribute to the strengthening of Soviet power.
During the preparation for the proclamation of the BSSR and the Communist Party of Belarus, much work was done to create Komsomol organizations. An exceptionally important role in it belonged to the First Congress of the RKSM (October 29, 1919), whose decisions were aimed at strengthening organizational and political education work among working youth, at attracting it to socialist construction. The first Komsomol organization in Belarus was established on November 13, 1918 in Vitebsk. By the end of the year, there were 18 Komsomol organizations in Vitebsk province (in Orsha, Polotsk, Driss and other district centers). In December 1918, Komsomol organizations were established in Minsk, Mogilev, Bobruisk, and Mozyr. Under the leadership of the Bolshevik Party, the Komsomol organizations of Belarus grew stronger politically and organizationally, grew qualitatively, increasingly attracting working youth to actively participate in socialist construction.
By January 8, 1919, the Provisional Workers' and Peasants Soviet Government moved from Smolensk to Minsk and began to form the central state apparatus of the republic. His commissariats were created on the basis of the Obliskzap departments. A government presidium of D.F. was elected. Zhilunovich, A.F. Myasnikova, M.I. Kalmanovich.
January 17 The Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Soviet Government of Belarus announced the upcoming convocation of the All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets. It began its activities in extremely difficult political and economic conditions. The land of Belarus liberated from the German invaders was dominated by economic ruin and famine. The aggressive circles of bourgeois-landlord Poland threatened with war the young Republic of Soviets. Pilsudski’s anti-people government did not respond to the repeated proposals of the Soviet government to resolve disputed issues peacefully.
In this situation, the Provisional Workers 'and Peasants' Soviet Government of Belarus paid much attention to the issues of the defense of the republic. On January 21, 1919, the Military Revolutionary Council headed by the Chairman of the Main Directorate of the CP (b) B A.F. Myasnikov. On the same day, a decree was adopted on universal military training and the mobilization of workers. The Minsk Military Commissariat began to form working groups and train them in military affairs. The CB of the CP (B) B, the BSSR government took measures to improve the work of enterprises and reduce unemployment, improve the material conditions of workers, paid much attention to the issues of social security of war and labor disabled, helping families of Red Army men, organizing medical assistance to working people.
In December 1918 - January 1919, volost, district and provincial councils of Soviets were held in Belarus. They resolved issues of economic and cultural construction, elected the executive committees of the Soviets and delegates to the First All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets. The elections to the Soviets contributed to the strengthening of the organs of state power, for they were mainly elected workers and poor peasants. In December 1918 - January 1919, a unified system of state power was created in Belarus. During this period, party organizations were also formed in the territory of Minsk province liberated from German occupiers.
The 2nd All-Belarusian Congress of Workers', Peasants' and Red Army Deputies' Councils took place on February 2–3, 1919 in Minsk. On behalf of the Central Committee of the Party and the Central Executive Committee, Chairman of the All-Russian Executive Committee Ya.M. Sverdlov and the representative of the workers of the Soviet Lithuania - Chairman of the Government of the Lithuanian SSR V.S. Mitskyavichus-Kapsukas. The congress was attended by 230 delegates with a decisive vote. Of these, 213 were members of the party, 17 - sympathizers. They represented 5,750,000 working people in the Minsk, Vilna, Grodno, Smolensk and Mogilyov provinces.
The congress discussed the following questions: about the current moment; Report of the Provisional Workers' and Peasants Soviet Government of Belarus; about the borders of Soviet Belorussia; about the attitude to the Soviet republics; on the Constitution of the Byelorussian SSR; election of the CEC of the BSSR.
Y.M. Sverdlov praised the courage and heroism of the working people of Belarus in the fight against the German occupiers. He announced the decisions of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee "On the recognition of the independence of the BSSR." Recognizing the independence of Belarus, the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee declared its readiness "to render all possible assistance and support to the working masses of Belarus in their struggle against domination, exploitation and oppression and in protecting their freedom and independence from attempts at foreign conquest."
Delegates of the congress defined their attitude to the Russian people in the “Declaration on the Establishment of a Federal Relationship between the BSSR and the RSFSR”. It said that Sovetskaya Belorussia recognized the need to establish close economic and political ties with its elder brother, the RSFSR. A representative of the Narkomnats, who was present at the 1st All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets, telegraphed to the Narkomnats: “On the sidelines of the congress, the issue of the formation of the republic is vividly discussed. One tendency is to stay with the RSFSR. ”
The First All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets defined the territory of the BSSR as part of the Minsk and Grodno provinces. In accordance with the decisions of the Central Committee of the RCP (b) and the Central Committee of the Communist Party (b) B and the statements of representatives of the Vitebsk, Mogilyov and Smolensk provinces on leaving these provinces as part of the RSFSR, the congress decided not to include the Vitebsk, Mogilyov and Smolensk provinces in the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic .
The First All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets adopted the Constitution of the BSSR - the main law of the Belarusian Soviet Socialist Republic. A model for it was the Constitution of the RSFSR in 1918.
In accordance with it, the BSSR Constitution enshrined in law the conquest of the socialist revolution — the dictatorship of the proletariat; defined its main tasks — the transition from capitalism to socialism, the elimination of the division of society into hostile classes, the abolition of the exploitation of man by man, the abolition of private ownership of land, forests, mineral resources and water, means of production, turning them into national wealth.
Labor for the benefit of building socialism was recognized as the most important duty of all citizens of the republic. The Constitution of the BSSR legalized the equality of citizens regardless of their nationality and race, the right to hold meetings and organize unions, freedom of speech, free education. These rights were guaranteed only by the workers. They did not apply to persons belonging to the class of exploiters.
In accordance with the Constitution of the BSSR, the supreme power in the republic belonged to the Congress of Soviets. In the period between congresses, it was carried out by the Central Executive Committee of the BSSR, which is responsible to the All-Belarusian Congress of Soviets. The CEC, elected at the congress, included 50 people - 45 communists, the remaining 5 - representatives of other parties. The I All-Belarusian Congress approved the emblem and flag of the Belarusian BSSR.
V.B. Zelikov
Secretary of the Central Committee of the AUCPB
