Central Rada


The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council, was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations of the Ukrainian People's Republic. After the All-Ukrainian National Congress, the Council became the revolutionary parliament in the interbellum lasting until the Ukrainian-Soviet War. Unlike with many other councils in the Russian Republic, Bolshevization of the Rada failed completely, prompting the Ukrainian Bolsheviks to form a rival government in Kharkov.

Overview

From its beginning the council directed the Ukrainian national movement and with its four Universals led the country from autonomy to full sovereignty. During its brief existence from 1917 to 1918, the Central Rada, which was headed by the Ukrainian historian and ethnologist Mykhailo Hrushevsky, evolved into the fundamental governing institution of the Ukrainian People's Republic and set precedents in parliamentary democracy and national independence that formed the basis of an independent Ukrainian identity after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
During the Soviet era, official ideology described the Central Council as a counter-revolutionary body of the bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois nationalist parties.

Establishment

All-Ukrainian National Congress and the Proclamation

Among the first in Kiev who learned about the February events outcome in Petrograd was Maksym Synytskyi, director of the Rodyna Club. Already at night on Starytskyi shared information about the events with Vasyl Koroliv-Staryi and later with all his acquaintances and friends from the Rodyna Club, the Society of Ukrainian Progressionists, "Chas" publishing. Synytskyi's idea laid in necessity of establishment of the Ukrainian movement leadership center not to repeat the same mistakes that took place during the events of 1905–07. Already at night on March 1, there took place a gathering of only 27 members of the Society of Ukrainian Progressionists in the Chykalenko's building. The meeting decided not to rush with actions and conduct regular daily meetings of the society at the Rodyna Club building.
Already on in the Rodyna Club building gathered over 100 representatives of Kiev and some provincial Ukrainian organizations where appeared the idea of establishment of the Central Council. The Central Council was formed on parity foundations between separate Ukrainian organizations. Dmytro Antonovych was recalling that they could not find a mutual understanding with TUP, but agreed to create provisional Central Council with a nucleus of no more than 25 members with an option to add more primarily with delegates outside of Kiev. The core of the provisional Central Council consisted of five representatives from each TUP, workers, academic youth, and cooperatives as well as two representatives of Social-Democratic Party. The main task of the provisional Central Council was to call on the All-Ukrainian National Congress that was supposed to adopt the Central Council as a permanent Ukrainian parliament.
The Ukrainian diaspora historian Arkadiy Zhukovsky in his article on the Central Council in Encyclopedia of Ukraine states that the council was founded in Kiev on at the initiative of the Society of Ukrainian Progressionists and with the participation of various Ukrainian political parties, Ukrainian military activists, workers, religious activists, students, entrepreneurs, public and cultural organizations such as the Ukrainian Science Society, the Ukrainian Pedagogic Society, the Society of Ukrainian Technicians and Agriculturists, etc. That day the Central Council informed by a telegram the Russian Provisional Government that was just created about its establishment.
On there took place elections of the Central Council leadership. Mykhailo Hrushevsky was elected as the Head of the Rada, while Dmytro Doroshenko representing TUP and Dmytro Antonovych representing Social-Democrats were appointed as his deputies, also there was elected a scribe Serhiy Veselovskyi representing Society of Ukrainian Technicians and Agriculturists and a treasurer. In announcement of newspaper "Visti z Ukrainskoi Tsentralnoi Rady" of March 19 it mentioned creation of the Rada on March 7 and outlined its first institutions: Presidium and nine Commissions. In March protocols of the Council is also mentioned an administration, but not indicated neither its composition, rights or functions.
Ukrainian Nation!
Age bonds have fallen. The freedom has come to all the oppressed people, to all the enslaved nations of Russia.
The time has come for Your will and awakening to a new, free, creative life, after more than two hundred years of sleep.
For the first time, Ukrainian Nation of thirty-five million, you will be able to say for yourself who you are and how you want to live as a separate nation. From now on, in a friendly family of free peoples, you will begin to forge a better destiny for yourself with a powerful hand.
The tsarist government fell, and the Provisional Government announced that it would soon convene a Constituent Assembly on the basis of universal, equal, direct and secret suffrage.
From there, for the first time in the whole world, Your true voice, Your true will, will be heard in all its power.
Until then, we urge you to calmly but firmly demand from the new government all the rights that naturally belong to you and that you must have. The Great Nation, you are the only master of the Ukrainian land.
And in the near future the right to establish the native language in all schools, from lower to higher in the courts and all government institutions. With the same calm, but resolute, seek you, the Nation, the same right for the Ukrainian language from the pastors of the church, zemstvos and all non-governmental institutions in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Nation!
Peasants, workers, soldiers, townspeople, clergy and all Ukrainian intelligentsia!
Keep calm: do not allow yourself any actions to ruin order of everyday life, but together, sincerely and stubbornly set yourself to work: to unite in political societies, cultural and economic unions, raise money for the Ukrainian National Fund and choose your Ukrainian people, to all positions, Get organized!
Only by uniting, you can well know all your needs, resolutely declare them and create a better destiny in its own Land.
Ukrainian Nation!
Before You is the path to a new life.
Boldly, unanimously go on that great path in the name of your happiness and the happiness of future generations of the Mother of Ukraine, create your new free life with a powerful hand.
Ukrainian Central Council.
Kiev, year 1917, March 9.
Народе Український!
Впали вікові пута. Прийшла воля всьому пригніченому людові, всім поневоленим націям Росії.
Настав час і Твоєї волі й пробудження до нового, вільного, творчого життя, після більш як двохсотлітнього сну.
Уперше, Український тридцятипятиміліонний Народе, Ти будеш мати змогу сам за себе сказати, хто Ти і як хочеш жити, як окрема нація. З цього часу в дружній сім'ї вільних народів могутньою рукою зачнеш сам собі кувати кращу долю.
Впав царський уряд, а тимчасовий оголосив, що незабаром скличе Установчі Збори на основі загального, рівного, прямого й таємного виборчого права.
Звідти уперше на весь світ пролунає у всій своїй силі справжній голос Твій, справжня воля Твоя.
До того ж часу ми закликаємо спокійно, але рішуче домагатися від нового уряду всіх прав, які тобі природно належать, і які Ти повинен мати. Великий Народе, сам хазяїн на Українській землі.
А в найблизшім часі права на заведення рідної мови по всіх школах, од нижчих до вищих по судах і всіх урядових інституціях. З таким же спокоєм, але рішуче, домагайся, Народе, того ж права для української мови від пастирів церкви, земств і всіх неурядових інституцій на Україні.
Народе Український!
Селяни, робітники, салдати, городяне, духовенство і вся українська інтелігенція!
Додержуйте спокій: не дозволяйте собі ніяких вчинків, що руйнують лад в житті, але разом, щиро й уперто беріться до роботи: до гуртовання в політичні товариства, культурні і економічні спілки, складайте гроші на Український Національний Фонд і вибірайте своїх українських людей, на всі місця – Організуйтесь!
Тільки згуртувавшись, можна добре пізнати всі свої потреби, рішуче за них заявити і створити кращу долю на своїй Землі.
Народе Український!
Перед Тобою шлях до нового життя.
Сміливо ж, одностайно йди на той великий шлях в ім’я щастя свого і щастя будучих поколінь Матері України, могутньою рукою твори своє нове вільне життя.
Українська Центральна Рада.
Київ, року 1917, березня 9.
On the Rada published its first declaration - To the Ukrainian people - in support of the Russian Constituent Assembly. On Mykhailo Hrushevsky returned to Kiev from exile, but because of the accident on the train he traveled he was not able to attend the Central Council meetings right away. For the first time, Hrushevsky presides over a meeting of the Central Council on. With his return, many associated hopes for an end to contradictions and the unification of democratic forces. At the meeting it was decided to raise the national flag over the Kiev city duma in place where used to be the Tsarist's monogram. Volodymyr Naumenko was elected a deputy chairman of the Central Council. There also was a discussion about plans for the April 1 Ukrainian manifestation in Kiev. Also the Central Council agitation commission was instructed to prepare in two days a draft for the All-Ukrainian National Congress.
However, straight after the convocation of the All-Ukrainian National Congress on, the Rada transformed from a provisional organizational council into a parliament that consisted of 150 members elected from the Ukrainian political parties, professional and cultural organizations and delegates from the guberniyas. During the National Congress Hrushevsky was reelected as the chairman of the Rada, while the leaders of the most popular political parties Serhiy Yefremov and Volodymyr Vynnychenko were appointed as his deputies. As the Central Rada had a Ukrainian national-cultural outlook, it often faced opposition from Russian and Jewish sectors, representing urban populations. The Central Rada, whilst led by the Ukrainian liberal progressives, included Ukrainian moderates, social democrats and socialist-revolutionaries. On the Central Council General Assembly adopted the "Order to the Ukrainian Central Council" that became de facto its first bylaws. According to democratic organizational principles, the higher body of the Central Council was defined its General Assembly. In the "Nakaz" of April 23 it was mentioned that it "determines direction and nature of all work of the Central Council". The regular meetings of General Assembly had to be convened not less often than once a month, yet in case of urgent need could be convened emergency meetings which considered valid with any number of attendees. Throughout the whole period of the Central Council existence, there took place nine meetings of the General Assembly.
Prior to the First Ukrainian Universal the Central Rada was increased by 130 representatives that were delegated by the II Military Congress and 133 members of the Peasants' Deputies Council who were elected at the I All-Ukrainian Peasants' Congress. In July 1917 Russian and Jewish parties joined the Central Rada, expanding the non-Ukrainian membership significantly.