Tomsk provincial executive committee: establish, structure, powers (1920-1925)

On October 28, 1920 at the last session of the First Congress of Soviets of Tomsk province the Tomsk provincial executive committee of soviets of workers, peasants and soldiers deputies of 27 people was elected. In accordance with constitutional norms, the provincial executive committee was the highest authority in the province between the provincial Congresses of Soviets. Along with the constitution the legal status of the executive committee was confirmed in a decision of the VII All-Russian Congress of Soviets as well as developed in the 1922 Regulation "On the provincial congresses of soviets and provincial executive committees". During the five years the executive committee structure was subject to considerable transformations. One of the first changes was the creation in November 1920 of the provincial department of nationalities whose tasks included carrying out cultural and educational policies among various national minorities in the province. At the end of June 1921 the economic conference, whose head was the chairman of the executive committee, appeared in the structure of provincial executive committees. In the autumn of 1923 the structure of executive committee was subject to the next reform held within the context of the country's total reform of provincial authorities. Its main objective was to achieve the maximum possible downsizing of provincial executive committees and, as a result, to reduce the costs of their functioning. In Tomsk province this transformation had begun even earlier than the initiative from the center was put forward. At the end of September 1923 the provincial department of management was dissolved, all its functions transferred to the department of general affairs and provincial police. In early October 1923 the provincial administration was formed. Along with structural changes, the personnel of the highest provincial authority was rotated periodically. From 1922 to 1924 there were systematic changes of the heads of department’s executive committees. A major function of the provincial executive committee was to provide guidance to inferior authorities. It was carried out through sending the staff of the management executive committee to the districts with the purpose of holding revisions. Another way was sending circulars which contained prescriptions of the executive committee. Finally, the head of the provincial department of management met with the heads of the district management departments personally. The activities of the provincial executive committee were controlled by the Siberian revolutionary committee and the Commissariat of Internal Affairs. On October 1, 1925 the Tomsk provincial executive committee was dissolved because of the liquidation of Tomsk province. The Tomsk district executive committee became its successor.

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