The first soviet was formed in Petrograd, the capital of Russia at the time, in February 1917, following massive protests against the Tsar's autocratic regime. Over the next few months, soviets sprang up throughout Russia as part of the broader political upheaval. These soviets assumed various roles, including overseeing workers' strikes, advocating for soldiers' rights, and promoting social and economic reforms.
The Bolshevik Party, led by Vladimir Lenin, took the lead in organizing and uniting the soviets. They saw the soviets as crucial instruments in their goal of overthrowing the Provisional Government that replaced the Tsar and establishing a socialist state. The party's influence within the soviets grew steadily, particularly following Lenin's return to Russia in April 1917 and the publication of his "April Theses."
During the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks successfully seized control of the Petrograd Soviet, which became the central command center for the armed insurrection. The victory of the Bolsheviks and their subsequent consolidation of power marked the transformation of the soviets from local councils into organs of state power.
Under the Bolshevik regime, the soviets served as the primary vehicle for decision-making and governance at local and regional levels. The All-Russian Congress of Soviets, composed of delegates from local soviets, functioned as the highest authority in the new Soviet state. Although nominally representative, the soviets were tightly controlled by the Bolsheviks, with real decision-making power concentrated in the hands of party elites.
Over time, the soviets lost much of their original democratic character and transformative potential as the Bolshevik regime became more authoritarian. The notion of a classless, stateless society gave way to a bureaucratic and highly centralized state apparatus, with the Communist Party monopolising political power.
Despite these changes, the soviets remained an integral part of the Soviet political system until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. They continued to serve as administrative units and mechanisms for mass participation, albeit within the confines of a one-party state.