The past two months of development of the revolution in Russia, especially the period following the conclusion of peace with Germany and the suppression of the bourgeois counter-revolution at home, may be described as a period of consolidation of Soviet power in Russia and the beginning of a systematic reconstruction of the outlived social and economic system on new, socialist lines. The growing scale of nationalization of mills and factories, the increasing control over the major branches of trade, the nationalization of the banks, the daily developing, richly diverse activities of the Supreme Council of National Economy—that organizational nucleus of the socialist society which is already close at hand—all go to show how deeply Soviet power is penetrating into the pores of social life. The power at the centre has become a real people’s power that has sprung from the depths of the labouring masses. Therein lies the strength and might of Soviet power. This, evidently, is being sensed even by those former enemies of the Soviet regime, the bourgeois intellectuals—the technicians, engineers, office workers and people with specialized knowledge generally—who yesterday were still sabotaging the regime, but are today prepared to serve it.

But Soviet power has not yet succeeded in becoming a people’s power to quite the same extent in the border regions inhabited by culturally backward elements. The revolution begun in the centre spread to the border regions, especially the eastern, with a certain amount of delay. Conditions as regards language and manner of life in these regions, which are moreover economically backward, have somewhat complicated the consolidation of Soviet power there. In order that the power there might become a people’s power, and the labouring masses become socialist, it is necessary, among other things, to devise special methods of drawing the labouring and exploited masses of these regions into the process of revolutionary development. It is necessary to raise the masses to the level of Soviet power, and to identify their finest representatives with it. But this is impossible unless these regions are autonomous, that is, have their own schools, courts, administrations, organs of power and social, political and cultural institutions, and unless the labouring masses of these regions are fully guaranteed the right to use their own language in all spheres of social and political activity.

It was with this object in view that the Third Congress of Soviets proclaimed a federal system for the Russian Soviet Republic.

The bourgeois autonomous groups which arose last November and December in the Volga-Tatar, the Bashkir and Kirghiz regions and the Turkestan region are being gradually exposed by the course of the revolution. In order completely to sever “their own masses” from them and rally them around the Soviets, it is necessary to “take” their autonomy from them, first cleanse it of its bourgeois contamination, and then convert it from bourgeois into Soviet autonomy. The bourgeois nationalist groups demand autonomy in order to make it an instrument for enslaving “their own” masses. That is why, while “recognizing the central Soviet power,” they refuse to recognize the local Soviets, and demand that there shall be no interference in their “internal affairs.” In view of this some of the local Soviets have decided to repudiate every form of autonomy whatsoever, and prefer to “settle” the national question by force of arms. But this course is absolutely unsuitable for the Soviet power. It is a course that is capable only of rallying the masses behind the bourgeois-national upper sections, and of giving the latter the appearance of being saviours of the “motherland,” defenders of the “nation,” which by no means fits in with the plans of the Soviet power. Not repudiation, but recognition of autonomy is the immediate task of the Soviet power. But this autonomy must be based on the local Soviets. Only in this way can the power become a people’s power, the masses’ own power. Consequently, autonomy must ensure power to the lower, not the upper, sections of the given nation. That is the whole point.

It is for this reason that the Soviet Government proclaims the autonomy of the Tatar-Bashkir territory. For this reason, too, it is planned to proclaim the autonomy of the Kirghiz territory, the Turkestan region, etc. All this on the basis of the recognition of the local volost, uyezd and urban Soviets of these border regions. All the necessary material and data must be collected for determining the character and form of autonomy of these territories. Commissions must be appointed for convening constituent congresses of the Soviets and Soviet organs of the given peoples, at which the geographical boundaries of these autonomous units shall be defined. These congresses must be convened. This essential preparatory work must be done immediately in order that a future All-Russian Congress of Soviets may be in a position to frame a Constitution of the Russian Soviet Federation.

The Soviets of the Tatar-Bashkir territory and their Moslem Commissariats have already set to work. By the 10th or 15th of April, a conference of representatives of the Soviets and Moslem Commissariats of Kazan, Ufa, Orenburg and Yekaterinburg will meet in Moscow to appoint a commission for convening a constituent congress of Soviets of Tatar-Bashkiria.

In the Kirghiz territory and Turkestan measures in this direction are only just beginning to be taken. The Soviets of these regions should set to work at once, and enlist in it all the Soviet and revolutionary elements of the peoples concerned. No division into national curiae, with representation from national “minorities” and “majorities,” as certain bourgeois nationalist groups are suggesting, should be allowed. Such division only sharpens national animosities, reinforces the barriers between the labouring masses of the nationalities, and bars the backward peoples from the path to enlightenment and culture. The elections to the constituent congresses must be based, and autonomy founded, not on splitting the labouring and democratic masses of the nationalities into separate national detachments, but on rallying them around the respective unions of Soviets.

Hence the task of the Soviets is to gather materials on the autonomy of the border regions, to establish socialist national commissariats of the Soviets, to appoint commissions for convening constituent congresses of Soviets of the autonomous regions, to convene these congresses, and to establish close ties between the labouring sections of the peoples exercising self-determination and the organs of Soviet power in the regions. The People’s Commissariat for the-Affairs of Nationalities will do everything in its power to facilitate this difficult and responsible work of the Soviets in the
localities.

People’s Commissar

J. Stalin

Pravda, No. 67,

April 9, 1918