First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets (Ukrainian:Перший Всеукраїнський з'їзд Рад,romanized: Pershyi Vseukrainskyi zizd Rad) was a congress of Soviets (councils) of workers, peasants, andRed Guards deputies that took place inKharkiv on December 24-25, 1917.

On December 21, 1917 theRed Guards of theSoviet Russia led byVladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko occupiedKharkiv. At night on December 22, 1917 the Russian Red Guards with local Bolsheviks disarmed Ukrainian military units and arrested leaders of theKharkiv City Council and garrison. On December 23, 1917 Bolsheviks established arevkom (revolutionary committee). The headquarters of a local Red Guard was established on December 14, 1917 and was located in the Stock Exchange building at Market Square (today Ploshcha Konstytutsii - Constitution Square).

The Congress of Soviets took place on December 24-25 1917, in thebuilding of Noble Assembly (Market Square) in Kharkiv. The congress initially gathered 964 participants, which later rose to 1250.^{[citation needed]} The congress reviewed several issues: attitudes towards theCentral Rada of theUkrainian People's Republic,war and peace, organization of military forces, about Ukraine and Soviet Russia, estate and financial issues and others.

The congress approved theTreaty of Brest-Litovsk between theRussian SFSR andCentral Powers, declared the independence of the Soviet Ukrainian People's Republic as a federative republic of Soviet Russia, ratified the decree on socialization of land adopted by the 3rd All-Russian Congress of Soviets, and decrees on the8-hour work day and labor control, organization of the Workers-Peasant Red Army of Ukraine. The policy of theCentral Council of Ukraine in the resolution "On political moment" was condemned, requesting withdrawal of the Austrian and German Armed Forces from Ukraine. Participants elected the new composition of theCentral Executive Committee of Ukraine of 102 members headed byVladimir Zatonsky.

There were about 200 delegates with deciding votes and six with consultative. A large majority were held by theBolsheviks.

• "On the current moment" (Fyodor Sergeyev)
• "Self-determination of Ukraine"
• "Self-determination of Donets and Kryvyi Rih basins"
• "Organization of power in Ukraine"
• "Elections to the Central Executive Committee of Ukraine"

• (on current moment) The congress adopted a resolution in which declared about complete support for theOctober Revolution and welcomed the policy ofSovnarkom
• (self-determination of Ukraine) The congress noted that only theOctober Revolution and theSoviet government created by it ensured the implementation of the principle of the right of nations on self-determination that the victory of Socialist Revolution and decrees ofSovnarkom will liquidate any forms ofnational exploitation and inequality inRussia. The congress recognized the Ukrainian Republic as a federative part of theRussian Republic, announced decisive battle against the Central Council's policy disastrous for workers-peasants masses, and uncovered its bourgeois counter-revolutionary nature. The congress declared that will fight for the Ukrainian Workers-Peasant Republic established on a tight solidarity of workers masses of Ukraine with workers masses of all Russia independently of their national belonging. The congress called on all workers and peasants, all Ukrainian people in every way to protect and strengthen brotherly union with workers and peasants of Russia.
• (organization of power) The congress solved the fundamental question ofsocialist revolution in Ukraine. In its resolution adopted on December 25, 1917 the congress declared establishment of the Soviet power in Ukraine.
• (Donets and Kryvyi Rih basins) The congress protested against the criminal imperial policy of Kaledin's and the Ukrainian National Bourgeois counter revolution which tried to divide between each other Donets basin and declared that will seek unity of Donets basin within borders of the Soviet republic.

The congress elected 41 members to theCentral Executive Committee (CVK), 35 of which were Bolsheviks. Twenty more seats were reserved for peasants deputies that were supposed to elected at an All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviet of peasant deputies. The head of the CVK was electedYukhym Medvedev. The congress also established thePeople's Secretariat.

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To thePeople's Secretariat were electedNikolay Skripnik,Vladimir Zatonsky and Emmanuil Luganovsky (Portugeis) who were not elected to the All-Ukrainian Central Executive Committee. Later to thePeople's Secretariat were addedYevgeniy Neronovich,Yuriy Kotsiubynsky,Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko,Ivan Klimenko.

• First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets atUkrainian Soviet Encyclopedia
• First All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets atJuridical Encyclopedia

• Russian Revolution in Kharkiv
• All-Ukrainian Congress of Soviets
• 1917 in Ukraine
• Political history of Ukraine
• 1917 in politics
• Communism in Ukraine
• 1917 conferences
• Conferences of the Russian Revolution

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