Central Council of Ukraine - Establishment

Establishment

The Central Council was founded in Kiev on March 17 (old style 4), 1917 by the initiative of the Society of Ukrainian Progressionists with 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.

M. Hrushevsky was elected as the Head of the Rada while V.Naumenko, Dmytro Doroshenko, and Dmytro Antonovych were appointed as his deputies. On March 22, 1917 the Rada published its first declaration To the Ukrainian people for the support of the Russian Provisional Government. When M. Hrushevsky assumed his duties on March 27, 1917, the Rada became an acting center of the Ukrainian national movement. But straight after the convocation of the All-Ukrainian National Congress, the Rada transformed into a sort of parliament that consisted of 150 people elected from the Ukrainian political parties, professional and cultural organizations and delegates from guberniya's. 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.

During its lifetime there were nine plenary sessions of the Central Rada: eight in 1917, one in 1918, and one extended session of the Mala Rada. Already prior to the First Ukrainian Universal the Central Rada was increased by 130 representatives that were delegated by II Military Congress (June 23, 1917) and 133 members of the Peasants' Deputies Council that were elected at the I All-Ukrainian Peasant's Congress (June 15, 1917).