Executive Committee of the Soviets of Estlandia

created at the First Congress of the Soviets of Estonia, held in Tallinn July 23–27 (Aug. 5–9), 1917. The committee included seven Bolsheviks, seven Socialist Revolutionaries, four Mensheviks, and one Menshevik-Internationalist. A Bolshevik, J. Anvelt, was elected chairman.

The Second Congress of the Soviets of Estonia, held Oct. 12–14 (25–27) and led by the Bolsheviks, demanded the establishment of Soviet power and elected a new executive committee, which included Anvelt (chairman), V. Kingissepp, J. Kaspert (secretary), E. Lell, J. Mägi, G. Sokolov, and J. Heintuk. The executive committee formed the Military Revolutionary Committee of Estonia, with I. V. Rabchinskii as chairman, Kingissepp as vice-chairman, and V. Milonov as secretary; on Oct. 26 (Nov. 8) it announced the seizure of power by the Soviets. The executive committee directed the activity of the Soviets, established workers’ control in production, confiscated landholders’ land, began building up Soviet state institutions, and fought the counterrevolution. The activity of the Soviets of Estonia was interrupted by the German occupation of Estonia in February and March 1918.