Estlandia Labor Commune

(Estland Working People’s Commune), the name of the Estonian Soviet Republic in 1918 and 1919.

Soviet power was established in Estonia in October 1917. On Jan. 19 (Feb. 1), 1918, the Executive Committee of the Soviets of Estlandia published the draft constitution of the Estlandia Labor Commune, which proclaimed the Estonian Soviet Republic an autonomous part of the RSFSR. In February 1918 all of Estonia was occupied by German troops. On Nov. 29, 1918, Red Army units, including Estonian regiments, liberated Narva. The provisional revolutionary committee in Narva proclaimed the establishment of the Estlandia Labor Commune and formed the Council of the commune, with J. Anvelt (Ia. Ia. Anvel’t) as chairman and V. E. Kingissepp, J. Käspert, H. Pöögelmann, and O. Rästas as members. The Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR recognized the independence of the Estonian Soviet Republic by a decree of Dec. 7, 1918.

In February 1919, Estonian White Guard troops drove the Red Army units out of Estonia with the help of the Entente. A bourgeois republic was established on May 19. The Council of the commune moved to Luga, and on June 5, 1919, it disbanded. Soviet power was restored in Estonia in 1940.