Unknown History of Russian Legislation
 In late 1917 just before the Constituent Assembly was supposed to be elected the Bolsheviks overthrew the Provisional Government. What happened after used to be qualified as Civil War due to the terror started by the opposition after dissolution of the Constituent Assembly. Not all of it is true. Here is a sample of how the Bolsheviks treated Russian citizens two months after «the Revolution»...
This was quoted from a human right newspaper from Siberia (Tyumen) as coming from a KGB file. Apparently, the original should be dated late 1917 although the reprint uses the old Russian only partially.
(Dates may look confusing due to the differences between the old and the current calendar)
Feb 27, 1917 - Tsar resigns; Transition Government is created. It decides to respect agreements with allies in World War 1; Transition Government was supposed to call for Constituent Assembly election; date was announced first in September, then postponed till Nov 25, 1917.
Nov 7, 1917 - Bolsheviks overthrow Transition Government in St. Petersburg;
Nov 25, 1917 - First democratic elections take place in Russia;
Jan 18, 1918 - Constituent Assembly meets in St. Petersburg only to be confronted by Lenin's ultimatum to recognize Bolshevik government and approve on all its decrees; dispersed by Bolsheviks same day.
By May 1918 Russia immerses in civil war...
Picture: Moskovsky Komsomolets, courtesy of Tyumen newspaper «In the Name of the Law». Click to enlarge (114K).
Decree
Of the Saratov Provincial Soviet of People’s Commissars [1] on Abolishment of Private Property on Women
The legal marriage as existed until recently has been, undoubtedly, a product of the social inequality that must be eradicated in the Soviet Republic. Up until now, the legal marriage has served as a weapon for the bourgeoisie in its struggle with the proletarians; because of this all the best specimens of the weaker sex were the property of imperialists bourgeoisie; such property could not but interrupt the normal continuation of the human kind. Therefore, the Saratov Provincial Soviet of People’s Commissars with approval of the Executive Committee of the Provincial Soviet of Workers, Soldiers and Peasants Deputies [2] has established the following:
§1. Starting of January 1918 the private property on women between the ages 17 to 30 years is abolished;
NOTE: The woman’s age is defined by the certificate of birth or a passport; in case of these documents missing - by declaration of Community Committees or by local prefect, also by their appearance and by testimony.
§2. This Decree does not extend on married women with five or more children.
§3. Former owners (husbands) retain the right of priority usage of their wives.
NOTE: Should former husband oppose enforcement of the Decree, he will lose the rights provided by this article.
§4. All women subject of regulation under this Decree are exempted from permanent private property and are declared public domain of all working people.
§5. Distribution of alienated women shall be at the discretion of the Soviets of Workers’, Soldiers’ and Peasants’ Deputies of the Province, County or Village level as per respective jurisdiction.
§7. Male citizens are entitled to use women not more than four times a week for not longer than 3 hours based on conditions explained below.
§8. Every member of the working class shall provide 2% of his salary to the Fund of People’s Generation.
§9. Any male wishing to use a piece of popular domain shall provide a certificate of belonging to workers’ class issued by the Factory Committee or Labor Union.
§10. Males who don’t belong to the workers’ class shall be entitled to use alienated women only after they pay the contribution of 1,000 Rubles to the Fund named in §8.
§11. All women declared public domain by this Decree shall get monetary assistance from the Fund of People’s Generation amounting to 280 Rubles a month.
§12. Women who become pregnant shall be liberated from their direct and state duties for 4 months (3 months before they give birth and 1 month after).
§13. Babies born shall be transferred to the child-care facility «Popular Nursery» where they will be raised and will receive education until they are 17 years of age.
§14. Women will receive 200 Rubles when they give birth to twins.
§15. Individuals responsible for spreading venereal diseases shall be brought to legal responsibility of the Revolutionary Court.
(Excerpts)
[1] Provincial self-proclaimed government.
[2] Provincial self-proclaimed parliament, as opposed to democratically elected.
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