12 March 1918: Lenin shifts the capital to Moscow

CWA # 1244

This Week in History

12 March 1918: Lenin shifts the capital to Moscow

Ramya B
13 March 2024

Photo Source: sporcle

On 12 March 1918, Vladimir Lenin shifted the capital of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic to Moscow from Petrograd. According to a note from the Russian Presidential Library collections (Click here): "On 26 February, 1918 in Petrograd took place the conference of the Soviet of People's Commissars. At the conference, V. I. Lenin elaborated a project of the decree on evacuation of the government to Moscow. It stated: 1. Choose Moscow as the location; 2. Every office must evacuate a minimum number of leaders of the central administration, 20-30 people maximum (with families); 3. Immediately and at any price, evacuate the State bank, gold and the dispatch office for the state papers; 4. Begin the unloading of Moscow values."

Moscow is one of Russia's oldest cities, founded in 1147 as a walled city centred on the Kremlin. As the city expanded, protective walls and highways were built to reach distant places like Tver and Smolensk. Moscow's significance as a centre of Orthodox Christianity cannot be overstated. Following the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Moscow was declared the third Rome. The fortified Kremlin has long served as the heart and soul of Russia and Moscow. Moscow has historically played an important role as the capital of the Grand Duchy of Moscow.

During the reign of Peter the Great, the Russian capital was transferred to the newly established city of Saint Petersburg (also known as Petrograd) in 1712. Moscow remained a power centre as the crowning of the Russian Tsars continued to happen in Moscow. French Emperor Napoleon attempted to seize Moscow in 1812 but failed as the Muscovites burned down much of the city before handing it over to French troops. The Kremlin fortress was remodelled, and the Kremlin Palace and Bolshoi Theatre were constructed. Moscow embarked on a remarkable journey of reconstruction and renewal.

During the First World War (1914–1917) and the chaos of the February Revolution, the provisional government under Kerensky contemplated shifting its capital to Moscow. They declared St. Petersburg a high-risk area that the war was likely to damage. They had scheduled the shifting of capital by October 1917. The onset of the Bolshevik Revolution in October and the rise of a new government led to delays. Vladimir Lenin, the new Head of Government, who was concerned about a possible invasion of Russia and the probable surrender of Petrograd (St. Petersburg or Leningrad), called for a conference of the Soviet People's Commissars in late February 1918 and the Soviet authorities considered relocating the capital to Moscow. Like all other major decisions during the Lenin period, his proposal was accepted but kept highly secretive. Only a select few were aware of their true intentions to depart. The preparations for the trip and the departure were conducted discreetly, as there were concerns about potential acts of terror and civil unrest in Petrograd once the public learned that the entire governing body of the Soviet republic was departing for Moscow.

The report on the government's action was published in the Pravda newspaper after the all-Russian Central Executive Committee members and the Soviet People's Commissars had departed Petrograd. The all-Union Central Executive Committee had mandated that all government institutions relocate from Petrograd to Moscow on March 11–12.

On 12 March 1918, Moscow regained its status as the capital, this time serving as the capital of the Soviet state (Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic). The official reason for the transfer was a crisis of revolution that had changed the position of Petrograd and was not referred to as a permanent change. The shifting of capital represented the beginning of a new era of ideological change and symbolized the strength and resilience of the new Soviet regime under its new leader, Lenin. Moscow became the nerve centre for parties, governance, and administration. Moscow was an alternative to 'exploitative' capitalist cities and the economic system. The Bolshevik seizure of power and nationalization of land removed a key hurdle to good urban planning. City planners were among the few educated groups who welcomed the revolution. During the 1920s and 1930s, there was a surge of innovative ideas for the new Moscow. The city's authorities aimed to create an inspirational capital while providing its residents with a better quality of life. The goal was to create a socialist capital ideal for workers. The majority of it remained a dream. The years following the revolution were terrible for the USSR.

According to the above Russian Presidential Library: "On 16 March, 1918 the Extraordinary 4th all-Russian congress of Soviet authorized the government decision appending the instructions. The instructions said: 'In the state of the current crisis of the Russian revolution the position of Petrograd as the capital has dramatically changed. Thus the congress resolves to transfer for the time being the capital of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic from Petrograd to Moscow until the abovementioned state changes."

Though it was planned to be a temporary shift, Moscow as the capital continues. After Lenin died in 1924 and Joseph Stalin's rise to power, "socialist reconstruction" programmes became a reality. Old Historical Moscow shall become 'Stalin's Moscow' sooner. All sections of Moscow were reconstructed according to Stalin's notions of civic design.

This Week in History is a new addition to our research publications, looking at the history, its importance, consequences/legacies, and relevance today. We hope this will add historic value to two of our flagship publications- Conflict Weekly and The World This Week. A shorter version of the above will be published in Conflict Weekly/The World This Week.

About the author

Ramya B is an Associate Professor at the Department of History, Kristu Jayanti College.

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