Soviet, << SOH vee eht, >> is a Russian word that means council. Russian revolutionary groups were known as soviets. The first soviets were formed during the Russian workers’ revolution in 1905. Soviets were formed throughout Russia after the downfall of the czar in March 1917. These soviets were councils made up of workers, peasants, and soldiers. These councils rallied groups of people to support the Socialist plan for setting up a Russian government. In 1917, Communists led by V. I. Lenin gained control of the soviets and of Russia. In 1922, the Soviet Union, officially known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, was formed under Russia’s leadership. The Soviet Union broke up into a number of independent countries in 1991.
