DECLARATION ON SETTING UP THE JOINT GOVERNMENT OF THE SOUTHEAST UNIONOF THE COSSACK’S TROOPS, MOUNTAIN PEOPLE OF THE CAUCASUS AND THE FREE STEPPE PEOPLES

16 November 1917

On 20 October of 1917 the South-East Union of the Cossacks’ Troops and the Free Steppe Peoples was established.  That day, the representatives of the mentioned troops and the peoples signed the Union Treaty in Vladikavkaz, upon which the Joint Government of the South-East Union started its operation in Ekaterinodar.   The Union consists of the following units: Don, Kuban, Terek and Astrakhan Cossacks’ troops, the North Caucasus Mountain People, Dagestan, Sukhumi and Zakatala Okrugs and the Free Steppe peoples of Astrakhan and Stavropol Gubernia.  On 31 October the Ural Cossacks Troops joint the Union.

Recognizing the Democratic Federative Republic as the best form of the state arrangement for Russia, the South-East Union will observe the general principles of federative arrangement.  The Union, securing the full independence of its members in the internal affairs, commits itself to facilitate them through all the Union resources in preparation of their internal arrangement as the independent States of the future Russian Democratic Federative Republic.

At the same time, the South-east Union intends to render a wide-scale support to the other peoples and Oblasts striving for settlement of the Russian Republic on the federative basis. To this end the Joint Government already has established the relations with the peoples of the Trans-Caucasus, Ukraine, Bessarabia, Crimea and Siberia inviting them to conclude the agreement on the best ways and means for implementation of common objectives through mutual assistance and support.

Considering important to maintain the Federative Russia united, indivisible and powerful, the Union will participate in building of the common state together with the other peoples of Russia without any misuse of its privileged rights.  At the same time the Joint Government of the Union, firmly pursuing the principles of the self-determination, will not allow any interference from any side in the developing of its internal life.  Any infringement of the federative rights of the South-East Union in a whole or its individual members will be met by decisive counteraction.

Collapse of the Central state power and the rapidly developed anarchy destroyed the unity of our great country.  The Oblasts and people, left alone before the forthcoming economic and political upheavals, had to organize their own power on the basis of self-governance.  The fighting unleashed between political parties posed the threat to the identity and peculiar traits – the historical foundation of spiritual and economic life of Cossacks, mountain peoples and the steppe people communities of the South-east of Russia.  Therefore   the Cossacks, highlanders and steppe people of the South-east took in their hands the power and rendered it to their respective governments elected through general elections, and for protection of common interests they established the Union led by the Joint Government.

Fighting against anarchy and violence, restoration and protection of rights and strengthening of normal conditions of the public-political life on the territory of the South-east Union are the primary objectives of the Joint Government, under which all citizens shall freely express their will and establish Union Government on the basis of national-territorial representation of reliable urban and rural dwellers.

Striving for the rapid implementation of this task, the Joint Government first of all has started restoring the public order at the residential areas and along the railway aimed at securing uninterrupted supply of food and forage to the long-suffering Russian Army, the population of the Trans-Caucasus, Turkmenistan and the workers of industrial centers, urban and rural dwellers of the Union – with the primary goods necessary for households.  At the same time the Joint Government is deeply concerned with the arrangement of the local finances.  Deterioration of the fiscal system established rather grave situation for the citizens working at the state, public and private organizations, and the all of the workmen too.  Protection of their interest is the ultimate goal of the Joint Government.

The South-East, which is very reach with its corn, oil, coal, livestock and other gifts of nature, has every possible mean to make flourishing spiritual and material culture, but the  autocratic regime, stifling all of the Russian people crushed it in the very bud.  The Joint Government will take every possible measure to establish the good environment for developing the education, industry and trade of the peoples of the South-East, which went through so many shocks of anarchy.  At the same time the Joint Government is dedicated to carry out painless settlement of the agrarian issue in full compliance with the interests and traditions of the farmers.

As the fates decree Russia is in a desperate situation at the front: on the one hand it practically fails to continue the severe war, on the other – it cannot conclude the separatist peace-agreement without consent of its allies.  The agreements are sacred for the Joint Government thereby declining all responsibilities from the South-East Union for the results consequent to the decision of the usurpers of central state power on concluding the separatist peace-agreement.

As a matter of fact only the power, which properly demonstrates the genuine will of the all members of the family of Russia is authorized the lead the.  The Joint Government believes that the way determined by Cossacks, Highlanders and steppe people for building the internal and common-state life will be met by democratic forces with full sympathy and finds fraternal support in the building of united, great and powerful Russian Democratic Federative Republic.

The Joint Government of the South-East Union.

Ekaterinodar, 28 November 1917

(Union of the North Caucasus Mountain Peoples and Daghestan (1917-1918). Mountain Republic (1918-1920). Documents and Materials. Makhachkala, 1994, p. 87-88/in Russian)