Soviet Union legislative election, 1929

In 1929, elections were held to the Congress of Soviets of the Soviet Union.

The elections were noteworthy for their rowdiness and elements of political opposition. Within the Communist Party, the Left Opposition attempted to run rival candidates against the officially nominated Communist candidates, while outside the party the Russian Orthodox Church attempted to create an organized opposition with religious candidates. Kulaks, Tolstoyans, and Baptists also were active in illicit anti-Communist electoral campaigning. Peasants demanded the creation of "peasant unions" on an equal footing with urban trade unions, and urban workers complained that Communist officials had become a new privileged class. Ethnic strife and the Soviet government's financial support of Comintern were also issues raised against the official candidates. Marches in opposition to the official candidates were held and in some areas in the provinces Communist officials were physically attacked.

However in the actual elections Communist authority was maintained and the opposition forces did not make any headway.

References

• Fitzpatrick, Sheila. 1999. Everyday Stalinism: Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 180–182.

Elections and referendums in the Soviet Union Legislative elections 1921 1924 1925 1927 1929 1931 1935 1936 1937 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1979 1984 1989 Regional elections 1938 1939 1947 1951 1955 1959 1985 1990 Referendums 1991