Zemstvo vs Soviet

[jwsiii]

I'm learning about the Russian revolution and I don't understand the difference between a zemstvo and a soviet. Could someone explain this to me? Thanks.

 

[NiemandheißtBoshaftigkeit]

Which Revolution?
zem·stvo
[ zém stvō ] (plural zem·stvos)
noun
Russian local assembly: an elected provincial legislature that existed in Russia between 1864 and 1917

So·vi·et
adjective
of or about U.S.S.R.: relating to the former Soviet Union, or its people, culture, or political system

noun
somebody from the U.S.S.R.: somebody who was born or raised in or was a citizen of the former Soviet Union. plural noun So·vi·ets

leaders of the Soviet Union: the government of the former Soviet Union, or the leaders of the former Communist bloc

 

[jwsiii]

I'm talking about the revolution of 1917. Workers started to organize themselves into soviets like the Petrograd Soviet. I think a zemstvo and a soviet are both some kind of local council, but I don't know if there's some kind of difference between them.

 

[Injured Soldier]

Zemstvo comes from the word zemlya, meaning land. When they were imposed in 1864, representation was based upon land ownership, meaning large private landowners had a lot of individual power, peasant communes had limited collective power. They administered provinces, but an equivalent was used to administer town at a later date.

Soviet means council. They were based in cities, but similar institutions in the countryside popped up in 1917 too. The primary members were either soldiers or striking factory workers. Revolutionaries held power, unlike the zemstvo where the aristocracy and liberal politicians held power.