Sovnarcom (SNK)

Short for Sovet narodnykh komissarov (The Council of People’s Commissars), the name of the highest executive agency of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic) from 1917 to 1922 – and the highest executive agency of the USSR from 1923 until March 16, 1946. A member of the Sovnarcom was called a Narcom, or People’s Commissar, and headed a particular Narcomat (People’s Commissariat), which served as a central agency for directing a particular sphere of government activity.