The Central Rada of Ukraine, also called the Central Council (Ukrainian: Українська Центральна Рада, romanized: Ukrainska Tsentralna Rada), was the All-Ukrainian council that united deputies of soldiers, workers, and peasants deputies as well as few members of political, public, cultural and professional organizations of the Ukrainian People's Republic.

[1] Unlike with many other councils in the Russian Republic, Bolshevization of the Rada failed completely, prompting the Ukrainian Bolsheviks to form a rival government in Kharkov.

From its beginning the council directed the Ukrainian national movement and with its four Universals led the country from autonomy to full sovereignty.

[citation needed] During the Soviet era, official ideology described the Central Council as a counter-revolutionary body of the bourgeoisie and petty-bourgeois nationalist parties.

1 March] 1917 Starytskyi shared information about the events with Vasyl Koroliv-Staryi and later with all his acquaintances and friends from the Rodyna Club, the Society of Ukrainian Progressionists (TUP), "Chas" (Time) publishing.

[3] Synytskyi's idea laid in necessity of establishment of the Ukrainian movement leadership center not to repeat the same mistakes that took place during the events of 1905–07.

3 March] 1917 in the Rodyna Club building gathered over 100 representatives of Kiev and some provincial Ukrainian organizations where appeared the idea of establishment of the Central Council.

[3] Dmytro Antonovych was recalling that they could not find a mutual understanding with TUP, but agreed to create provisional Central Council with a nucleus of no more than 25 members with an option to add more primarily with delegates outside of Kiev.

With the same calm, but resolute, seek you, the Nation, the same right for the Ukrainian language from the pastors of the church, zemstvos and all non-governmental institutions in Ukraine.

Настав час і Твоєї волі й пробудження до нового, вільного, творчого життя, після більш як двохсотлітнього сну.

З цього часу в дружній сім'ї вільних народів могутньою рукою зачнеш сам собі кувати кращу долю.

Впав царський уряд, а тимчасовий оголосив, що незабаром скличе Установчі Збори (Учредительное Собраніе) на основі загального, рівного, прямого й таємного виборчого права.

Звідти уперше на весь світ пролунає у всій своїй силі справжній голос Твій, справжня воля Твоя.

З таким же спокоєм, але рішуче, домагайся, Народе, того ж права для української мови від пастирів церкви, земств і всіх неурядових інституцій на Україні.

Додержуйте спокій: не дозволяйте собі ніяких вчинків, що руйнують лад в житті, але разом, щиро й уперто беріться до роботи: до гуртовання в політичні товариства, культурні і економічні спілки, складайте гроші на Український Національний Фонд і вибірайте своїх українських людей, на всі місця – Організуйтесь!

Тільки згуртувавшись, можна добре пізнати всі свої потреби, рішуче за них заявити і створити кращу долю на своїй Землі.

13 March] 1917 Mykhailo Hrushevsky returned to Kiev from exile, but because of the accident on the train he traveled he was not able to attend the Central Council meetings right away.

6–8 April] 1917, the Rada transformed from a provisional organizational council into a parliament[3] that consisted of 150 members elected from the Ukrainian political parties, professional and cultural organizations and delegates from the guberniyas.

During the National Congress Hrushevsky was reelected as the chairman of the Rada, while the leaders of the most popular political parties Serhiy Yefremov and Volodymyr Vynnychenko were appointed as his deputies.

As the Central Rada had a Ukrainian national-cultural outlook, it often faced opposition from Russian (both conservative and socialist) and Jewish sectors, representing urban populations.

22–23 April] 1917) reviewed the issue of Ukrainization of military and adopted the first legal document of the Central Council, the earlier mentioned "Nakaz".

1–3 June] 1917) listened to the report of Volodymyr Vynnychenko about the diplomatic mission of the Council's delegation to Petrograd, about denial by the Russian Provisional Government the autonomy demands.

20 June – 1 July] 1917) approved creation of the General Secretariat and its first declaration, adopted number of resolutions that concerned the Central Council reorganization by adding representatives of national minorities who lived in Ukraine.

29 October – 2 November] 1917) paid attention mainly finding a way out of the situation in the country after toppling down of the Provisional Government in Petrograd and the armed incident in Kiev.

12–17 December] 1917) debated sharply on issues of peace and land, discussed the course of preparation to the Ukrainian Constituent Assembly elections.

15–25 January] 1918) approved laws on land and eight-hours workday, made some changes to the law on Ukrainian Constituent Assembly elections, discussed the course of peace talks in Brest-Litovsk, the situation that arose in connection with the Bolshevik offensive and the Arsenal January Uprising, authorized the reorganization of the Minor Council, approved Vsevolod Holubovych on the post of the Council of People's Ministers chairman.

[3] About organic deficiencies of their work testifies number of documents and, in particular, the very session protocols such as outbreaks of political emotions, demagoguery and populism over a constructive policy.

The Central Council was supported by the majority of population in Ukraine as it was shown at elections to the Russian Constituent Assembly on 25 November [O.S.

Convened in Kiev on December 17 the Congress of Soviets of Peasants, Soldiers, and Workers Deputies expressed their "full confidence and strong support for the Ukrainian Central Council".

It changed the regular army with a police force; instructed to carry on elections of peoples' soviets: volosts, county, and local; established monopoly on trade; control over banks; confirmed the law on transfer of land to peasants without redemption taking as a basis the abolition of private property and socialization of land.