Nõukogud

Nõukogud, plural of nõukogu, is an Estonian word that translates to "council" or "soviet." In the context of historical and political systems, particularly during the Soviet era, "soviet" (from the Russian word *sovet*) referred to a workers' council or a representative assembly. These councils were a fundamental organizational unit of the Soviet Union and were intended to be organs of direct democracy where workers, peasants, and soldiers could participate in governance.

Historically, the first soviets emerged during the Russian Revolution of 1905 as ad hoc committees formed by striking workers. They gained prominence again in 1917 during the February Revolution, acting as parallel centers of power to the provisional government. Following the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917, soviets became the official governing bodies at various levels throughout Russia and later the Soviet Union.

The structure of these soviets ranged from local village and city councils to regional and national supreme soviets. While theoretically representing the will of the working people, in practice, their autonomy was often limited by the Communist Party, which held the dominant political power. The concept of the soviet system was also adopted by other communist states. In contemporary Estonia, the term "nõukogu" is used more broadly for various councils, such as municipal councils (omavalitsuslikud nõukogud) or advisory bodies.