Relating to the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) or its system of government. Originally referred to local governing councils in revolutionary Russia.
From Russian sovet meaning 'council' or 'advice,' derived from the verb sovetovat meaning 'to advise.' The word was adopted into political vocabulary during the 1917 Russian Revolution when workers' and soldiers' councils took power.
The word 'soviet' originally just meant 'council' and wasn't inherently political - it comes from the same root as 'advice.' During the Russian Revolution, these local councils (soviets) of workers and soldiers became the foundation of the new government, transforming a simple word for 'meeting' into one of the most significant political terms of the 20th century.
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