grad ▁Soviet ▁Council ▁of ▁Work ers ' ▁Deput ies . ▁The ▁model ▁for ▁the ▁S ovi ets ▁were ▁workers ' ▁coun c ils ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁in ▁scores ▁of ▁Russian ▁cities ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁Revolution . ▁In ▁February ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁striking ▁workers ▁elected ▁deput ies ▁to ▁represent ▁them ▁and ▁social ist ▁activ ists ▁began ▁organ izing ▁a ▁city wide ▁council ▁to ▁un ite ▁these ▁deput ies ▁with ▁represent atives ▁of ▁the ▁social ist ▁parties . ▁On ▁ 2 7 ▁February , ▁social ist ▁D uma ▁deput ies , ▁mainly ▁Mens he vik s ▁and ▁Social ist ▁Revolution aries , ▁took ▁the ▁lead ▁in ▁organ izing ▁a ▁city wide ▁council . ▁The ▁Pet ro grad ▁Soviet ▁met ▁in ▁the ▁T aur ide ▁Palace , ▁the ▁same ▁building ▁where ▁the ▁new ▁government ▁was ▁taking ▁shape . ▁ ▁The ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁Pet ro grad ▁Soviet ▁believed ▁that ▁they ▁represented ▁particular ▁classes ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁not ▁the ▁whole ▁nation . ▁They ▁also ▁believed ▁Russia ▁was ▁not ▁ready ▁for ▁social ism . ▁They ▁viewed ▁their ▁role ▁as ▁limited ▁to ▁press uring ▁hes it ant ▁" bour ge ois ie " ▁to ▁rule ▁and ▁to ▁introduce ▁extensive ▁dem ocr atic ▁re forms ▁in ▁Russia ▁( the ▁replacement ▁of ▁the ▁mon archy ▁by ▁a ▁republic , ▁guaranteed ▁civil ▁rights , ▁a ▁dem ocr atic ▁police ▁and ▁army , ▁abol ition ▁of ▁religious ▁and ▁eth nic ▁disc rim ination , ▁prepar ation ▁of ▁elections ▁to ▁a ▁constitu ent ▁assembly ,