The polymerization of acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate initiated by copper(II) chelates of polyvinylamine and 1,3-diaminopropane was studied kinetically in dimethylsulfoxide solution in the presence and absence of carbon tetrachloride. Time-course changes in visible as well as ESR spectra were measured for different systems containing the copper(II) chelates. The initiation mechanism is discussed from the speetrophotometric and kinetic data results.