COLLECTIVE FARMS IN THE USSR IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE 1930s: DYNAMICS OF MONETARY INCOMES
Authors: Ильиных В.А. 
Published: July 2024

Задача работы состоит в аналитической реконструкции механизма получения денежных доходов колхозами СССР во второй половине 1930-х гг., их размеров, динамики, специфики доходности сельхозартелей различной специализации. Особое внимание уделяется выявлению соотношения денежных доходов хозяйств в отдельных республиках и экономических районах страны. Установлено, что основными каналами получения колхозами денег являлись обязательные поставки, контрактация, государственные закупки, продажа сельхозпродуктов на рынке, реализация продукции подсобных предприятий, сдача в наем рабочей силы. Доказано, что в 1935–1940 гг. денежные доходы колхозов СССР выросли в 2,1 раза. В 1935–1937 гг. более высокими темпами наращивались доходы от земледелия, в 1938–1940 гг. – от животноводства. Наиболее выгодным было выращивание хлопка. Несмотря на рост денежных доходов, большинство колхозов страны в конце 1930-х гг. так и не стали зажиточными. Особенно много бедных колхозов было в РСФСР.

The article aims to reconstruct the mechanism of money income of collective farms of the USSR in the second half of the 1930s, as well as its size, dynamics, and specifics of profitability of agricultural enterprises of different specialization. Special attention is paid to the identification of the ratio of monetary incomes of farms in separate republics and economic regions of the country. It is established that the main channels for collective farms to receive money were compulsory deliveries, contracting, state purchases, sales of agricultural products in the market, sales of products of subsidiary enterprises, and hiring of labor. It is proved that in 1940 the monetary incomes of collective farms of the USSR increased in comparison with 1935 by 2.1 times. In 1935–1937, the higher income increase was from farming, while in 1938-1940 animal husbandry was more profitable. Higher profitability was provided by cultivation of technical crops, the procurement prices for which had been significantly increased. In the late 1930s, the growth of market prices for livestock products led to an increase in the profitability of livestock farming. Bread production was the least profitable. The average profitability of farms in the RSFSR, where grain specialization prevailed, was significantly inferior to that of the majority of the USSR republics. It was 4.8 times higher in Turkmenistan, 4.5 times higher in Uzbekistan, 3.6 times higher in Armenia, and 2.8 times higher in Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan. The growth of monetary incomes contributed to the emergence of millionaire collective farms. Most of such farms were cotton-producing farms. Among millionaires there were collective farms growing fruits, grapes and subtropical crops. It is concluded that despite the growth of monetary incomes, the majority of collective farms in the late 1930s did not become wealthy. Poverty remained a characteristic feature of the absolute majority of Soviet agricultural enterprises. There were especially many poor collective farms in the North-Western, Northern, Volga-Vyatka, and Central non-Chernozem economic regions.