From Communism to Capitalism? Russia's Agrarian Relations in the Twentieth Century and Beyond

Abstract

The introduction to this collection discusses Russia's agrarian relations in a historical and contemporary context, placing questions of current economic development firmly within the political economy issues that were relevant in the early twentieth century in Russia. The analysis focuses on the question of peasant adaptation and resistance. The concept of resistance is discussed comparatively and as it pertains to contemporary Russia. Survey data from 800 households in five regions are used to explore rural adaptation according to economic strata. Specifically, data are presented on business income, total landholdings and total household income in order to address the issue of who adapted. Statistical analysis is presented to explore the relationship between household affluence and the use of social networks, and between household affluence and household satisfaction.