The Main Directions of Agricultural Development of Khakassia in the 1920s – early 1940s.

Shadrin Aleksei Vladimirovich ORCID: 0009-0009-4756-195X Postgraduate, Department of History, KhSU named after N.F. Katanov 655017, Russia, Republic of Khakassia, Abakan, Lenin Ave., 90 alexej.shadrin287@yandex.ru Other publications by this author

Introduction

The need for effective development of the agricultural sector of the economy of modern Russia calls for the study of agricultural issues in Russian history. The Soviet period occupies a special place and importance in this regard, since it was during this era that significant transformations took place in the field of agriculture of the country.

The study of the main directions of the development of agriculture in the country as a whole and Khakassia in particular in the 1920s - early 1940s. Through the analysis of quantitative and qualitative indicators contributes to the disclosure of controversial problems in national and regional history, namely cooperation, collectivization, state farm construction. This will allow us to summarize the historical experience of those years (positive and negative), which can help in overcoming difficulties in Russian agriculture through appropriate conclusions that can be drawn by authorities at various levels. It will also make it possible to predict the further development of the region, and then the country according to the most optimal option.

The relevance of studying this topic is also due to changes in the theoretical and methodological base in Russian historical science. Currently, this topic can be considered from the perspective of modernization theory in addition to previous research, in particular based on a formational approach. The relevance of this topic can also be explained by the large number of unpublished historical sources that have not been introduced into scientific circulation.

The main part

The analysis of the main directions of development of the agricultural sector of Khakassia in the 1920s - early 1940s involves consideration of quantitative and qualitative indicators of its development, as well as structural changes.

The most important indicator of the dynamics of the development of agricultural production is the average annual volume of gross agricultural output. Within Khakassia in 1928-1938, it increased from 7901.8 thousand rubles to 39740 thousand rubles (the indicator for 1938 was given only for collective farms), i.e. 5 times ^[1]. For comparison, in the USSR during 1928-1937, this indicator increased from 15.2 billion rubles to 20.1 billion rubles, i.e. 1.3 times ^[2].

It is worth noting that during the first five-year plan in Khakassia, the average annual gross output of agricultural production decreased from 7901.8 thousand rubles to 5469.98 thousand rubles, or by 30.7% ^[3].

The occurrence of this trend is due to the following factors. Firstly, due to the economic policy aimed at creating collective farms, there has been a reduction in the number of livestock (as will be discussed below). Secondly, during this period, the yield of the main crop crops – cereals - was still low. In 1932, the average for the region ranged from 5.4 c. per hectare to 5.6 c. ha. ^[4].

Despite the low quantitative indicators, important qualitative changes took place in the development of agriculture in Khakassia. During the period under study, its share in the total gross output of the region decreased. This is indirectly evidenced by an increase in the share of industrial products to 49.6% by 1938 and a decrease in the share of people employed in the agricultural sector to 45.9% ^{[5, p. 184]}. This was one of the signs of building an economic structure in Khakassia, characteristic of an industrial-agrarian society.

The decrease in the share of the employed population in agriculture in the region was also a consequence of the ambiguous economic policy pursued by the party and state leadership during this period. Due to the mistakes made during collectivization and repression, the exodus of peasants from the village began. So, in 1926, the rural population of Khakassia was 93.3%, and in 1940 its share fell to 64.5%, although its number increased 2 times during this time ^{[15, p. 292]}.

An important positive change was the increase in gross output per person employed in agriculture in the region. Thus, by the beginning of the 1940s, this indicator had increased 5 times ^[6].

During the study period, the material and technical base of the agricultural sector of Khakassia has significantly improved. Only in 1938-1939. the means of production (for state farms) increased in the region from 32176.5 thousand rubles to 35309 thousand rubles, i.e. 1.1 times ^[7]. The tractor fleet grew from 2 units in 1925 to 1,262 units in 1940 ^{[5, pp. 129, 184]}. The number of other agricultural machinery was also increasing, in particular combines and cars. The number of the former increased from 15 in 1934 to 78 in 1936, and the latter from 39 to 146 respectively ^{[8, p. 72]}. This made it possible to increase the mechanization of agriculture. Thus, mechanization of sowing on collective farms in 1933-1938 increased from 38.9% to 96.7%, i.e. by 57.8% ^[9].

Despite the improvements presented above, this sector of the economy remained un-electrified. This is evidenced by the materials of the archive file devoted to the economic indicators of the Khakass Autonomous Region in 1933, in particular electrification. According to the data presented, no power plant provided electricity to agriculture ^[10].

To identify the main trends in the development of agricultural production in Khakassia in the 1920s - early 1940s, it is necessary to focus on the study of sectoral and territorial structures.

During the study period, changes in the sectoral structure took place in the agriculture of the region (see table 1).

Table 1

The sectoral structure of agriculture in Khakassia in 1928-1932^[11]

Thus, in 1932, the position of crop production strengthened, which continued to occupy the second place, the share of which increased from 33 to 40%. And the situation of animal husbandry, which continues to be the dominant industry, has deteriorated. Its share decreased from 67% to 60%. This is due to the current economic policy pursued by the leadership of the country and the region aimed at creating collective farms.

Having considered the sectoral structure of agricultural production in Khakassia, we will analyze its territorial structure. During the period under review, it is advisable to consider the share of districts in the agricultural potential of the region (see table 2).

Table 2

The share of municipalities (districts) in the agricultural potential of Khakassia (in %) ^[12]

If in 1923 the central Ust-Abakan volost (the future Ust-Abakan district) occupied the leading role in the agricultural potential of the region, then in 1938 Askizsky district, specializing in the leading branch of agricultural production in Khakassia – animal husbandry, was in this position.

The second place in 1923 belonged to the Znamenskaya volost (the future constituent part of the Bogradsky district), where both agriculture and animal husbandry were developed. In 1938, this place belonged to the Baysky district, which also had a mixed specialization.

The top three leaders in 1923 were closed by Ust-Fyrkalskaya volost, which has a mixed specialization. In 1938, Ust-Abakan district took this position, which significantly strengthened its position in industrial production.

An analysis of the dynamics of the development of the main branches of agriculture in the region is of interest.

In the 1920s and early 1940s, animal husbandry was the dominant branch of agricultural production in Khakassia. This fact is quite understandable, since natural-climatic and natural-historical conditions contributed to this. The dynamics of livestock during this period can be judged from the data in Table 3.

Table 3

The number of livestock in Khakassia in the 1920s -1930s ^[16]

In 1924, the number of cattle in all farms of the region was 129571 heads, horses – 57686 heads, sheep – 258439 heads. By 1928, the number of cattle had increased 1.9 times, horses – 1.7 times, sheep – 1.9 times.

Such indicators allowed pastoralists to achieve the transformation of the early 1920s, carried out within the framework of the new economic policy (NEP). But at the end of the decade mentioned above, the country's leadership began to pay more attention to the organization of collective farms.

This process had rather a negative impact on animal husbandry, since a number of mistakes were made during its implementation (violation of the principle of voluntariness when joining collective farms, disregard for the specifics of national areas during collectivization, providence of forced seizures of livestock), which led to mass slaughter of livestock within the framework of protest sentiments and, consequently, a decrease in its livestock. By 1934, the number of cattle in all farms of the region had decreased to 107,366 heads, horses – 44,506 heads, sheep – 212,649 heads ^{[8, p. 69]}.

Thus, the number of these types of livestock decreased by more than 2 times in 1928-1934.

In the second half of the 1930s and early 1940s, the situation in regional animal husbandry became more positive. This was facilitated by more careful care of public livestock and increased attention to the qualitative improvement of livestock, increasing its productivity. For these purposes, high–bred cattle were systematically imported to Khakassia, in particular breeding stallions of the Oryol and Russian trotting racehorses, bulls of the Simmental breed, fine-fleeced sheep. By crossing them with a local breed, collective farm workers by 1936 had raised about 4.5 thousand heads of new trotting and racehorses, over 12 thousand heads of Simmental cattle, 92 thousand heads of fine-fleeced sheep ^{[5, pp. 129, 184]}. The above–mentioned transformations made it possible to increase the number of cattle in all farms of the region to 130,280 heads, horses – 54,425 heads, sheep - 339,285 heads by 1938 ^{[8, p. 69]}.

As a result, the number of cattle and horses increased 1.2 times in 1934-1938, and the number of sheep heads increased 1.5 times during this period. However, by the end of the 1930s, animal husbandry had not yet recovered from the mass slaughter at the beginning of the decade.

Agriculture was an important industry in the structure of agricultural production in Khakassia in the 1920s and early 1940s. Due to the natural-historical and climatic features of the region, it was on the sidelines, but its importance was constantly increasing. This was facilitated by measures taken within the framework of the current economic policy. They were expressed in an increase in the level of mechanization of agricultural work and field production in particular, as well as in the improvement of agricultural machinery and land reclamation.

These transformations made it possible to increase the acreage from 56 thousand hectares to 125 thousand hectares or 123% in 1929-1933, and from 1934 to 1937 they increased from 144.6 thousand hectares to 173.1 thousand hectares or 19%.

The growth of acreage in the region was mainly due to more valuable crops, especially wheat. Its crops increased from 27.3 hectares to 66.7 hectares from 1930 to 1935, i.e. by 144%. A similar trend was observed for all grains in general. Their crops increased from 59.1 hectares to 135.7 hectares, i.e. by 129%, over the specified period of time. High growth rates (from 30.8 ha to 67.1 ha or by 117%) were also observed for forage crops ^{[14, p. 81]}.

It is worth noting that most of the fields were occupied by grain crops. So, in 1935, they occupied 63% of the cultivated areas of collective farms. In the rest, vegetable, technical, fodder and other crops were cultivated ^{[14, p. 81]}.

Crop yields were increasing. Thus, according to the data presented in the work "Essays on the History of Soviet Khakassia (1917-1991)", "wheat yield before 1931 was 8.83 c. per ha, in 1938 – 13.3 c. per ha" ^{[8, p. 73]}.

Conclusion

Thus, during this period, the main directions of agricultural development in Khakassia were contradictory. There were positive trends: there was an increase in the average annual gross output of agricultural production, its material and technical base improved.

In the 1920s and early 1940s, crop production received a new round of development. There was an increase in acreage. This was facilitated by an increase in the level of mechanization of field work, as well as improvements in the field of agricultural technology and land reclamation.

But on the other hand, there were some negative aspects: the reduction of livestock and the outflow of peasants from the village due to an ill-conceived economic policy aimed at collectivization, the lack of electrification in agriculture, low grain yields during the first five-year plan.