The resource base of state farms in the Chelyabinsk region in 1946–1953

Abstract

This article examines the main components of the resource base of Soviet farms (state farms) in the Chelyabinsk region during the first eight years after the war. The authors justifiably believe that the work possesses a high degree of originality, as it draws extensively on materials from two federal and two regional archives. It is stated that the period examined in the article was a time of resource base restoration. It is noted that the list of scientific literature on the topic under study is limited. It is argued that during the study period, the material and technical component of the state farm resource base significantly increased in quantity and quality. It is revealed that the efficiency of state farm tractor use was extremely low. It is emphasized that the livelihoods of state farm workers were complicated by an acute shortage of virtually all consumer goods. The main conclusion is that, despite enormous difficulties, state farms in the Chelyabinsk region experienced a steady growth in virtually all types of resources during the study period. How-ever, the authors conclude that even at the end of the study period, state farm life in all its aspects (social, economic, technological) was far from prosperous.