Establishment and Operation of Private Land Credit Institutions in Penza Province in the Late 1860s – mid 1880s

Introduction. The abolition of public credit institutions in the first half of the 19th century meant that following after the peasant reform, private landowners were forced to rely entirely on their ability to conduct economic activities, they desperately needed the money demanded for the capitalist modernization of their estates. It was important under such circumstances the appearance in the mid-1860s of private land banks that have granted land collateral loans. Materials and Methods. The study of the claimed problem required the involvement of a number of historical and economic methods: historical, statistical and quantitative. At the same time, the question of the amount of debt owed to private land banks was examined on the basis of a comprehensive analysis of statistical data on land credit published by a committee of congresses of representatives of Russian land credit institutions. Results. The article analyzes the main indicators of the activity of the joint-stock land banks in the first two decades of their operation, considers the characteristics of the establishment and development of the private land credit system, the volume of loans issued, the size of the mortgaged land, the amount of the loans are shown by their regional characteristics. Discussion and Conclusions. Set up in mid-nineteenth century the system of equity land credit, which focuses on the granting of land mortgages by private landowners, has played an important role in the processes of land ownership mobilization and the development of capitalism in the agricultural sector. Private credit institutions were one of the most important components of the land credit system, and the activities of these institutions in the territory of the governorate in question resulted in: that almost a quarter of all privately owned land had been deposited in them.

Dynamics of Interests and Positions in the Field of Economic Integration of Russia and Belarus (2019–2020)

Introduction. Economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus is based on the platforms of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Union State, and the Eurasian Economic Union. These associations contribute to the identification and promotion of promising business niches and areas of economic integration, taking into account the interests of the participating countries. The Union State, embodying a more multidimensional idea of integration, encourages us to turn to a deeper and more substantive analysis of the relationship between various factors and spheres. The purpose of the article is to identify positive and negative constants and dominants of economic interaction between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus in the general course of integration processes in the CIS and in the context of current challenges of modernity for both countries and the Union State. Materials and Methods. The main research methods are diachronic analysis, event analysis and the method of studying documents. The main sources are materials posted on the Internet resources of integration associations with the participation of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Results. The key actors – state and non-state participants in the economic integration of Russia and Belarus – are identified, the degree of their involvement in integration processes and the dynamics of interaction are characterized. The most attractive traditional spheres of Russian-Belarusian integration are shown, as well as new vectors determined by current needs. Discussion and Conclusion. A moderate positive scenario is considered the most likely in the field of economic integration of Russia and Belarus. The deepening of integration is determined by the content and orientation of the “road maps”, the established economic relationships and political motives in the internal and external spheres. However, the economy in the process of union building largely continues to follow politics. The necessity of closer coupling of efforts within the framework of the CGB and the EAEU is shown. At the same time, the “dissolution” of the Union State in the EAEU and subordination to it in the logic of integration development are assessed as undesirable.

Financial Aspects of the Evacuation of Employees Internal Affairs Bodies in the Mordovian ASSR in 1941

Introduction. The article is devoted to the financing of NKVD employees evacuated in the first year of the Great Patriotic War from the three Union Republics of the USSR to the Mordovian ASSR. Materials and Methods. Within the framework of this study, financial documents located in the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia were used. When analyzing the research materials, historical-typological and historical-genetic methods were used, as well as a micro-historical approach was applied. Results. The main task set in the study is to determine the costs of financing the maintenance of evacuated employees was based on the involvement of financial reports of the internal affairs bodies of the Mordovian ASSR. The structure of the monetary maintenance of the evacuated employees was revealed, the initial documents on the basis of which monetary payments were made were determined. By dividing the evacuees into conditional groups, it was possible to consider financial costs by employee categories. The analysis of payment orders from previous duty stations also allowed us to draw important conclusions. Discussion and Conclusions. The study confirmed the social nature of the Soviet state, which sought even in the most difficult period of the Great Patriotic War to provide the families of evacuees with means to live until they returned to service. It is important to note that the employees of the internal affairs bodies were important specialists for the state, and it did everything to save these personnel, withdrawn from the attack of Germany and its allies, as much as possible.

The Practice of Fulfilling the State Order by Private Industrial Enterprises at the Beginning of the XX Century (On the Example of the “Trade and Industrial Society of Alafuzov’s Factories and Plants”)

Introduction. One of the priorities of economic policy in imperial Russia has traditionally been to ensure the effective performance of functions and the satisfaction of the military-strategic needs of the state. At the same time, the most important instrument for the implementation of this kind of policy was the system of state orders. At the beginning of the XX century it was a key component of the state’s life support system. Methods. The study was carried out on the basis of the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency, the use of which in aggregate made it possible to interpret the available information on the topic as fully and deeply as possible, to consider the object of research, taking into account the peculiarities of the historical environment in conjunction with a wide range of external factors. To solve the set tasks, elements of the methods of historical and legal analysis were used, which made it possible to consider the object of research in the context of the development of Russian legislation. Results. On the basis of materials from archival files, regulatory legal acts, as well as data from published sources, the process of making state supplies to the military department was analyzed on the example of a separate industrial enterprise – “Trade and Industrial Society of Alafuzov’s Factories and Plants”. In the context of studying the practice of interaction between the management of Alafuzov’s company and government agencies, the authors consider the key features of the organization of the system for fulfilling a government order for the supply of industrial products, and also identifies the main difficulties that arose in the course of its implementation. Discussion and Conclusion. The study showed that the execution of state supplies by Alafuzov’s factories was fraught with a number of difficulties. The urgency of fulfilling orders required the mobilization of additional material and labor resources, complicating the process of managing a rather extensive and diversified industrial complex, requiring additional efforts, knowledge and abilities from representatives of the management level. The main part of the difficulties in the execution of contracts was associated not so much with the organization of the production and labor process, but with the interaction with the departments responsible for the acceptance of the supplied products. On the example of Alafuzov’s factories, it is possible to see inconsistency in the activities of individual structural links of this system, which gave rise to a number of difficulties for the executors of the state order. The reasons for this kind of difficulties were, on the one hand, failures in the operation of the mechanism for accepting goods when organizing state supplies, on the other hand, factors of a subjective nature, generated primarily by insufficient competence of responsible persons.

Changes in Quality of Economic Planning in the Late USSR: Technological and Institutional Dynamics

Introduction. Studying the Soviet economic performance is important in searching for arguments in the ongoing debate on the possibilities of routine and strategic planning application for economic development of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the article is to identify the dynamics of the planning quality of the Soviet economy in the framework of the institutional approach to economic history. Materials and Methods. The author constructed a data set filled with available information on key growth indicators (national income, production volume and labor productivity, capital investment) targeted in five-year and annual plans, which passed their way from initial drafts proposed by academic economists and employees of the State Planning Commission to approved legal documents, and to the further implementation, presented in branch (industry, agriculture, retail) and spatial (union republics) breakdown. The archival data on the growing activity of the State Planning Commission for revising the approved planned indicators is of our primary contribution. Results. The author highlights the factors underlying the deviations for key planned aggregated indicators that arose at various stages of their preparation, adoption and revision, between their approved figures and actual performance. The results of the data analysis basically confirmed our hypothesis that the technological improvement of the planning process was largely offset by the deterioration of institutional interactions between its subjects. Discussion and Conclusion. While there were signs of an increase in the role of scientists in the process of drafting five-year plans from the second half of the 1950s to the mid-1970s, then from the second half of the 1970s we find less and less evidence that they played a meaningful role in the short and medium term planning processes. On the other hand, our analysis revealed a significantly higher level of fulfillment in annual breakdown compared to five-year one. This confirms the view that just annual plans performed more operational functions, as compared to the motivational ones, in managing the Soviet economy.

Expenditures of Rural Societies and Volost Boards in the 1880s – 1890s (Based on the Materials of the Middle Volga Region)

Introduction. The comparative analysis of the expenditure part of rural and township budgets of the Middle Volga provinces in the 1880s – 1890s is presented. Materials and Methods. The study is based on the comparative method. Quantitative, problem-chronological, system analysis and structural methods were of auxiliary importance. Results. The comparison of data on the Middle Volga provinces shows that in the 1880s – early 1890s, the mundane expenses of rural societies were twice as high as the costs of the volost boards. A significant part of the worldly fees went to pay employees of volost boards; much more modest funds were allocated to representatives of peasant self-government bodies, and, in their totality, these funds were steadily declining at the end of the XIX century. Discussion. In many areas of the Middle Volga region in the 1890s, rural electors did not receive any payment at all. The item of expenditure of local self-government bodies designated as “other expenses for the management and conduct of all kinds of public affairs”, which included the costs of renting apartments for officials, paying for the travel of officials and elected officials, delivering taxes to the treasury, the costs of conducting court cases, hiring servants and accounting officials was quite noticeable for rural societies at the very beginning of the 1890s, but gradually decreased. The amounts spent under this article by rural societies significantly exceeded the volost ones. During the period under review, the protection of public safety and fire-fighting measures were financed mainly from the fees of rural societies. An important component of the “mundane budgets” were the so-called “agricultural expenditures”, which included a wide range of operations aimed at organizing agriculture and animal husbandry. Conclusion. The reform of taxation and the system of local self-government in Russia in the 60–70s of the XIX century provided rural societies with wider opportunities for spending funds to meet urgent needs. A certain independence in the approval of expenditure items can be traced in the specifics of the costs of individual volosts and rural societies of the Middle Volga provinces. Allocating a significant part of worldly fees for payments to employees of volost boards, the peasantry preferred to minimize their own expenses on self-government bodies. The costs of “managing and conducting all kinds of public affairs” were quite palpable for the villagers at the very beginning of the 1890s, but also gradually decreased.

Housing Issue and Attempts to Solve it During the “Khrushchev Thaw”: a View From the Province (on the Example of the Mordovian ASSR)

Introduction. The relevance of the work is due to the demand for Soviet experience in implementing large-scale state projects, in particular in the field of housing construction, at the present stage of Russian modernization. Methods. The factual material available in the work is drawn from the funds of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia, as well as from published sources. During the research, the following methods were used: comparative-historical, problem-chronological, historical-cultural, historical reconstruction. Results. The dynamics of all types of housing construction in the republic during the study period received the maximum turnover. Discussion. One of the reasons for significant success in the field of housing construction in the republic was the reform of the country’s economic system. Sovnarkhoz turned out to be more flexible and adapted to the conditions of planned administering as management structures, which in particular manifested itself in the field of housing construction. Other reasons for success were a kind of “revolution” in the development of housing construction methods, when, along with the state, the “people’s construction” and the cooperative method began to be widely used, as well as the industrial basis of construction, albeit not always consistently implemented. At the same time, the speed of construction generated a lot of problems in hastily constructed standard small cars, which became the reverse side of Khrushchev’s housing policy. Conclusion. The housing policy pursued by the Khrushchev leadership was one of the indisputable social conquests of the time under study, when a significant part of people from barracks and communal apartments moved to separate apartments intended for settlement by one family. However, when solving this most important problem, the authorities placed special emphasis not so much on the development of new construction technologies, as on managerial reorganization, leading ultimately to a simple increase in the workforce and organizations involved in the construction of residential facilities.

The Role of Wine Buyouts in the Formation of the Initial Capital of the Russian Entrepreneurship of the XIX century: on the Example of D. E. Benardaki

Introduction. The entrepreneurial activity in history has passed a very long distance in the course of its evolutionary development. At each of the stages of its development, it possessed very specific features and qualities that directly depended on a number of various factors. These factors include: the level of development of productive forces, the nature of various (socio-economic, production, political) relationships, forms of ownership and their changes. Materials and Methods. Comparative historical, chronological and genealogical research methods were used, the principles of objectivity and historicism were observed. Results. By the time the lease system was canceled, the period of initial capital accumulation for the former leaseholders was over. Discussion and Conclusion. One of the main stages in the development of Russian entrepreneurship falls on the first half of the 19th century. At this time, directly related to the beginning and development of the industrial revolution, there was a significant acceleration of the processes of initial capital accumulation. This process was based on various forms and types of trade and intermediary activities within the developing the all-Russian market.

Soviet Domestic Loans 1946–1957 in Political Discourse and the Press

Introduction. For a significant historical period, an integral part of the Soviet social realities was the state internal loans, so the problems of studying the ideological and propaganda tools of their implementation is an actual area of research. Materials and Methods. The methodological basis of the research is the modernization historical paradigm. The source basis of the research was the texts of government resolutions concerning the subject of loans, statistical materials, publications of the Soviet press of various levels (magazines, central, regional, factory newspapers). To achieve the objectives of the study, a qualitative and quantitative method (content analysis) was used, which allows us to identify the quantitative expression of individual lexical units in the texts of government resolutions and press materials. Results and Discussion. The paper analyzes the texts of government resolutions concerning post-war government loans (winning and subscription-based), analyzes the information campaigns in the print media that accompany the issuance of loans. It was revealed that the declared winnings of citizens on loans (the amount, the number of winners) it decreased during the study period. The intensity of propaganda campaigns in the press concerning mass loans, as well as the intensity of advertising support for winning loans by the media, decreased. Conclusion. The revealed tendency to weaken the material incentives for subscribing to loans (winnings), as well as the intensity of the propaganda campaigns, indicates the gradual abandonment of the authorities in the mid-1950s of mobilization tools in the implementation of socio-economic policy.

«Merger and acquisition»: monopolization of electro technical market in Russia at the beginning of the XX century

Introduction. The problem of monopolization of the electric and technical market in Russia becomes the most important one during the economic modernization at the edge of XIX–XX centuries when the branches of foreign electric and technical companies are converted into Russian joint stock companies. “Electric illumination company of 1886” becomes the largest company on this market at the beginning of the XX century. Materials and Methods. The article is devoted to the research of the policy of “Electric illumination company of 1886” aimed at the acquisition of the “Shuvalov electric illumination company in Petersburg region” of the largest electro technical company – Joint stock company “Shuvalov electro technical illumination in Petersburg region” established for the purpose of illumination of country-house plots and houses in the suburb of St. Petersburg (Shuvalovo, Ozerki and Pargolovo) at the beginning of the XX century, which is based on the analysis of the archive materials contained in the Russian State Historical Archive (RSHA) and Central State Historical Archive of St. Petersburg (CSHA SPb.). Results of the Research. Using the example of the activity of such electro technical companies the author reveals the mechanism of “merger and acquisition” of minor joint stock companies by large monopolists who used different methods of pressure on the shareholders and management of the companies. Discussion and Conclusion. In this competitor environment, minor joint stock companies did not have a chance to remain independent even in the case of a fair court decision. The situation of “merger and acquisition” was actually profitable mostly for the companies’ management and for the leading shareholders who, in this case, received regular dividends, but the common customers had to pay according to the prices set forth by monopolies.