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2026. Vol.11. №2.

The phenomenon of marginality among kolkhoz chairmen in the Western Siberian Region in the 1930s

Jul 20 2026

Laperdin V. B. The phenomenon of marginality among kolkhoz chairmen  in the Western Siberian Region in the 1930s // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2026. V.11. №2. P. 67-80.

EDN: JTBVSF

Annotation

The article considers an understudied aspect of the social history of the Soviet countryside — the marginal position of kolkhoz (collective-farm) chairmen. Despite their high rank in the kolkhoz hierarchy, two categories of leaders had marginal positions in social structure. The first category consisted of “professionals” appointed by Soviet organizations — successful managers, who had proven their competence on other farms, joined district activists and were sent to rural areas; for them, work in kolkhoz was either a career dead end or a temporary decline in status. The second category consisted of the politically “unreliable” elected by the peasantry and considered by the authorities as alien elements; their career advancement attracted unnecessary attention and often resulted in social failure. The author emphasizes the opposite trajectories of social mobility of these two categories — downward and upward; however, despite different origins of their marginality, both groups shared a marginal position and uncertain status. Although their social trajectories were opposite, both categories faced similar challenges, primarily of external control. The study shows that in the 1930s the kolkhoz chairman position could serve not as a social elevator but as a social trap and reveals a paradox of social mobility in the Soviet countryside — when a formally high kolkhoz status exacerbated marginality rather than facilitated integration into Soviet society.

Keywords

Agrarian history, kolkhozes (collective farms), peasantry, kolkhoz society, adaptation, marginalization, Siberia.  

About the author

Vyacheslav B. Laperdin, PhD (History), Senior Researcher, Institute of History, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Nikolaeva St., 8, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
Е-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

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2024. Vol.9. №4.

Chairmen of collective farms in Western Siberia in the 1930s: Practices of co-adaptation and maladaptation

Feb 10 2025

Laperdin V. B. Chairmen of collective farms in Western Siberia in the 1930s: Practices of co-adaptation and maladaptation // The Russian Peasant Studies. 2024. V.9. №4. P. 144-158.

DOI: 10.22394/2500-1809-2024-9-4-144-158

Annotation

The article considers the role of the collective-farm chairman in the rural society. As the central figure of the collective farm, the chairman largely determined the degree of collective-farmers’ consolidation. At the same time, the head of the collective farm was “created” by social environment, and his behavior often reflected the collective-farm atmosphere. After becoming the head of the collective farm, the chairman realized its community’s opportunities. In a friendly atmosphere, the head acted effectively for the benefit of all. In case of conflict relations, he could more easily pursue his own interests. The peasantry adapted to the collective farm society within its communities, and successful adaptation depended on the relations between villagers and their head. At the same time, coadaptation of chairmen and collective farm collectives was also determined by social environment. In a favorable environment, both peasants and collective farm chairmen successfully adapted to new living conditions. On the contrary, conflict relations led to the maladaptation of the chairman and disintegration of the labor collective which lost its ability to economic activity and social interaction. The data presented in the article proves the key role of chairmen in collective farm collectives and describes their interaction as reflected at the economic level, in peasants’ attitude to the collective farm and in the nature of work and interpersonal communication of collective farmers.

Keywords

Agrarian history, collective farms, peasantry, collective farm society, chairman, adaptation, Siberia.

About the author

Vyacheslav B. Laperdin, PhD (History), Researcher, Institute of History, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Nikolaeva St., 8, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

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