The Economics of the Russian Village

by Isaac A. Hourwich

Classes and districts.	Tenants. Per cent.		Land in tenure. Per cent.
	Rented from landlords.	Rented from peasants.	Rented from landlords.	Rented from peasants.
Zadonsk:
Owning less than 5 dessiatines	38	31	28	21
Owning from 5 to 15 dessiatines	52	51	48	48
Owning above 15 dessiatines	10	18	24	31
Total	100	100	100	100
Korotoyak:
Owning less than 5 dessiatines	13	13	10	8
Owning from 5 to 15 dessiatines	53	48	38	38
Owning above 15 dessiatines	34	39	52	54
Total	100	100	100	100
Nizhnedevitsk:
Owning less than 5 dessiatines	25	15	23	9
Owning from 5 to 15 dessiatines	52	49	41	42
Owning above 15 dessiatines	23	36	36	49
Total	100	100	100	100

[141] Peasant land held in lease for long terms:

Districts.	Lessees.		Land.
	Households.	Per cent. (total lessees = 100).	Dessiatines.	Per cent. (total in lease = 100).
Zadonsk	179	5	801	8
Korotoyak	400	7	4090	22
Nizhnedevitsk	238	4	1061	6

[142]

Rental Prices per 1 Dessiatine.

Districts.	In yearly lease. Rubles.	For long terms. Rubles.
Zadonsk	9.34	6.28
Korotoyak	8.45	5.81
Nizhnedevitsk	8.71	6.17

[143]

Districts.	Dessiatines.	Per cent.	Price per dessiatine, rubles.	Net profit, per cent.
Korotoyak:
Rented for long terms	4090	100	5.81
Re-rented	990.5	24	7.14	23
Nizhnedevitsk:
Rented for long terms	1061	100	6.17
Re-rented	138	13	10.09	63

We find, however, some cases wherein communal land was used for the purposes of farming on a large scale. The community was bound to combine the plots annually into one tract for the use of the lessee, who was often a merchant and a stranger to the community (Statistical Reports for the Gubernia of Ryazañ, Vol. II., Part I., p. 272, No. 6; p. 283, No. 5; p. 301, No. 5.)

In a few cases chronic arrears in taxes compelled the community itself to lease tracts of communal lands, usually pasture, to be converted into arable land. “The village ‘Dubki,’ Dankoff, was destroyed by fire in 1861, and the peasants delayed paying the tallage, which was levied through the sale of the rest of their chattels. Public sales continued at intervals until 1872, when they were stopped by the community through the lease of 50 dessiatines of meadow and pasture to be converted into arable.” (Loc. cit., Part II., p. 199, No. 4.)