251 



possessed "specialized agricultural knowledge or past specialized training" to organize a 

 peasant farm. The RSFSR Land Code (chapter 10, article 58) added that any citizen at least 

 18 years old who has experience in agriculture and the corresponding skills or who had 

 past specialized training niay receive land. In practice, the way around the stipulation 

 requiring "experience in agriculture" is to enroll in a course intended for new peasant 

 farmers. 



• In the course of state or collective farm reorganization, if the farm is to be disbanded 

 altogether, then farm land and property are divided among its workers. All farm workers 

 receive an equal share of land, irrespective of age or ability. 



• If a person requests land from a special land fund, then an application for land is 

 submitted to the local land reform committee. The raion soviet decides whether the land and 

 how much of it will be given to the applicant. Each raion has a "norm" for land to be given 

 free for the creation of a peasant farm. In general, the better the quality of land, the closer 

 the location to markets, the smaller the land norm. Larger land norms usually are of poorer 

 quality land. 



• Land Sales 



• The sale and purchase of land became legal in November 1992, but with significant 

 restrictions. The purpose of these restrictions was to preclude the creation of large land 

 estates, which might lead to the acquisition of rival political power. 



• Subsidies and Financial Support 



• In 1992, all peasant, as well as state and collective farms, were eligible to receive 

 compensation for fuel, machinery, and fertilizer, irrespective of how efficiently those 

 resources were used. These blanket subsidies were intended to cover even inefficient 

 farms. 



• The Rise of a New Rural Elite? 



• There is suggestive evidence that former members of the nomenklatura and farm 

 directors have obtained the best lands and have used their connections to get machineiy and 



