256 



where land quality is worse and the number of people fewer, the norm for free land was 14 

 hcciares.'" In general, the better the quality of land, the closer the location to markets, the 

 smaller the land norm. Larger land noiros usually are of poorer quality land. 

 Land Sales 



In November 1992, the Russian Parliament finally legalized the sale of land, but with 

 conditions attached." These restrictions involved the purpose the land was to be used for, 

 the price of land, and the size of the land plot. First, the land could be sold only for 

 purposes of subsidiary agriculture flichnove podsobnove khozvavstvoV plots around 

 dachas, gardening, and individual housing. If the land being sold was used for these 

 purposes, then it could be sold without a moratorium, provided that the purpose for the 

 land use was not to change.'^ In other cases, if the land was sold for puiposes other than 

 those stated above, and had been received free in ownership, then the land had to be held 

 for 10 years before it could be sold. If the land had been purchased, then a five-year wait 

 was required. '3 The purpose of these restrictions was to preclude the creation of large land 

 estates, which might acquire rival political power, This altitude is best seen by the recent 

 comment made by the Minister of Agriculture, Viktor Khlysiun, wi)o, when talking about 

 the new right to buy and sell land, commented 



What we are talking about is tlie establishment of a civilized 

 market in land, regulated by the state, a market in which agricultural 

 land cannot be sold for other purposes. Tliis must be governed by 

 strict state regulations. We are talking about a market in which land 

 cannot be sold for the aeation of latifundia-very large estates. ^^ 



Subsidies and Financial Support 



^^ Of course, a person can buy or lease additional land above the Tree norm. In Kostroma raion during 1992, 



additional land could be purchased for 5,000 rubles per hectare. 



" Izvestiva . November 20. 1992, pp. 1-2. 



'2 Sel'skavfl zhjjn' November 24. 1992. p. 1. 



13 Izvegtiva. December 8. 1992, p. 1. 



'^ Moscow Television, (ran.<)laied in Foreign Broadcast Information Service, Q pmrtA Eurasia . December 29, 



1992. p. 26. 



