Mark B. Tauger on the socio-economic transformation of the Soviet village 30^-ies of the XX^th century as an attempt to reform the agriculture of the USSR

   The article deals with the study of the social and economic restructuring of the Soviet agriculture in the first third of the XX^th century and influence of these changes on personal and professional lives of the most numerous social class of the country – the peasantry. In the beginning of the XX^th century the Soviet country lagged behind the rest of the western industrial countries in terms of development. To overcome such lagging the number of actions was made. The aim of these actions was to modernize the main branches of national economy. Among all the efforts, the reforming of the agriculture was put into practice. Reforming of agriculture resulted in creation of the system of collective farms or kolkhozes on the territory of the Soviet Union. Collectivization got controversial evaluation in the studies of both Soviet and Russian and foreign researches. This article deals with the point of view of an American researcher, professor of the Western Virginia University Mark B. Tauger concerning nature and character of social and economic changes, their influence on the Soviet agriculture and the Soviet peasantry. In his studies Mark. B. Tauger underlines that collectivization was of modernizing nature despite a number of negative effects and was aimed to improve the agricultural sector. Mark B. Tauger’s point of view individuates his works from the great quantity of works of foreign researches who mainly discuss the negative consequences of collectivization in the Soviet agriculture. While analyzing Mark B. Tauger’s works it is noticed how changes of the peasants’ business activity affected the relationships between the government and peasantry. The article also studies the opinion of Mark B. Tauger about the famine that happened in the USSR in the beginning of 30^th in the XX^th century. Mark B. Tauger underlines that among the reasons of it were also the external ones. In conclusion, the reforms of the 30^th in the XX^th century are summed up, noticed their controversial results. Also, on a final note, changes in personal and professional lives of peasants, highlighted by Mark B. Tauger, are noted. These changes were a result of social and economic reforms carried out in the agriculture. The opinion of Mark B. Tauger also provided concerning a necessity of balanced assessment of all historic events.

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