State Farms of Sverdlovsk Region in 1945–1953

This article examines the development of the resource base of state (Soviet) agriculture (state farms) in the Sverdlovsk region during the years 1945 to 1953. The relevance of this study is underscored by the significant interest among social science scholars in the historical period under investigation. The primary sources include consolidated annual reports from state farms and other materials sourced from two federal and two regional archives, which are being introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. A comprehensive analysis of the restoration process of the resource base of Soviet agriculture is conducted. It is noted that during the Great Patriotic War, there was a significant contraction of the state farm system in the country. The article asserts that the highest rates of restoration were observed in the years 1949 to 1950. The authors conclude that, despite improvements in material and technical resources and the resolution of most staffing issues, the state farm system in the Middle Urals was not restored to its previous form. It is highlighted that even in the early 1950s, production and delivery levels of key agricultural products to the state had not returned to pre-war levels of 1940, and the state sector in agriculture within the Sverdlovsk region continued to play a relatively minor role.