cokhoz

A cokhoz, also spelled kolkhoz, was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. The term translates to "collective farm" or "collective economy." Cokhozes were established as part of the Soviet Union's policy of collectivization, which began in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The goal was to consolidate individually owned land and means of production into larger, state-controlled agricultural units.

Membership in a cokhoz was theoretically voluntary, but in practice, peasants were often coerced into joining. Land, livestock, and equipment were pooled, and members worked the collective land, sharing the profits and losses according to their labor contribution and the farm's overall success. Cokhozes were managed by elected committees and operated under state planning, which dictated what crops to grow and how much to produce.

While collectivization aimed to increase agricultural efficiency and production, it initially led to widespread resistance, famine, and a significant decline in livestock numbers. Over time, cokhozes became a dominant feature of Soviet agriculture, though their productivity often lagged behind Western standards. The system persisted until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, after which many cokhozes were reorganized into other forms of agricultural enterprises.