cokhozes

A "kolkhoz" (Russian: колхо́з, IPA: [kɐlˈxos]) was a form of collective farm in the Soviet Union. The term is a portmanteau of kollektivnoye khozyaystvo (коллекти́вноеХозяйство), meaning "collective farm." Kolkhozes were established in the Soviet Union primarily during the collectivization drive of the late 1920s and early 1930s. The goal was to consolidate individual landholdings, livestock, and implements into larger, state-controlled agricultural enterprises.

Membership in a kolkhoz was theoretically voluntary, but in practice, peasants were often compelled to join. Members pooled their resources and labor, and the farm's output was distributed among them based on the amount of work contributed, though a portion was also requisitioned by the state. While theoretically distinct from state farms (sovkhozes), where land and all assets were owned by the state and workers were salaried employees, kolkhozes often operated under considerable state control and direction. The system aimed to increase agricultural productivity, facilitate the mechanization of farming, and exert greater control over the peasantry. The economic performance of kolkhozes varied over time, and the system faced criticism for inefficiencies and the suppression of individual initiative. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, many kolkhozes were reorganized into cooperatives or private farms.