Main content

The Ancient Heartland

Why has private land ownership made so little difference to Russian agriculture?

Eighty years after the Bolsheviks abolished private property Russians can now own land again. But why is 90% of Russian farmland still run by collective farms, and why has private land ownership made so little difference to Russian agriculture?

"Everybody drinks all the time - even the kids drink, it's terrible - and people have changed, there's nothing to hold them here, our wages are so low you can't even threaten them with the sack." Svetlana Yurevna.

Written and presented by Bridget Kendall.

Release date:

Available now

22 minutes

麻豆社 World Service Archive

This programme was restored as part of the World Service archive project