Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich: biography and bibliography

Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich - Soviet economist and sociologist, science fiction writer and utopian, author of the concept of a working peasant economy and a moral economy. He is a vivid representative of the generation of the Russian intelligentsia of the early 20th century. Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich, whose photo is below, devoted his entire life to the study of the organization of agriculture. His concept was not adopted by the Soviet authorities. However, since the 1990s, scientists have increasingly begun to refer to Chayanov's findings. Let's try to figure out why the concept of a working peasant economy is relevant.

Chayanov Alexander Vasilyevich: Biography

But is it possible to consider the conclusions of a scientist without understanding how he came to them? So let's start with a biography. Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich was born in 1888 in a merchant family, who lived in Moscow. Under the influence of relatives in 1906, he entered after graduating from the Voskresensky School in the Moscow Agricultural Institute. Already in the first year he showed interest in scientific work. He was interested in Mensera. As is known, the latter is the founder of the theory of marginal utility. In 1908, Chayanov visited Italy, in 1909 - Belgium. It should be noted that already at such a young age he gets to know these countries as a real scientist, not an ordinary tourist. Impressed by the first trip, Alexander Vasilievich Chayanov, whose bibliography will then consist of a multitude of not only scientific but also artistic works, has formulated a program of acquaintance with the foreign experience of the organization of agriculture. The first article of the future scientist was devoted to cooperation in Italy. During his studies at the University, Chayanov published 18 scientific articles. He was offered a place in the department of agricultural economy, and he agreed. In 1912, Chayanov received the title of Master. Then he left for a year for an internship abroad. During this time, he was fooled to work in Paris and Berlin. During the internship, he completed his first important work, Essays on the Theory of Labor Economics.

Relations with the Soviet Government

Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich, whose contribution to the economy is in the development of the concept of peasant studies, was not a theorist and always sought to apply his findings in practice. He was a participant in various initiatives, a member of the Council of Cooperative Congresses. Chayanov's candidacy was even nominated for the post of Minister of Agriculture, but he held this post only for two weeks. Eventually, the co-operators had to agree to reconciliation with the Soviet authorities. Since 1919, Chayanov worked in the People's Commissariat of Agriculture. Approximately then he also begins to engage in literary creation. In 1922, Chayanov was appointed director of the scientific research institute at the seminary for agricultural economy. In the same year, he marries and leaves for a two-year business trip abroad. In 1923, his main work, The Organization of Peasant Economy, was published. He begins to be considered a bourgeois professor. In 1930, Chayanov was arrested. He was accused of organizing the "Worker's Peasant Party". The open court hearing on this case never took place. In prison, the scientist continues to work on his concept. Then Chayanov is sent to Alma-Ata, where he continues to work in the commissariat of agriculture. In 1937, according to the ridiculous charge of the scientist sentenced to be shot. The decision was executed immediately, Chayanov was only 49 years old.

The origins of the concept

The creative heritage of the founder of peasant studies is extremely diverse. It includes not only scientific works, but also works of art. However, they are all united by a common theme. Artistic works illustrate in an accessible form complex scientific conclusions. Chayanov introduced new in all spheres of the agrarian and economic direction. We can distinguish the following stages in the development of the theory of peasant labor economy. Among them:

1. The existence of family farms.
2. Creation of agrarian cooperatives.
3. Development of the agricultural sector as a whole.

Family-labor theory

Chayanov Alexander Vasilyevich is the ancestor of the whole trend. At the end of the 19th century, a crisis arose between landed estates. This led to an agrarian crisis. Stolypin's reforms did not work, and he went deeper. Unsolved problems in the agrarian sphere required the emergence of a new theory of the organization of agriculture. Chayanov felt the tide of time. He believed that the main feature of the Russian economy - it is nepotism. Chayanov's views and training at the institute were influenced. After all, among the teachers Chayanov distinguished the largest agricultural specialists, professors NN Khudyakov, AF Fortunatov, DN Pryanishnikov.

Organization of peasant farming

Chayanov Alexander Vasilyevich was not a Marxist. However, he was largely close to the views of the author of "Capital" regarding the essence of the peasants as workers and owners at once. An outstanding Russian economist of the early 20th century understood the need for radical transformation. At the heart of his work was the personal work of a peasant family. Based on the study of foreign experience and empirical data, the scientist puts forward the idea of an organization plan and the concept of labor balance. They formed the core of peasant studies. According to the economist, the optimal size of an agricultural enterprise depends on the size of the family.

Planning

The purpose of the work of a peasant family is to satisfy one's own needs. The more optimally organized the management, the more it happens. Therefore, it is necessary to draw up a plan. If this is done correctly, then the stability of the enterprise and the highest efficiency of labor are ensured. Every peasant farm must be considered as part of the system. Therefore, it depends on the stage of development of society. The family as an economic entity should use all the opportunities of the current situation. The organizational plan helps to understand the internal structure of the economy, the relationship between individual industries, the turnover of finance and labor costs for various activities. It includes:

• Labor balance. It shows the relationship between agriculture and fisheries.
• Production balance. It reflects the ratio between livestock and inventory.
• Monetary balance. It characterizes income and costs.

Specifications

Chayanov believed that the key to drawing up a plan was not a certain sequence of reasoning, but the application of criteria. Among them:

• At the head of the angle should be the labor capabilities of the family and their relationship with its consumer needs.
• It is necessary to take into account land ownership. It can act as a limiting factor.
• An important criterion is also the organization of the territory. Unsuccessful location has a negative impact on the efficiency of the peasant economy.
• It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of labor organization It is necessary to pay attention to transportation costs.

Thus, the author was able to combine all aspects of planning the development of small family agricultural enterprises.

Work Balance

Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich is an economist who has developed a model that makes it possible to determine the natural limit of any economic entity. He said that the result should always be determined by the factor of production, which is available in the most limited extent. To household farms, Chayanov applies such general economic categories as rent, interest, income, prices. He distinguishes two groups of factors of their profitability: intra- and national economic. The first include the labor resources and the intensity of their application.

Differentiation of peasant farms

The last period of the scientist's creative work fell on 1927-1930. Together with other economists, he dealt with the problem of differentiation of the peasantry. He showed that it arose because of the disharmony of natural and simple commodity farms. The former gravitated to the central regions with fertile black soil soils, the latter to the largest ports. Perestroika led to an increase in migration flows, which is the reason for the differentiation. Therefore, the stratification of society, according to Chayanov, was not associated with socio-class processes, but with the splitting of new types of farms. He referred to the latter farmer, credit-usurious, commercial and auxiliary. To solve the problem, the scientist considered it necessary to conduct cooperative collectivization. She and the lending were to help the rural proletarians return to the traditional family-labor model.

The value of the concept for the development of science

Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich - a sociologist and economist, whose work is well known to modern scientists involved in the study of the agricultural system. However, it was for these views that he suffered. Stalin personally criticized the theory. For her Chayanov was first exiled, and then shot at the age of 49 years. However, despite all this, the theory continued to live. In the 1980s, interest began to renew. Today, many agricultural economists still turn to it and find inspiration in it.

Chayanov Alexander Vasilievich: books

The scientist wrote many works. It should be noted that only during his studies at the Institute he published 17 articles. His main work is the book "Essays on the Theory of Labor Economics." In 1989, the selected works of the scientist were published in one volume. Among the most famous artworks of Chayanov's "Journey of my brother Alexei in the land of a peasant utopia." Some of them were published after the author's death in 1980-2010.