Interkolkhoz Property

a variety of socialist cooperative property in the USSR. It arose in the 1960’s on the basis of the continuing socialization of kolkhoz production, which was connected with the rapid growth of productive forces and the development of the social division of labor.

As specialization involving cooperative property proceeded, it became apparent that many kolkhoz functions went beyond the framework of the individual kolkhoz, and so four different organizational and legal forms of interkolkhoz production ties were developed: interkolkhoz organizations and enterprises, interkolkhoz units, interkolkoz associations (on the oblast, krai and republic level), and interkolkhoz funds. The interkolkhoz organizations and enterprises are permanent bodies that are managed by interkolkhoz councils and have the rights and duties of a legal person; among these institutions are construction enterprises, poultry farms of various types, livestock-fattening farms, plants for producing feed, plants for processing agricultural raw materials, and artificial-insemination stations. Interkolkhoz units are established by contract for joint work but do not have the separate status of legal persons. Each of these forms of interkolkhoz property has its own special features.

The proportional contributions, or subscriptions, of the participating kolkhozes support the activity of the interkolkhoz organizations, enterprises, and associations. The property and funds of the interkolkhoz organizations and enterprises remain the social property of the participating kolkhozes. The decision to join an interkolkhoz enterprise or organization is made by the general membership meeting of the kolkhoz.

With the growth and consolidation of the kolkhoz system the forms of interkolkhoz cooperation have developed, expanded, and been refined. Nonproduction types of interkolkhoz property have developed substantially: for example, houses of rest, sanatoriums, homes for the aged, and hospitals.

Interkolkhoz property contributes to the convergence of kolkhoz property with the property of all the people, in terms of the degree of socialization, and constitutes one of the preconditions for the formation and development of the agrarian and industrial conglomerate. The creation of enterprises based on interkolkhoz property means that the capital investments and labor resources of kolkhozes can be used more effectively and that kolkhozes can join together to construct modern industrial types of establishments that would be beyond the means of the individual kolkhoz.