Sovkhozes

Sovkhozes were state-owned farms in the former Soviet Union, established after the 1917 Russian Revolution. They were part of the planned economy, where the government controlled agricultural production. Unlike kolkhozes, which were collective farms run by groups of farmers, sovkhozes were operated like enterprises, employing wage laborers to produce crops and livestock. The goal was to increase agricultural efficiency and output by eliminating private ownership. Sovkhozes played a significant role in the Soviet agricultural system, emphasizing large-scale production and state control over food supplies. They existed primarily from the 1920s until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.