Soviet Trade in the 1960s — 1980s: Basic Principles and Their Distortion

The article reveals the problem of distortion of the socialist principles of Soviet trade in the economic practice of the state of the 1960s — 1980s, which is insufficiently illuminated in historical science, using the example of letters from Soviet citizens collected in the fund of the Russian State Archive of Contemporary History. Based on a review of a significant amount of archival sources, various kinds of deformations occurring in trade activities and their fixation in the public mind are demonstrated. It is emphasized that people’s ideas were the most important dimensions of social life, the economic dynamics of Soviet society and the social psychology of citizens. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of legislation as the main mechanism for regulating the development of the trade and economic area. It is argued that the lack of formation of the regulatory framework gave rise to such reality phenomena as deficit, overcharging, short weight and measurement of buyers, squandering, embezzlement, robbing and theft of property, black market turnover. The circumstances of the incorporation of the phenomenon of fellowship and nepotism into the stable custom of everyday life are commented. The author comes to the conclusion that class conflicts emerged in the socio-economic structure of Soviet society in the 1960s — 1980s, while the urgent facts of the system’s crisis were generated by the duality of the line of power.

Na putu normalizacije – jugoslovensko-sovjetski trgovinski pregovori 1940

Based on available published and unpublished archival sources of Yugoslav and Soviet origin, as well as relevant historiographical and memoir literature, the paper analyzes the historical circumstances and motives that led to the opening of Yugoslav–Soviet trade negotiations in early May 1940. The course of the talks in Moscow, the character of the concluded agreement, and the scope of mutual trade relations until the outbreak of the Second World War in Yugoslavia, in April 1941, are highlighted. The reactions of the interested great powers—particularly Germany, Italy and Great Britain— to the Yugoslav–Soviet economic and political rapprochement are also presented. The paper contains the author’s assessment of the importance of economic negotiations as an introduction to the complete normalization of Yugoslav–Soviet relations.

Retail Trade in the Sverdlovsk Region in 1951-1958

The article is devoted to a rather relevant, but still little developed topic in regional historiography. The basis for the study was largely unpublished materials from three regional archives. It is stated that trade is the basis of the development of the economy of any state. It is stated that the purpose of this article was to study the state of retail trade in the Middle Urals (Sverdlovsk Region) in one of the interesting periods in the history of the former USSR - the fifth and sixth (incomplete) five-year periods (1951-1958). It is declared that it was during the mentioned period that the country began to gradually move away from the difficult legacy of Stalin's totalitarianism, very significant economic projects were being implemented, and the reform of the management of the national economy was launched. There were impressive scientific achievements, primarily in the military and military space fields. It is argued that the beginning of the study period in the trading sector of the Middle Urals did not inspire much optimism. The thesis is put forward that, as the Soviet economy developed, the situation in the trade sphere also gradually changed for the better. It is noted that the assortment of goods that Soviet trade had in the period under study clearly lagged behind modern requirements. It is concluded that the period under study was a step forward in the development of the trading sphere of the Middle Urals, although it was still very far from meeting its civilized standards.

ЭКСПОРТНАЯ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТЬ ВСЕСОЮЗНОГО ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОГО СОЛЯНОГО СИНДИКАТА В КИТАЕ И ЯПОНИИ (1924–1926 ГГ.)

В октябре 1924 г. государственный соляной синдикат, обеспечивавший солью население и промышленность СССР, открыл Дальневосточную краевую контору во Владивостоке. В условиях проводимой советским государством политики снижения зависимости экономики от импорта синдикат стремился наращивать экспорт продукции своих трестов за рубеж. В статье рассматривается деятельность сотрудников синдиката по продвижению советской соли на рынки Китая и Японии в середине 1920-х гг. Особое внимание уделяется обстоятельствам ведения переговоров с японскими рыбопромышленниками, охарактеризован механизм взаимодействия уполномоченных синдиката с советскими торговыми организациями, дается оценка перспектив сбыта советской соли в Китае и Японии. Ключевые слова: Дальний Восток, Япония, Китай, экспорт, соль, соляной синдикат In October 1924 Far-Eastern representative office of the Salt Syndicate, which provided salt to Soviet people and industry, was opened in Vladivostok. Under the government policy to reduce the dependence of the economy on imports, the Syndicate sought to increase the export of its products abroad. The paper examines the activities of the Salt Syndicate to promote Soviet salt in the markets of China and Japan in the mid-1920s. The author focuses attention on the circumstances of negotiations with Japanese fishery firms, the mechanism of interaction of the syndicate’s commissioners with Soviet trade organizations and the prospects of Soviet salt sales in China and Japan. Keywords: Soviet Far East, Japan, China, export, salt, Salt Syndicate