Peasants’ Land Bank

The Peasants' Land Bank was a Russian financial institution established in 1882 to assist peasants in purchasing land. This initiative was part of broader efforts following the emancipation of serfs in 1861, which aimed to transition land ownership from communal to individual holdings. While the bank facilitated peasant land purchases, agriculture remained underdeveloped, and widespread poverty persisted due to government policies prioritizing industrial growth over agricultural improvement and overpopulation in rural areas.1

The Stolypin land reform, initiated in 1906, further encouraged individual land ownership by allowing peasants to claim their allotments and withdraw from village communes. The goal was to create a class of prosperous, conservative small farmers. However, the reform had only moderate success, with a significant portion of peasant households not gaining title to their land. Despite these efforts, peasants participated in the revolutions of 1917, seizing properties.2