From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>
To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: [permaculture-99] Dacha Movement: History and Effects In Russia
Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:35:50 -0400
Do we need an American permaculture dacha movement, 20th century
back-to-the-land homesteading & biointensive agriculture movements
revisited? Yes. - LL
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [permaculture-99] Dacha Movement: History and Effects In
Russia
Date: Mon, 6 Aug 2012 19:18:46 -0400
From: Deborah Reid <deborahgailreid@yahoo.com>
Reply-To: permaculture-99@meetup.com
To: permaculture-99@meetup.com
----- Forwarded Message -----
*From:* jerry diamond <dmnds2001@yahoo.com>
*To:*
*Subject:* Dacha Movement: History and Effects In Russia
*
If we want to really do Preparedness, we need to realize that we
need to be able to grow our own non-GMO, unadulterated, and
non-pesticided food.
If we want to survive as a people, and as a nation, we need to have
our own safe food sources; not on a national level, but on the
family level: each and every family as much as possible, needs to be
able to produce it's own food for itself, and as many other people
as possible.
This concept can best be seen in the history and results of the
Russian Dacha (to be given) movement. We would be wise to take heed
of this concept; a small (2.5 acre) garden plot with a cottage on it.
This practice would affect our very survival, as well as vastly
bolster and increase our health care, food production, and national
economy.
We need to grow food locally, and get away from the 3000 mile
dinner and begin to eat what we can walk to, because we grew it
ourselves. Those who do this, will be wealthy in the coming days.
Those who do not, may possibly not even survive.
It has been given world-wide attention and has generated intense
excitement by a series of books called
The Ringing Cedars of Russia http://www.ringingcedars.com/**....(see
below)*
jerry
*
Some Quotes:
*
"The first dachas in Russia began to appear during the reign of
Peter the Great <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Great>.
Initially they were small estates in the country, which were given
to loyal vassals by the tsar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar>. In
archaic Russian, the word /dacha/ means /something given/."
The dacha plots (usually not more than 600 m² for Soviet collective
farm labourers, more in other cases, often 1200 or 1500 m², but
virtually never exceeding 0.96 ha) are too small to grow the needed
amount of fruits and vegetables^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/] , thus
sometimes they are also grown on separate dedicated plots of ground.
In Soviet times and sometimes now, such dedicated plots of ground
often were made of the unused sections of agricultural fields owned
by collective farms <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_farms>.
However, in rural areas, many dacha owners own a greater land area,
and are able to grow the needed amount of fruits and vegetables
right on their plot.
Many small dacha plots, especially the ones that were recently
purchased, are not used for large-scale fruit and vegetable farming.
Instead, they are frequently used for gardening
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardening> and planting exotic plants.
Due to the high costs of good equipment, even relatively large plots
of ground are often cultivated manually using instruments such as a
spade or a spading fork. In autumn the grown potatoes and other
crops are gathered and transported to the city where they are stored
in cellars, dugouts (usually located on unused plots of ground), or
in personal automobile garages."
"Many Russians prefer to grow vegetables themselves because of the
widespread (especially among the older part of the population)
belief in the excessive use of agrochemicals in the store-bought
vegetables, and the higher costs of the vegetables in the stores and
bazaars <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bazaar>. Also, growing one's
own food supplies is a long-lived Russian tradition. Many affluent
Russians practice that tradition."
"The period after World War II
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II> saw a moderate growth in
dacha development. Since there was no actual law banning the
construction of dachas, squatters began occupying unused plots of
land near cities and towns, some building sheds, huts, and more
prominent dwellings that served as dachas. This practice of
squatting was spurred by the desire of urban dwellers, all living in
multi-storey apartment buildings, to spend some time close to
nature, and also to grow their own fruits and vegetables. The latter
was caused by the failure of the centrally planned Soviet
agricultural programme
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_the_Soviet_Union>
to supply enough fresh produce. As time passed, the number of
squatters grew geometrically and the government had no choice but to
officially recognise their right to amateur farming. The 1955
legislation introduced a new type of legal person into the Soviet
juridical system
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_Soviet_Union>, a
*gardeners' partnership* (садоводческое товарищество,
/sadovodcheskoye tovarishchestvo/), distinct from the
internationally popular /community gardens
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_garden>/. The gardeners'
partnership received the right to permanent use of land exclusively
for agricultural purposes and permission to connect to public
electrical and water supply networks. In 1958, yet another form of
organisation was introduced, a /cooperative for dacha construction/
(дачно-строительный кооператив, /dachno-stroytelniy kooperativ/),
which recognised the right of an individual to build a small house
on the land leased from the government."
"The 1980s saw the peak of the dacha boom with virtually every
affluent family in the country having a dacha of their own or
spending weekends and holidays at friends' dachas. Often
ill-equipped and without indoor plumbing, dachas were nevertheless
the ultimate solution for millions of working-class families to
having an inexpensive summer retreat. Having a piece of land also
offered an opportunity for city dwellers to indulge themselves in
growing their own fruits and vegetables. To this day, May Day
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day> holidays remain a feature of
Russian life allowing urban residents a long weekend to plant seeds
and tend fruit trees as the ground defrosts from the long Russian
winter.^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/] Since
there are no other national holidays that are long enough for
planting, many employers give their staff an extra day off
specifically for that purpose.^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/]"
The first dachas in Russia began to appear during the reign of Peter
the Great <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Great>. Initially
they were small estates in the country, which were given to loyal
vassals by the tsar <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar>. In archaic
Russian, the word /dacha/ means /something given/.
During the Age of Enlightenment
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Enlightenment>, Russian
aristocracy used their dachas for social and cultural gatherings,
which were usually accompanied by masquerade balls
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masquerade_ball> and fireworks
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fireworks> displays. The Industrial
Revolution <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Industrial_Revolution>
brought about a rapid growth in the urban population, and urban
residents increasingly desired to escape the heavily polluted
cities, at least temporarily. By the end of the 19th century, the
dacha became a favorite summer retreat for the upper and middle
classes of Russian society.
After the Bolshevik revolution
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolshevik_revolution> of 1917, most
dachas were nationalised. Some were converted into vacation homes
for the working class <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_class>,
while others, usually of better quality, were distributed among the
prominent functionaries of the Communist Party
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CPSU> and the newly emerged cultural
and scientific elite. All but a few dachas remained the property of
the state and the right to use them was usually revoked when a dacha
occupant was dismissed or fell out of favour with the rulers of the
state. Joseph Stalin <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalin>'s
favourite Dacha was in Gagra <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagra>,
Abkhazia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abkhazia>.^[2]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacha#cite_note-1> The construction of
new dachas was restricted until the late 1940s and required the
special approval of the Communist Party leadership.
The period after World War II
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II> saw a moderate growth in
dacha development. Since there was no actual law banning the
construction of dachas, squatters began occupying unused plots of
land near cities and towns, some building sheds, huts, and more
prominent dwellings that served as dachas. This practice of
squatting was spurred by the desire of urban dwellers, all living in
multi-storey apartment buildings, to spend some time close to
nature, and also to grow their own fruits and vegetables. The latter
was caused by the failure of the centrally planned Soviet
agricultural programme
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collectivization_in_the_Soviet_Union>
to supply enough fresh produce. As time passed, the number of
squatters grew geometrically and the government had no choice but to
officially recognise their right to amateur farming. The 1955
legislation introduced a new type of legal person into the Soviet
juridical system
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_the_Soviet_Union>, a
*gardeners' partnership* (садоводческое товарищество,
/sadovodcheskoye tovarishchestvo/), distinct from the
internationally popular /community gardens
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_garden>/. The gardeners'
partnership received the right to permanent use of land exclusively
for agricultural purposes and permission to connect to public
electrical and water supply networks. In 1958, yet another form of
organisation was introduced, a /cooperative for dacha construction/
(дачно-строительный кооператив, /dachno-stroytelniy kooperativ/),
which recognised the right of an individual to build a small house
on the land leased from the government.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RIAN_archive_487609_Boleslav_Telichan%27s_family_at_summer_house.jpg>
The family of Boleslav Telichan, a worker of the Krasny Khimik plant
in Leningrad <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leningrad> at their dacha
house, 1981.
The 1980s saw the peak of the dacha boom with virtually every
affluent family in the country having a dacha of their own or
spending weekends and holidays at friends' dachas. Often
ill-equipped and without indoor plumbing, dachas were nevertheless
the ultimate solution for millions of working-class families to
having an inexpensive summer retreat. Having a piece of land also
offered an opportunity for city dwellers to indulge themselves in
growing their own fruits and vegetables. To this day, May Day
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day> holidays remain a feature of
Russian life allowing urban residents a long weekend to plant seeds
and tend fruit trees as the ground defrosts from the long Russian
winter.^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/] Since
there are no other national holidays that are long enough for
planting, many employers give their staff an extra day off
specifically for that purpose.^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/]
The collapse of communism in the Soviet Union saw the return to
private land ownership. Most dachas have since been privatised and
Russia is now the nation with the largest number of owners of second
homes <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_home>.^[/citation needed
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed>/] The
growth of living standards in recent years allowed many dacha owners
to spend their discretionary income
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discretionary_income> on improvements.
Thus, many recently built dachas are fully equipped houses suitable
for use as permanent residences. The market-oriented economy
transformed the dacha into an asset, which generally reflects the
prosperity of its owner and can be freely traded in the real estate
market.
Due to the rapid increase in urbanization in Russia, many village
houses are currently being sold to be used as dachas. Many Russian
villages now have dachniki as temporary residents. Some villages
have been fully transformed into dacha settlements, while some older
dacha settlements often look like more permanent lodgings. The
advantages of purchasing a dacha in a village usually are: lower
costs, greater land area, and larger distances between houses. The
disadvantages may include: lower-quality utilities, less security,
and typically a farther distance to travel.
In 1999, 35 million small family plots produced 90% of Russia’s
potatoes, 77% of vegetables, 87% of fruits, 59% of meat, 49% of
milk — way to go, people!
These are actually not the complete books, but most of them seem to
be almost complete. Reading online is probably not the best way to
read the books, but if you don't have the money to buy them this is
a good alternative. Note that this all legal and the publisher has
given permission to Google Books to publish this material.