Post-Soviet Agricultural Employment: A Case Study of Employee Incentives in Krasnodar Territory,Russia

Addressed here is the question of rewards associated with agricultural employment on privatised state and collective farms in Russia. Drawing on qualitative field research with agricultural employees in Krasnodar Territory, the article demonstrates multiple benefits to agricultural employment. These include the expectation of stable, waged, often white-collar employment, with access to benefits such as pensions and annual leave, as well as opportunities for career advancement. Employees also identified the amenity value of rural life, and the importance of the village as a place of refuge. It is argued that these features are important to understanding employee resistance to private farming, and are indicative of an evolving culture of employment on large agricultural enterprises.