Development of the Organizational Structure of Consumer Cooperatives in Chuvashia in 1920–1940

This research examines the formation and development of the management structures of consumer cooperation in Chuvashia during the early decades of Soviet power. The authors analyzed the transformations within the consumer cooperation system during the Civil War and the implementation of the “war communism” policy, as well as during the New Economic Policy (NEP) and the pre-war five-year plans. The authors argue that the consequences of the revolutions, World War I, and the Civil War led the country into an economic crisis, resulting in a decline in the population’s standard of living. Consumer cooperation became one of the mechanisms for revitalizing the economy and supplying the population, particularly in rural areas, with essential goods. The research highlights the interaction between Chuvashsoyuz (Chuvashpotrebsoyuz), Soviet party organs, and the Central Union of Consumer Societies (Centrosoyuz). The authors also highlight the increasing pressure on cooperative organizations from government structures. The contribution of the cooperative organizations of Chuvashia to solving complex socio-economic development tasks at various historical stages is demonstrated. The conclusion is made that the reorganizations of the organizational structure of consumer cooperation that took place in the 1930s were largely driven by the socio-economic and socio-political processes in the country. The authors assert that a cohesive and effective organizational structure of Chuvashpotrebsouz had been formed by the pre-war years, which, with some modifications, still exists today.