Discussions about the peasant commune in the work of local committees of the special conference of the needs of the rural industry

The article is devoted to debates about the fate of the peasant community in the work of the Special Conference on the Needs of the Rural Industry. Using the example of the activities of the provincial committees of the Special Conference in the Samara and Simbirsk provinces, the author reveals the specifics of the economic development of the region and the different points of view of the committee members on the issue of the peasant community. The author’s main conclusion is that the peasant community was seen by many members of the committees of the Special Conference as an archaic institution, that was soon to disappear from the socio-economic life of the Russian Empire at the beginning of the 20th century.