Cooperative movement in Kostroma province during World War I

Cooperative organizations played a significant role in Russian society during the First World War, encompassing various aspects ranging from economic to cultural and educational domains. These cooperatives played a crucial role in facilitating the country’s transition into the war era and mitigating the impact of the crisis resulting from external factors. By addressing the soaring cost of food and facilitating the production of goods for both the army and the local population, cooperatives made these essential resources more accessible to the general public. Hence, this study aims to analyze the activities of credit, consumer, and production cooperatives specifically within the Kostroma Province throughout the First World War. It explores the primary operational avenues pursued by cooperative organizations in the province and illuminates the challenges they encountered. This analysis enables an understanding of the cooperatives’ precise contributions to both the frontline and the civilian population during this turbulent period in the country’s history. It is crucial to note that this topic has not been extensively researched within historiography, thus highlighting the article’s scientific novelty. The problem-chronological and historical-system methods were employed to examine the genesis of the state and development of cooperation during the First World War.