Consumer cooperation in Bashkiria during the Great Patriotic War

The study deals with the consumer cooperation in Bashkiria aimed at supplying the people with foodstuffs and manufactured goods during the Great Patriotic War. Based on the archives introduced, the author reveals the advantages and disadvantages of consumer cooperation. On the one hand, due to the drastic decrease in centralized funds, the Bashkir Community of Consumer Cooperatives used decentralized sources. Besides, it was able to produce indigenously consumer goods and establish food reserves that helped supply the specialized children’s and medical institutions with restricted access and evacuated people with goods. In addition, consumer cooperatives sent considerable amounts of money to the military front and produced special consignments for the Red Army. On the other hand, the lack of qualified personnel who had joined the army weakened the controlling functions in the system of consumer cooperation and decreased the number of audits. As a result, there was an increase in the number of crimes such as theft, embezzlement, misuse of manufactured goods and foodstuffs in short supply. The staff responsible for food supply distributed them unevenly in relation to separate population segments. There were shortages of food supply in several areas. The author concluded that consumer cooperatives in Bashkiria during the terrible years of the war were able to adapt their work and contribute significantly to the food security of the home front as well as provide material support to the military front.