A mixed economy is a special type of economic system based on the simultaneous coexistence of several types of farming: capitalist, industrial, subsistence and agricultural. This type of structure was characteristic of post-reform Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. This was due to the accelerated pace of its development after the abolition of serfdom, which, on the one hand, put it in the top five leading industrial powers, and on the other, retained the old semi-serf system for the bulk of the population, which was still involved in the agricultural sector.
Industrial development
A multi-layered economy for several decades has determined the development of our country at the turn of these centuries. Literally in a quarter of a century Russia in the volume of industrial production entered the top five leading capitalist powers. Monopoly associations, cartels, and syndicates appeared in the empire, which conducted active foreign trade, i.e., they were part of the world market. At the same time, the main form of association of commodity producers was still small craft workshops, crafts, and small private enterprises.
A multistructure economy, despite these features, nevertheless did not interfere with the development of capitalism in the empire. The fact is that the final transition to a new type of economic relationship took time. We must not forget the fact that the main part of the population remained peasants, and rural residents, as is well known, have long been accustomed to living in traditional crafts, than they earned extra income for themselves.
Agriculture
A multistructure economy is a type of economic system in which agricultural production remains the dominant industry with the rapid and rapid development of capitalism. At the turn of the century, Russia occupied a leading position in terms of agricultural output.
However, despite maintaining the leading position in this sector, our country lagged behind the leading countries of the world in technical equipment, as serf and semi-serf vestiges in the village were preserved. A mixed economy at the beginning of the 20th century also determined the peculiarities of rural development in post-reform Russia. Modernization, unfortunately, had little impact on the peasant economy, which led to land depletion and the lack of this important resource for the bulk of the state’s population.
Commodity production
The mixed economy of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century was the result of uneven development of industries, as well as imbalances in production. The introduction of capitalism after the abolition of serfdom took place not so much in a natural way as it was, for example, in the countries of Western Europe, but with the active support of the state. As a result, only a small stratum of the big bourgeoisie, which took industrial and banking capital into its own hands, adapted to the new mode of production. The peasants continued to maintain their traditional economy, producing goods on the market almost by hand.
Of course, they were not familiar with modern scientific technologies, and their commodity production was primitive and simple. The preservation of old remnants was in sharp contrast with the active introduction of new technology into production, which the state and the bourgeoisie were actively engaged in.
Grades
The multistructure nature of the economy at the turn of the century has long been controversial in Russian historiography. In Soviet times, science established the opinion expressed by Lenin that capitalism in Russia reached its highest stage of development and grew into imperialism.
Thus, he justified the need for a revolution to move on to the next stage - socialism. However, already in the second half of the 20th century, some scholars questioned this thesis, paying attention to the preservation of feudal remnants in the village, handicrafts, as well as the dominance of the agricultural sector over the industrial sector. This point of view was developed by modern scientists, and in our time it is recognized and proved that in the time being considered, the Russian economy was multifaceted.