Russian lawmakers want to revive Soviet practice of free 'work troops' to compensate for labor shortages
Russia's State Duma is considering a return to the Soviet practice of so-called "work troops," in which city dwellers were forced to work in rural areas, The Moscow Times reported on Feb. 2.
In this way, Moscow is trying to compensate for labor shortages caused by widespread drunkenness among farmers, while reminding various "intellectuals" that it can do whatever it wants with them.
The proposed bill on "agritourism" is being drafted under the dictatorial regime of Vladimir Putin to encourage Russians to experience the traditional rural way of life and “therapy” without offering any “material gain.”
According to the bill, "this type of tourism means visiting rural areas and small towns with a population of up to 30,000 people for the purpose of recreation, involvement in the traditional way of life and customs of the peoples of the Russian Federation. It also includes trips to 'get acquainted with the activities' of farmers or 'participate in agricultural work'".
More and more Russians have recently been "coming to the countryside to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, to get acquainted with the process of food production and to participate in the traditional way of life, such as milking cows," which has already led to a 5% increase in milk consumption, Deputy Agriculture Minister Maxim Uvaidov said.
Although the Russian authorities are currently hiding behind the "development of domestic tourism," it is possible that in the future forced agricultural labor will become another method of punishing "dissenters," just like Soviet-style punitive medicine, to which Russian security forces have already returned.
Read also: Russian occupation brings humanitarian crisis — problems with water supply, heating, and medicines
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