Stalin's plan for the transformation of nature
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Stalin's plan for the transformation of the nature, also known as Joseph Stalin's Great Plan for the Transformation of Nature was put forth in the Soviet Union in the second half of 1940s, with the corresponding propaganda motto and catch phrase, great transformation of the nature (Russian: Великое преобразование природы). [1] Styled in the traditions of Stalin's personality cult, it referred to the Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers and All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) Central Committee of October 20, 1948 «О плане полезащитных лесонасаждений, внедрения травопольных севооборотов, строительства прудов и водоемов для обеспечения высоких устойчивых урожаев в степных и лесостепных районах Европейской части СССР». It was a follow-up of the 1946 drought and subsequent 1947 famine, which have led to estimated deaths of 0.5-1 million people.[2]
A number of huge projects were launched in land improvement, hydroengineering, and in supporting areas.
Planned to be carried out until 1965, it was abandoned after the death of Stalin, heavily criticized during destalinization, disregarding the fact that despite its drawbacks in planning and implementation, it was based on sound ecological ideas, re-emerging in modern times.[2]
[edit] Major projects
A network of irrigation canals was built in the steppe belt of southern Soviet Union, and in the deserts of Central Asia.
A project was put forth for planting of a gigantic network of shelterbelts (Russian: лесополоса, lesopolosa, 'forest strip') across the steppes of southern Soviet Union, similar to what has been done in the northern plains of the United States in 1930s. [3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Introduction in Geoecology", A.A.Chibilyov, 1988, ISBN 5-7691-0783-9, Ekaterinburg, Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Steppe (Russian)
- ^ a b "National Shelterbelt": To 60th anniversary of Stalin's plan of the transformation of nature
- ^ "Russia and the Soviet Union", in Shepard Krech, John Robert McNeill, Carolyn Merchant, "Encyclopedia of World Environmental History". Routledge, 2004. ISBN 0415937337. p. 1077
 |
This Soviet Union-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
