The activities of the legal bureau of the Nizhny Novgorod Peasant House in the 1920s-1930s.

The article is dedicated to the study of the activities of the Legal Bureau of the Peasants' House in the Nizhny Novgorod Province during the interwar period (1920s-1930s). Special attention is given to the significance of this institution in ensuring the rights of peasants, informing them, and defending their interests, particularly in the context of new economic and political realities in the Soviet state. The research is based on archival documents and contemporary scientific literature. The article discusses the peculiarities of the work of the Legal Bureau of the Nizhny Novgorod Provincial Peasants' House, including statistics on the population's requests for legal assistance. It presents the reasons for the decline in requests, linked to changes in legislation and administrative control. The importance of experience exchanges between various Peasants' Houses in the region, which contributed to improving the effectiveness of educational and advisory work, is emphasized. The reasons for peasants leaving collective farms in the Nizhny Novgorod Province in the 1930s are described. The research methodology is based on the analysis of scientific publications and archival data concerning the functioning and significance of Peasants' Houses in the Soviet countryside during the 1920s–1930s. Documents testify to a serious crisis in the management of collective farms in the Nizhny Novgorod Province in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Irresponsible behavior of leaders, abuse of power, systematic violations of labor discipline, financial machinations, and misleading peasants regarding tax benefits became the main reasons for dissatisfaction and leaving collective farms. Violations committed by the leadership led to significant economic losses, missed opportunities for harvest collection, and financial damages, which worsened the situation of collective farms and diminished public trust in the collective farm movement. These factors contributed to a serious crisis in the village, weakening collective farms and increasing distrust of the state. To address the identified problems, Legal Bureaus were established at Peasants' Houses, with the main task of providing comprehensive assistance to peasants. The Legal Bureaus of the Peasants' House promptly examined peasants' complaints and conducted investigations. The identified violations were forwarded for further verification and punishment of the guilty parties.