State Regulation of Trade in Bashkortostan from 1945 to 1953

The article examines the regulation of trade in the territory of Bashkortostan during the post-war reconstruction of the national economy. An attempt is made to determine the effectiveness of state mechanisms for regulating trade in the conditions of a planned economy in the Soviet Union. The ability of a planned economy to ensure an increase in the volume of trade turnover through financial and economic activities of trade enterprises on a non-competitive basis and without using the mechanism of free demand and supply formation is one of the controversial issues. The source base of the article was documents from the National Archives of the Republic of Bashkortostan, some of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. As a result of the study, it was established that the Republican Ministry of Trade paid primary attention to increasing trade turnover and consistently eliminating deficits. It was revealed that the nationalization of consumer cooperatives sharply reduced the opportunities for cooperative democracy and led to violations of the legitimate interests of shareholders. The actions of the State Arbitration in conflict situations between trade enterprises in Bashkortostan and suppliers are shown. The results of regulatory actions by Gosbank in reducing accounts receivable and increasing the solvency of trade enterprises are determined. It is concluded that despite all the shortcomings of the existing economic system, trade organizations in Bashkortostan have achieved significant success.