Автор статьи на основе широкого круга исторических источников, в том числе впервые введенных в научный оборот, анализирует проекты земцев-консерваторов по организации сельской кредитной кооперации второй половины XIX - начала XX вв. В ходе исследования установлено, что сельская кредитная кооперация, вопреки растиражированной историографической позиции, получила широкое распространение еще до аграрных реформ П.А. Столыпина и стала экономическим базисом для проведения реформы.
On the basis of a wide range of historical sources including those introduced into scientific circulation for the first time the author of the article analyzes the projects of conservative members of Zemstvo which were meant to organize the rural credit cooperation in the second half of XIX - early XX centuries. In the course of the research it was established that rural credit cooperation had become widespread long before of P.A. Stolypin’s agrarian reforms and had become the economic basis for performing the reforms. This fact contradicts the generally accepted historiographic position.
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.