[Pil-pc-oceania] Russia's "Private Garden-plot Act" (July 2003)

[Linda Shewan]

Everything I stated comes from Who Are We - which is book 5 of the Ringing Cedars. There are lots of footnotes verifying details of the accounts within the books - I must say I can't speak or read Russian so have taken these at face value rather than attempt to research. They are stated to be non-fiction books but many do not believe that ...

The statistics were published by 'Goskomstat', the State Statistics Committee.

Dachas are most well known as country homes of the wealthy and larger plots were given to officers, but a basic dacha plot of about 500-600 sq metres was given to every family during 'perestroika' I think (I don't have book 1 with me to verify, as it is explained in detail in that book). I think it was almost essential that people grew their own food as their society changed so radically and so the move to growing food was a desperate one back then.

There are definitely planned eco-villages being created. Anastasia set out a plan which included as a basis the Private Garden-plot Act (she called it a family or kin's domain and states 1 hectare in which 1/4 to 3/4 should be planted in forest/trees - more than 10 million books were sold in Russia so they must have been persuasive) and the Anastasia Foundation helps people to set them up. Some are Grishino,  Kovcheg and Rodnoe. Their websites can be clicked through from http://www.globalvillages.info/wiki.cgi?Directory. You can clearly see Grishno is based on Anastasia's plan.

Who Are We has a heap of questions and answers about the whole plan. I think it could be useful reading for anyone planning to set up an ecovillage as after Anastasia laid out her plan, Vladimir Megre went and studied ecovillages all over the world to determine how possible her plan could be in the 'real world'. So he makes observations about Auroville in India for example and why he felt that failed after all the support it received, both political and financial. It's an interesting read regardless of whether you associate with the spiritual and more out there parts of the Ringing Cedar Series.

Anastasia's vision encompasses a lot more than just the hectare of land, including raising children and education, but the land is the basis of all the rest.

I do want to change the world but I can't tackle Government and international treaties. We can all see on this list that I cannot communicate at nearly the level I would need to be effective in that arena. And it would probably destroy me in the process... so no thanks. But I certainly feel Anastasia's vision is one which I would like to actively pursue with others and create a new society with schooling etc in the way she outlines. It is such a powerful and positive vision encompassing all of the permaculture principles.

I agree that permaculture won't achieve as much as it could - but I also believe that's because most people don't 'feel' like they can achieve it, or aren't 'inspired' to create. A vision, a picture of the future, offers so much more than some design education .. then what... it is very isolating doing these things on your own. I know, I do it week after week at the school with people just looking on - saying isn't it great what Linda is creating for our kids! But they can't see the big picture so aren't inspired to get involved (though more people are becoming active as the big picture is starting to form).

We have tried to create a 'community' here but it has amounted to nothing so far. I think in part because nobody has a common 'vision', they were all simply interested in their own space... I could be wrong, I would love to be able to bring people together, guess I just don't know where to start and not sure I have enough energy right now...

Linda