Far more important than the elections is the redistribution of the Communal land.  It can matter but little to the Head of a Household how the elections go, provided he himself is not chosen.  He can accept with perfect equanimity Alexei, or Ivan, or Nikolai, because the office-bearers have very little influence in Communal affairs.  But he cannot remain a passive, indifferent spectator when the division and allotment of the land come to be discussed, for the material welfare of every household depends to a great extent on the amount of land and of burdens which it receives.

In the southern provinces, where the soil is fertile, and the taxes do not exceed the normal rent, the process of division and allotment is comparatively simple.  Here each peasant desires to get as much land as possible, and consequently each household demands all the land to which it is entitled—­that is to say, a number of shares equal to the number of its members inscribed in the last revision list.  The Assembly has therefore no difficult questions to decide.  The Communal revision list determines the number of shares into which the land must be divided, and the number of shares to be allotted to each family.  The only difficulty likely to arise is as to which particular shares a particular family shall receive, and this difficulty is commonly obviated by the custom of drawing lots.  There may be, it is true, some difference of opinion as to when a redistribution should be made, but this question is easily decided by a vote of the Assembly.

Very different is the process of division and allotment in many Communes of the northern provinces.  Here the soil is often very unfertile and the taxes exceed the normal rent, and consequently it may happen that the peasants strive to have as little land as possible.  In these cases such scenes as the following may occur: 

Ivan is being asked how many shares of the Communal land he will take, and replies in a slow, contemplative way, “I have two sons, and there is myself, so I’ll take three shares, or somewhat less, if it is your pleasure.”

“Less!” exclaims a middle-aged peasant, who is not the Village Elder, but merely an influential member, and takes the leading part in the proceedings.  “You talk nonsense.  Your two sons are already old enough to help you, and soon they may get married, and so bring you two new female labourers.”

“My eldest son,” explains Ivan, “always works in Moscow, and the other often leaves me in summer.”

“But they both send or bring home money, and when they get married, the wives will remain with you.”

“God knows what will be,” replies Ivan, passing over in silence the first part of his opponent’s remark.  “Who knows if they will marry?”

“You can easily arrange that!”

“That I cannot do.  The times are changed now.  The young people do as they wish, and when they do get married they all wish to have houses of their own.  Three shares will be heavy enough for me!”