Editor’s Note :

One century ago, in November 23, 1921, a Bolshevik cavalry unit in Bazar, northern Zhytomyr captured and executed 359 soldiers of the Ukrainian People’s Army. With this action, the Bolsheviks consolidated their control over Ukraine. Ukraine embarked on what became a century-long experiment in farming without a private farmland market. Today, a cautious step is being taken to reverse that legacy. A farmland market has been created, opened only to Ukrainian individuals and limited to 100 hectares. But it will be a big step for freedom. Families can now sell their farms. Farmers who want to keep farming can use their land titles as collateral to borrow from banks. This should lead to a new infusion of capital into rural Ukraine. With Best Regards, Jim Brooke