Final answer:
During the Russian Revolution, the economy struggled with declines in industrial and agricultural productivity, prompting policy shifts like Lenin's NEP and eventual collectivization under Stalin, causing severe difficulties for farmers.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the perspective of a farmer during the Russian Revolution, the economy was in a dire state. World War I and the ensuing civil war heavily disrupted Russia's economic structure, causing significant declines in industrial and agricultural production, with grain output falling substantially. The introduction of the New Economic Policy (NEP) by Lenin in 1921 provided some relief by mixing government control with aspects of capitalism, allowing farmers to sell their produce and creating a space for small businesses.
However, collectivized agriculture soon became a main feature of the Soviet economy, as leaders aimed to eliminate individual capitalist endeavors in farming. The resistance from peasants was fierce, culminating in a strife-ridden shift to state-run farms as mandated by Stalin's collectivization plans. These changes deeply affected the livelihood of farmers, who once had hoped for a better life following the revolution.
Despite attempts at agrarian reforms, like those by Stolypin, for many Russian farmers the promises of agrarian prosperity under a socialist system remained unmet. Financial instability, exemplified by the rapid devaluation of the ruble, further exacerbated the challenges faced by the peasantry, straining their relationship with Bolshevik policies.