▁to ▁special ▁settlement s ▁and , ▁sometimes , ▁to ▁forced ▁labor ▁cam ps . ▁ ▁Despite ▁the ▁expect ations , ▁collect iv ization ▁led ▁to ▁a ▁cat ast roph ic ▁drop ▁in ▁farm ▁product ivity , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁return ▁to ▁the ▁levels ▁achieved ▁under ▁the ▁NE P ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁The ▁up he aval ▁associated ▁with ▁collect iv ization ▁was ▁particularly ▁severe ▁in ▁Ukraine ▁and ▁the ▁heavily ▁Ukrain ian ▁Vol ga ▁region . ▁Pe as ants ▁sla ugh tered ▁their ▁liv est ock ▁en ▁mas se ▁rather ▁than ▁give ▁them ▁up . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 0 ▁alone , ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁cattle , ▁sheep , ▁and ▁go ats , ▁and ▁one - third ▁of ▁all ▁p igs ▁were ▁killed . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁that ▁the ▁Soviet ▁liv est ock ▁numbers ▁would ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁level . ▁Government ▁b ureau cr ats , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁given ▁a ▁rud iment ary ▁education ▁on ▁far ming ▁techniques , ▁were ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁the ▁coun tr ys ide ▁to ▁" te ach " ▁pe as ants ▁the ▁new ▁ways ▁of ▁social ist ▁agricult ure , ▁re lying ▁largely ▁on ▁Marx ist ▁theoretical ▁ideas ▁that ▁had ▁little ▁basis ▁in ▁reality . ▁Even ▁after ▁the ▁state ▁in ev it ably ▁won ▁and ▁succeed ing ▁in ▁impos ing ▁collect iv ization , ▁the ▁pe as ants ▁did ▁everything ▁they ▁could ▁in ▁the ▁way