In the study the formation stages of institute of farming in Russia are analyzed. It is established that farms have passed three stages of the devel- opment: pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern. The pre-revolutionary stage is connected with communal tenor of life of peasants, is characterized by col- lective possession of means of production, lack of private property; it is also connected with P.A. Stolypin’s agrarian reform which had considerable im- pact on the development of the institute of farming. Key positions of reform- ing are designated: the elimination of community, giving peasants the land, crediting through Country land bank, formation of farms and junctures, thedevelopment of consumer, production, credit cooperation. The analysis of opinions of scientists in economics on Stolypin reform is given. Positive sides of reforming (the increase in making agricultural production are revealed; the growth of the size of cultivated areas; growth of marketability and prof- itability of farms; growth of export deliveries; improvement of material base of farmers; improvement of the system of land use; cooperation devel- opment) and negative (compulsory destruction of a community, stratifica- tion of peasants, hunger, formation of the class of kulaks). Soviet stage is characterized by collective forms of economy and elimination of the arising class of farmers. The present stage is connected with revival of institute of farming, increase in the role of the state consisting in financial support of farmers.