The Volok Reform[1] (Lithuanian: Valakų reforma; Belarusian: Валочная памера; Polish: reforma włóczna) was a 16th-century land reform in parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (Lithuania proper, Duchy of Samogitia and parts of White Ruthenia).
The reform was started by Grand Duchess Bona Sforza in her possessions to increase the revenues of the state treasury but soon was expanded statewide and was copied by other nobles and the Church.
The reform was a success in terms of the annual state revenue that quadrupled from 20,000 to 82,000 kopas of Lithuanian groschens.
The beginnings of serfdom in Lithuania can be traced from the end of the 14th century when Grand Dukes would gift land and peasants, known as veldamai, to Lithuanian nobles for their military service (cf.
That allowed the nobles to establish large estates that had up to a few hundred peasant households (for example, Upninkai and Musninkai of Radvilos).
Their economic activity shifted from military service (taking share of war loot, receiving benefices from Grand Duke) to agriculture (growing and exporting grain to foreign markets).
Wealthier serfs with enough manpower were sometimes assigned additional land outside of the designated village; these farms were known as beyond-border (Lithuanian: užusienis).
Since land was owned by the Grand Duke, peasants had to perform services and pay dues to the landowner in exchange for their use of their farms.