Artel () is a general term for various cooperative associations in Russia, historical and modern. Historically, artels were semi-formal associations for various enterprises: fishing, mining, commerce, of loaders, loggers, thieves, beggars, etc. Often artels worked far from home and lived as a commune. Payment for job done was distributed according to verbal agreements, quite often in equal shares. Often artels were seasonal. Gradually formalized types of artel emerged, with internal hierarchy and legal agreements.