American Cowboys Ride in a Ranch in Southern Russia

American Cowboys Bring Beef Cows to Russia VOA - James Brooke | Shestakova, Russia May 12, 2011 Photo: VOA - D. Markosian American cowboys ride in a ranch in southern Russia After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russians ate most of their beef cows as the system of reproduction broke down.  Now American ranchers are working to rebuild Russia's herd. Darrell Stevenson, an American cowboy and cattle rancher, is not riding the black earth country of Russia to film a western movie. He is bringing American-bred beef cattle, American ranching technology, and American cowboy knowhow to Russia. After the Soviet Union collapsed, beef production in Russia also collapsed. People just ate the herds as the system of sustaining the cattle broke down.  Today, Russia, the world's largest nation, imports most of its beef.