1931–1933 hunger of Qazaq children

Abstract

The situation of children affected by famine in Qazaqstan in 1931-1933, who lost their parents, became increasingly difficult. Orphaned, homeless children seeking food and shelter would move to other regions. Along the way, the bones of dead children remained unburied and became prey for dogs and birds. The death toll from infectious diseases was also incalculable. In the early days of the famine, the Government seemed to ignore the deaths of starving and devastated children, and the fate of orphaned children, and didn’t take needed measures. Instead, they tried to hide this situation. The cases when children ended up in orphanages were especially difficult. Every day the number of the dead increased, and on winter days, when the relatives were unable to bury them, their bodies lay in the barn until spring. The number of dying children on the city streets and village roads was incalculable. Based on archival documents and eyewitness memoirs, the article examines the fate of Qazaq children who became victims of famine in the 1930s, and clarifies the measures taken by the Government to accommodate the starving and homeless children in orphanages, communes, and factory training schools. The work of the children's commission established by the Government and its results are analyzed. The process of return of refugee children to their native places is also described in the article.