Food provision of evacuees, 1941-1943 (on the example of Altai region)

Abstract

The paper analyses the activities of state and local authorities responsible for food provision of the citizens evacuated from the frontline regions to Altai region in 1941–1943. The author shows the process of preparation of regional and district departments to receive arriving population. The characteristic features of food provision during wartime, such as the transition to a rationing system, monthly approvals of the contingents for food, are marked. In particular, the survey identifies the main categories of the evacuated citizens requiring special food supply: among them there were workers, employees of enterprises and institutions, families of servicemen, children in children's institutions, the citizens evacuated from blockaded Leningrad. The author gives the examples of food provision of all categories of the Altai population, including the evacuees, and shows all the difficulties of the process because of wartime conditions, acute food shortages in the region, as well as due to the mistakes made by individual managers, and sometimes directly callous attitude to the evacuees. Regular inspections of food provision of the evacuees identified such main violations as delay in delivery or delivery of bread at a reduced norm, delivery of substandard products, delay of issuing special rations for the evacuees. It is concluded that in Altai region there was a system of interacting authorities responsible for the organization and supervision of food supply of the evacuees. Food supply of evacuated citizens was difficult because of objective circumstances of the war and neglect on the part of some individuals.