Social and Everyday Life Conditions of Orphanages' Dependents in the Soviet Ukraine during the 1920s — beginning of 1930s ; СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПОБУТОВІ УМОВИ УТРИМАНЦІВ ДИТПРИТУЛКІВ РАДЯНСЬКОЇ УКРАЇНИ В 1920-Х — НА ПОЧАТКУ 1930-Х РР

Abstract

Problem statement. The category of so-called «state children» in modern Ukraine has not been experiencing the best times. Although the childcare institution reform is being happened directed towards the increase in child adoption rate it should be noticed that only 120 underage citizens managed to find new families. A significant percentage of childcare institutions is currently in economic hardships. The features are outdated equipment, the importance of repairing the premises etc. However, today's democratic transformations do not try to hide the scale of the problems. All difficulties are discussed in society and, as possible, any help is provided. Such a situation is typical in the system of contemporary moral values. Additionally, for a long time Ukrainian territory used to remain under the totalitarian Soviet pressure for too long — when the cult of the leader retreated to all needs. We seek to recreate the historical retrospective of social and everyday life conditions in state institutions of childcare during the 1920's and 1930's. We are determined to clarify whether present-day troubles are rooted in history or it exclusively problems of a contemporary nature. The relevance of the research.In contemporary European space, the policy of child-centrism is supported. Due to different circumstances, the category of children who have lost the opportunity of parental care is systematically replenished. Such children frequently go into the care of the state. Furthermore, it is the state institutions that must create all the conditions for a harmonious upbringing of every child. That is the concept of childhood care in developed European countries which methods had been shaped in the first quarter of the last century. Unfortunately, the lives of Ukrainian citizens under the totalitarian system of the Soviet empire excluded the possibility of decent and full-fledged education and development of children, especially the children who lost the opportunity of family education. In this article, we tend to analyse the conditions created by the Soviet totalitarian system in the juvenile sphere. Applying the methods of historical retrospective, we characterise the social and living conditions which were created for the children of Soviet Ukraine during the 1920's and early 1930's. The scientific novelty. Despite the representative historiographical achievements, there are many poorly researched issues. They include the structure of state childcare institutions and the level of their social and welfare provision, clarification of the causes regarding hidden child homelessness, as well as characterizing the totalitarian state's attitude toward children who lost their ability to bring up family. This article dedicated to the disclosure of these aspects. The purpose and the objectives of the research. In this article, we aim to analyse the complex experience of forming a network of childcare institutions in the Ukrainian SSR. We intend to find out the reasons for the emergence of a large category of orphans, homeless children and fatherless children to characterise the state measures and their results aimed at overcoming the difficult situation, based on archival documents. We tend to analyse the level of social and financial support of state child care institutions and the moods of the dependents themselves and their educators and teachers. The methodological framework of the research is based on a set of principles and methods which application allows to reveal the topic. The basis was a civilizational approach which provides for the consideration of institutions of state custody of children in the system «orphans and homeless children — institutions of state care» taking into account the fact of specific historical, as well as civilizational properties of the era of the so-called «formation of the Soviet command system». Conclusions of the research. As a result of the social and political turmoil of the 1914–1922 period, a large category of children who had been deprived of family care had formed in Ukraine. According to the logic of the development of a civilized country, the government of the state had to take care of disadvantaged infants. However, this order of things is not possible in a totalitarian country where the leader's cult and ideological terror became dominant in public relations. The children had poorly cared. In the conditions of economic collapse, the funds allocated by the state were not enough. Moreover, there was a lack of teaching staff too. The incidence and mortality rate exceeded up to 50% of the total orphans in foster homes. Difficult living conditions, poor nutrition, lack of proper linen and clothing affected the weak children. And under such a situation, due to lack of finances, the state went on reducing the number of child care institutions. At the beginning of the 1930s, the situation in orphanages became even more complicated. As a result of the removal of these institutions from the state supply, the children were as good as doomed. The state was not a protector of children but a powerful conveyor of infant mortality — children suffered unsanitary conditions, hunger and sickness, catastrophic lack of necessary clothing and shoes. However, the totalitarian machine was indifferent as it solemnly celebrated the anniversary of the pioneer, then the launch of the Dniprobud then arranged demonstrative «tours» for foreign tourists. The «state children» in Soviet Ukraine were absolutely unnecessary. This could not but affect their psychological and physical condition. Unfortunately, they could not count on salvation. Keywords: children's homelessness, foster care, orphanages, social and everyday life conditions. ; В статті проаналізовано причини появи численної категорії безпритульних дітей в 1920-хрр., охарактеризовано заходи держави щодо подолання дитячої безпритульності. З'ясовано кроки, які вживали громадські та державні установи для подолання даної ситуації. Визначено причини занедбаного стану дитячих притулків. В умовах господарської розрухи коштів, що виділяла держава, хронічно не вистачало. Бракувало й педагогічних кадрів. У результаті в притулках спостерігалися високий рівень захворювань дітей на інфекційні недуги та дитяча смертність. Тим не менше, в умовах тоталітарної держави всі факти проявів дитячого маргінесу ретельно приховувалися. Було офіційно проголошено про остаточне подолання дитячої безпритульності. На початку 1930-хрр. на державних дітей очікували ще жорстокіші випробовування: в 1931р. дитячі заклади виведено з-під державного постачання, через що там суттєво зросла смертність. Ключові слова: дитяча безпритульність, дитячі притулки, патронат, соціально-побутові умови.