Kazakhstan, 1941–1945: Selected Aspects of Everyday Life of the Civilian Population

Abstract

The article examines selected aspects of the everyday life of the civilian population of Kazakhstan during the Great Patriotic War: evacuation processes, food shortages and the introduction of the rationing system, the deficit of industrial goods, as well as the features of labor mobilization. Particular attention is paid to the role of women, adolescents, and labor army workers in maintaining the functioning of the rear. The introduction into scholarly circulation of materials from memoirs of wartime participants makes it possible to characterize the formation of survival strategies and patterns of behavior under extreme conditions, and to reveal the multifaceted and complex path to Victory. By studying the ordinary world of common people through the lens of everyday history, the author reconstructs a “humanized” picture of the past. Despite the fragmentary nature of memoirs, the information contained in them was often not edited or subjected to censorship and is generally not reflected in official documents. This contributes to the reconstruction of a unique and reliable, detailed picture of everyday life, highlighting both common and specific features in the functioning of enterprises and institutions under difficult living conditions, increased social tension, and at the same time a high level of labor enthusiasm and mutual assistance.