Fighting fires in peatlands аnd peatminings in the Ukrainian SSR in the first half of the 1930s.

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to study the processes of combating uncontrolled fires in peatlands аnd peatminings in the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic (USSR) during the years of approval of the totalitarian regime (1930-1935). The author examines the peculiarities of fire prevention and fire fighting on the territory of peatlands аnd peatminings in the Ukrainian republic in the first half of the 1930s. The methodology of the research is based on a combination of general scientific (analysis, synthesis, generalisation, comparison) and special historical (historical-comparative, historical-systemic) methods with the principles of historicism, scientificity and consistency. Scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that for the first time in a separate scientific study the peculiarities of the Ukrainians' fight against fires in peatlands аnd peatminings in the Ukrainian SSR in the first half of the 1930s are considered on the basis of previously unexplored archival materials of the state archival institutions of Ukraine (the Central State Archive of Higher Bodies of Power and Administration of Ukraine and the State Archive of Kharkiv Oblast), some of which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. During the years of the establishment of the totalitarian regime in the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic in 1930-1931, authorised and competent representatives of the Ukrainian State Forestry Trust (USFT) played a major role in preventing uncontrolled fires in peatlands аnd peatminings in our country. During 1932-1935, the institutions and organisations of the Office of the Authorised People's Commissariat of Forestry of the USSR under the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR (OCFSC of the USSR under the Council of People's Commissars of the Ukrainian SSR) had more authority in managing domestic peatlands and firefighting on their territories, as well as on the territories not developed industrially. Direct preventive measures to prevent fires and the processes of eliminating fires at peatlands and peatminings in the Ukrainian SSR during the study period were mainly carried out by volunteer fire brigades located in villages near peatlands and peat peatminings, forestry workers and ordinary local residents who could be involved in firefighting and fire prevention measures through labour service. It should be noted that at times, the activities of the above-mentioned firefighting actors faced certain problems: firefighters sometimes lacked professionalism and experience; artificially created arsons as part of the protest movement of Ukrainian peasants' resistance against the criminal communist policy of dekulakisation and collectivisation significantly increased fire losses; the population and those responsible for fire safety did not always follow preventive instructions, rules and regulations on fire safety clearly and in a timely manner; and firefighting was not funded in the amounts necessary for effective firefighting. However, despite the significant problems, the sufficiently coordinated and efficient work of the state firefighting authorities and institutions of various levels, fire brigades, and the local population in the Ukrainian SSR in 1930-1935 during the study period led to a gradual decrease in the number of fires and damage from them in peatlands and peat peatminings in the Ukrainian regions.