Dugouts in the villages of post-war Ukraine: a way of survival and an indicator of the reconstruction state (mid-1940s – early 1950s)

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyze the characteristic features of the dugouts used as temporary housing in rural areas of post-war Ukraine, as well as the measures taken by the Soviet authorities to eliminate this phenomenon during the reconstruction period in the mid-1940s and early 1950s.

General scientific and special historical methods (comparative-historical, historical-systemic, retrospective), as well as elements of hermeneutics and content analysis, were used. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the thorough study of the hitherto little-studied issue of the residence of the rural population of Ukraine in dugouts during the period of post-war reconstruction. The research is based on archival documents introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

It was found that dugouts in rural areas of Ukraine spread due to the significant destruction of the housing stock during the war. The construction of dugouts was possible without the use of a large number of high-quality building materials and was carried out using the unskilled labor of collective farmers and available improvised means. This made dugouts the most affordable type of housing, although living in them remained uncomfortable, unsanitary, and extreme.

The presence of inhabited dugouts became an indicator for the authorities and society, showing the incompleteness of the post-war reconstruction process. At the same time, the state entrusted the task of rebuilding housing to the population itself and local collective farms, establishing a system of directive requirements and control over the activities of the created construction teams. The provision of finances, personnel, and building materials by the state remained extremely insufficient.

During the years of reconstruction, there was a general decrease in the number of dugouts. However, inspections carried out in the regions in 1948 showed a partial increase in the number of these structures compared to previous statistical data. Despite the authorities' assurances that the reconstruction of the village would be completed on time during the IV Five-year Plan, in some places the use of dugouts continued until the mid-1950s. Although such facts were not advertised by the authorities, they nevertheless indicated that the restoration of the housing stock was incomplete.