Filling of the First Forms of Ukrainian Schools in 1933–1940 as the Evidence of Catastrophic Casualties of Children During the Holodomor-Genocide

Author

Serhiychuk Volodymyr

a Doctor of History , a professor, a head of the History of World Ukrainianhood Department at Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University

Filling of the First Forms of Ukrainian SchoolsFilling of the First Forms of Ukrainian Schoolsin 1933–1940 as the Evidence of Catastrophic Casualties of ChildrenDuring the Holodomor-Genocide

Abstract

The problem of counting of victims of the Holodomor-genocide of 1932–1933 in Ukraine, which has become more acute recently, requires a careful study of all circumstances of this tragedy and its aftermath. Taking into account the fact of destruction of many statistical materials in the Soviet period, which makes it impossible to ascertain definitive figures not only in Ukraine but also in separate settlements, it is necessary to analyze an impact of these horrific consequences on various strata of population.

The ascertainment of victims number through the calculation of infantile mortality may be one of the research fields. It is possible, in particular, owing to the comparative analysis of birth data in a certain locality with the admission to the first form at the appropriate time. In the places, where birth certificates and information on the children admission to school are preserved, the situation is usually catastrophic. There are many settlements, in which hundreds of children, even of the same age, have not survived the Holodomor-genocide. For example, in Pereyaslav district of Kyiv region out of 3487 children born in 1931 only 1591 (45.6 %) have come to the first form in 1938 and 1939, and in Tarashcha – 2644 and 1073 (40.5 %) accordingly. Even taking into account natural losses, which occur at this age, the numbers are staggering. Similar situation is ascertained in other districts of Kyiv region, where the documents have been preserved, as well as in the then Orativ, Plyskiv and Pohrebysche districts of Vinnytsia region and most of Poltava region.

This gives reasons to affirm that the situation with the filling of the first forms of rural secondary schools in Ukraine after 1933 is almost the same everywhere – 30–40 % of children, born in 1924–1932 in the Ukrainian SSR haven’t sat down at the desks. Taking into account that for the years of 1924–1932 about 10 million people are born, it is quite trustworthy that at least 3 million of the first form pupils and future elementary school pupils will be lost in 1932–1933. Thus, only in 1927 – 1184.4 are born; in 1928 – 1139.3; in 1929 – 1080; in 1930 – 1023; in 1931 – 975.3; in 1932 – 782. This increase is mainly due to the villages. And if we add to those victims of the Holodomor those who have belonged to middle and senior school age in 1933, we will have at least another half a million victims.

Taking into account, that the casualties of only pre-school and school-age children are at least 3.5 million people, we consider it quite real that minimum 7 million of the Ukrainian SSR population have become the victims of the Holodomor-genocide in 1932–1933.

Keywords

Holodomor-genocide of 1932–1933, infantile mortality, fullness of the first forms.

References

1. State Archives of Vinnytsia Oblast.
2. State Archives of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
3. State Archives of Kyiv Oblast.
4. State Archives of Poltava Oblast.
5. State Archives of Cherkasy Oblast.
6. National Book of Memory of Victims of Holodomor of 1932–1933 in Ukraine. Cherkasy Oblast. – Cherkasy: Chabanenko Yu., 2008.
7. The Central State Archives of Supreme Authorities and Governments of Ukraine (Central Executive Committee of Ukraine).
8. The Central State Archives of the Social Associations of Ukraine.