Figure 1.--We at first tought this was a summer cmp groip, but he children re too young for summer camp. A Ukranin source describes the boys and girls as a 'children's shelter' group. We are not sue just what that means and how it differs fom an orphnage. the children all wear checked summer smocks. They all look to be about 3-5 years old. We know that the snaopshot was taken n 1953, meaning that they are not World War II orphans. There is an inscription on the bck, we hink in Ukranian, but we are unable to trnslate it. Click on the image to see the text.

There are a wide range of institutions which are involved with children. These instittions have for several centurues were associated with the Tsarist Empire. Welfare activiyies were primarily conducted by churches. Allmof this changed with the Russian Revolutuon and Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union (1917-91). Turmoil and the Russian Civil War followed. There was a need for orphanages. The Soviet Union was the world's first totalitarin state. As such there was a much wider range of institutuons to care for children than had been the case during the Tsarit era. The education system was expanded. We do not yet have information on orphnages. The Soviets lunched an atheist campign. Many churches were closed. Priests and nuns were arrested. Churches were not permitted to have any programs atracting chilkdren or wefare programs. Many children benefitted from the expanding state institution programs, but if they were part of groups deemed hostile to Communism, they could become the target of the powerful Soviet state and secret police organizations like the NKVD. This became the case for the Ukranian peasantry when Stalin launched his first Five Year Plan with its collectivization program. Ukranian peasants attempted to hold on to their land and Ctholic faiuth. The children of peasants driven from their land, often in the dead of winter, were in no way aided by Soviet orphanges. Stalin condycted a genicidal campaign. The Young Piooneer Movement was orgnized, but only limited resources were devoted to it. An even worse fate was in store for the Ukraniabs when the Gernmns invded (1941), but the red army victory prevented anoother genocidal program. After World War II, Ukraine was treated more normally as a Soviet SSR. The Soviets continued to expabd the eucation system. We still know very little about orphanages. The NAZIs targeted civilans, primarily the Jews at first, but the ukranin people were to be next. More civiliabs than soldiers died in the war. There must hve been a great need for ophanhages. The Young Pioneer Program was expanded. The Soviet economy did not develop a prosperous economy because of the socialist economy. The country was disolved and Ukraine like most of the Soviets SSRs opted for independenc (1992).

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Created: 3:31 AM 8/24/2022
Last updated: 3:31 AM 8/24/2022