Refugees from the western provinces of the Russian empire in the Ivanovo-Voznesensk industrial district: accommodation and supply (1914-1917)

Based on the documents of the State Archives of the Ivanovo region, the article dwells on the accommodation and supply of the refugees from the Western provinces of the Russian Empire during World War I in the towns of Ivanovo-Voznesensk industrial district (Ivanovo-Voznesensk, Shuya, Yuryevets, Puchezh). A comparative description of the allocation and accommodation of the refugees is given both in large industrial centers and in provincial towns, practically devoid of developed industry. The main focus is placed on the food supply of the refugees organized by the municipal authorities, municipal and uyezd selfgovernment bodies, as well as charitable organizations. As government funds allocated to help the refugees were constantly reduced, the municipal authorities had to constantly limit the number of rations issued, depriving of the rations those who really needed the aid. Such actions led to a sharp deterioration of the refugees’ financial situation, as most of them were women and children. The municipal authorities believed that the failure to issue rations to all able-bodied people would soon force the refugees to find a job and switch to self-support. But due to the lack of a well-thought-out evacuation plan, a considerable part of the refugees ended up in areas where they simply had no chance of finding work. Therefore, the refugees were forced to move to areas with developed industry and a more capacious labor market. The author of the article concludes that Ivanovo-Voznesensk was a place of attraction for the refugees in the Ivanovo-Voznesensk industrial district.