Re-emigration programme of the USSR in the second half of the 1940s

The paper is devoted to the Soviet re-emigration policy after the World War II. During this period, when about five million people returned to the Soviet Union as a consequence of the WW2, the Soviet state implemented a wide-scale re-emigration programme. In 1945-1949, more than 106 000 former emigrants, ethnic refugees and their descendants voluntary came to the USSR from the countries of Europe, Middle East and Asia. Re-emigration was represented by ethnic migration. It was preceded by the campaign of “sovietization” of “white immigrants” and diaspo-ras. Re-emigration is analysed in the paper in the context of the state strategy and priorities of the accommodating territories. It was implemented on the basis of agreements between the federal authorities and the governments of Russian, Armenian, Ukrainian and Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republics in a form of republican re-emigration programmes. However, a full-scale control of central authorities was arranged. An assessment of federal and republican policy in the sphere of re-emigration is provided in the article. It also addresses major trends in the area of migration, its priorities and scales. The author states that due to re-emigration, only Armenia managed to increase the number of its population and partially compensated the losses of the war. The success of the programme was conditioned by international political context and by the Armenian diaspora's co-financing of the resettlement. The approaches to the implementation of the re-emigration programmes and practices of relocation, accommodation and employment of reemigrants, as well as the evaluation of the efficacy of using new labour resources are provided in the paper based on the data of the USSR Repatriation Department of the Council of the People's Commissars/ Council of Ministers, and of the executive powers of the republican and regional levels.