History of Refugee Children Who Arrived in Kyrgyzstan in the 1920s–1930s

Abstract

This article examines the historical experiences of refugee children who fled from Kazakhstan to the territory of Kyrgyzstan during the socio-political crises of the 1920s and 1930s. The main objective of the study is to analyze the social and demographic processes related to Kazakh refugee children who migrated to Kyrgyzstan as a result of famine, forced collectivization, confiscation campaigns, and political repression. Particular attention is given to the everyday lives of refugee children, including homelessness, disease, orphanhood, child labor, and the assistance provided by state institutions and local communities. The study is based on archival documents, statistical records, periodical publications, memoirs, and oral history materials preserved in the archives of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and neighboring countries. Historical-comparative, demographic, and interdisciplinary research methods were employed. The archival evidence demonstrates that the issue of refugee children should be understood not only as a humanitarian tragedy but also as a complex historical phenomenon shaped by Soviet social and political policies. The research findings reveal that children constituted a significant proportion of the Kazakh refugees who arrived in Kyrgyzstan. Many children lost their parents and were left homeless and without guardianship. Famine and epidemic diseases contributed significantly to high child mortality rates among refugees. At the same time, the study identifies various forms of assistance provided by local communities, charitable initiatives, and Soviet institutions in Kyrgyzstan. However, these efforts proved insufficient to fully resolve the severe social problems faced by refugee families and abandoned children. The article interprets the history of refugee children within the broader context of the social consequences of Soviet modernization policies and considers it an important component of the shared historical experience of the peoples of Central Asia. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of migration, displacement, and child homelessness in the first half of the twentieth century.