Economic Status and Forms of Economic Activity of National Minorities of Podillia in the Context of the Policy of Indigenization in the 1920s–1930s

Abstract

The specifics of interethnic relations and the everyday life of ethnic communities in Podillia have been studied, which allows evaluating the practical steps of the party and state leadership of the 1920s–1930s in regulating the region's economic life, particularly for the Jewish and Polish populations. It is shown that within the framework of the policy of indigenization, the Soviet authorities sought to involve national minorities in active participation in the processes of socialist construction. A transformation of the worldview orientations of the Polish population regarding their own national identity, caused by the fear of repression and discriminatory practices by the state, has been recorded. The complex socio-economic conditions of existence of a significant part of the Jewish population of the cities and towns of Podillia are highlighted. Using materials from individual districts, the results of surveys of the Jewish population and the formation of its social structure, which differed significantly in terms of professional affiliation and level of material security, were traced. The social structure of the Polish national minority is separately characterized, with the bulk consisting of poor and middle-class strata. At the same time, only a small part of the so-called «barrier nobility» was attributed to the kulak stratum. The formation of cooperative forms of management, particularly agricultural collectives, is analyzed due to low land availability and a shortage of working livestock on the farms of national minorities. Under these conditions, the executive authorities of the Shepetivsky district developed recommendations for the implementation of collective land use. Despite their absence, the first Jewish artels emerged in Ostropol and Krasylivskyi districts. Despite their absence, the first Jewish artels emerged in Ostropol and Krasylivka districts. The causes of conflict relations between the local population and Jewish colonists, which manifested themselves in social tension, land conflicts, and violent actions, are highlighted. The activities of more than 85 national agricultural artels of Podillia, which operated in conditions of economic difficulties caused by a lack of livestock, tools, and limited state credit support, were studied. A significant part of their production was sold through the agricultural cooperative system. In parallel, industrial and artisanal cooperatives developed, particularly in Polish and Jewish communities. An important role in the cooperative movement was played by credit and consumer societies, as well as trade unions, which contributed to the socio-economic integration of national minorities.