Population transfer in the Soviet Union

Quick Facts: Who was Population transfer in the Soviet Union?

Subject:

Population transfer in the Soviet Union

Known for:

Forced population transfers and ethnic cleansing orchestrated by the Soviet regime.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

From 1930 to 1952, the government of the Soviet Union, on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and under the direction of the NKVD official Lavrentiy Beria, forcibly transferred populations of various groups. These actions may be classified into the following broad categories: deportations of "anti-Soviet" categories of population (often classified as "enemies of the people"), deportations of entire ethnic groups, labor force transfer, and organized migrations in opposite directions to fill ethnically cleansed territories. Dekulakization marked the first time that an entire class was deported, whereas the deportation of Soviet Koreans in 1937 marked the precedent of a specific ethnic deportation of an entire nationality. In most cases, their destinations were underpopulated remote areas. It has been estimated that, in their entirety, internal forced migrations affected at least 6 million people.

Career & Major Achievements

Of this total, 1.8 million kulaks were deported in 1930–31, 1.0 million peasants and ethnic minorities in 1932–1939, whereas about 3.5 million ethnic minorities were further resettled during 1940–52. The post-war demographic shifts included the largely voluntary repatriation of 4.2 million individuals displaced by the German occupation. Soviet archives documented 390,000 deaths during kulak forced resettlement and up to 400,000 deaths of people deported to forced settlements during the 1940s; however, Nicolas Werth places overall deaths closer to some 1 to 1.5 million perishing as a result of the deportations. Contemporary historians classify these deportations as a crime against humanity and ethnic persecution. Two of these cases with the highest mortality rates have been described as genocides–the deportation of the Crimean Tatars was declared as genocide by Ukraine and several other countries, whereas the deportation of the Chechens and Ingush was declared as genocide by the European Parliament.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

On 26 April 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, under its chairman Boris Yeltsin, passed the law On the Rehabilitation of Repressed Peoples with Article 2 denouncing all mass deportations as "Stalin's policy of defamation and genocide." The Soviet Union also practiced deportations in occupied territories, with over 50,000 perishing from the Baltic states and 300,000 to 360,000 perishing during the expulsion of Germans from Eastern Europe due to Soviet deportation, massacres, and internment and labour camps. Many Soviet farmers, regardless of their actual income or property, were labeled "Kulaks" for resisting collectivization. This term historically referred to relatively affluent farmers since the later Russian Empire. Kulak was the most common category of deported Soviet citizen. Resettlement of people officially designated as kulaks continued until early 1950, including several major waves: on 5 September 1951 the Soviet government ordered the deportation of kulaks from the Lithuanian SSR for "hostile actions against kolhozes", which was one of the last resettlements of that social group.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1930: 1930 Milestone — From 1930 to 1952, the government of the Soviet Union, on the orders of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and under the direction of the NKVD official Lavrentiy Beria, forcibly transferred populations of various groups.
2. 1932: 1932 Milestone — 0 million peasants and ethnic minorities in 1932–1939, whereas about 3.
3. 1937: 1937 Milestone — Dekulakization marked the first time that an entire class was deported, whereas the deportation of Soviet Koreans in 1937 marked the precedent of a specific ethnic deportation of an entire nationality.
4. 1940: 1940 Milestone — 5 million ethnic minorities were further resettled during 1940–52.
5. 1950: 1950 Milestone — Resettlement of people officially designated as kulaks continued until early 1950, including several major waves: on 5 September 1951 the Soviet government ordered the deportation of kulaks from the Lithuanian SSR for "hostile actions against kolhozes", which was one of the last resettlements of that social group.
6. 1991: 1991 Milestone — On 26 April 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, under its chairman Boris Yeltsin, passed the law On the Rehabilitation of Repressed Peoples with Article 2 denouncing all mass deportations as "Stalin's policy of defamation and genocide.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Population transfer in the Soviet Union

True or False: “The initial deportations of 'Kulaks' were solely based on their actual income or property ownership.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The term 'Kulak' was often applied regardless of actual wealth, as it served a political designation used by the state.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Adonis (poet) — Historical peer (Born in 1930) (1930): Pioneering Syrian poet, essayist, and translator who revolutionized modern Arabic verse.
• Adi Shamir — Historical peer (Born in 1952) (1952): Pioneering Israeli cryptographer, co-inventor of the RSA algorithm.
• Ahn In-sook — Historical peer (Born in 1952) (1952): South Korean actress known for her early career successes in film and television.
• Abdelaziz Bouteflika — Historical peer (Born in 1937) (1937): Algerian politician who served as the seventh President of Algeria from 1999 to 2019.
• Alain Badiou — Historical peer (Born in 1937) (1937): Influential French philosopher known for 'Being and Event' and universalism.
• Abebe Bikila — Historical peer (Born in 1932) (1932): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Adolfo Suárez — Historical peer (Born in 1932) (1932): Key architect of Spain's transition to democracy, serving as Prime Minister 1976-1981.
• Ada Yonath — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Pioneering crystallographer known for elucidating the structure and function of the ribosome.
• Alan Ayckbourn — Historical peer (Born in 1939) (1939): Prolific British playwright and director known for domestic farce and ensemble pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions about Population transfer in the Soviet Union