The article examines the phenomenon of socially endangered childhood during the Siege of Leningrad (1941–1944). Through analysis of archival documents, personal diaries, and contemporary accounts, the study recon-structs the multidimensional reality of extreme conditions faced by minors in the besieged city. There are three key aspects of this socially hazardous environment: physical threats (systematic starvation, extreme cold, artil-lery bombardments), psychological pressure (constant anxiety, loss of family members), and institutional col-lapse (breakdown of education and healthcare systems). Particular attention is given to analyzing children’s survival strategies, including the phenomenon of “premature maturation” and the transformation of age-related roles. The study demonstrates that childhood during the siege represents a unique historical case of extreme social endangerment, where traditional socialization mechanisms became completely distorted. The findings of this research broaden the understanding of the limits of children’s adaptive capacities under conditions of humanitarian catastrophe and hold applicability for modern studies of childhood in zones of armed conflict.
Irena A. Milova (Wed,) studied this question.
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