Combating Child Homelessness in Russia in the First Decades of the Soviet Rule

The article examines the measures the Soviet government took to combat child homelessness in the first decades of the 20th century. It was established that during these years the formation of legislation regulating the protection of homeless orphans and children without parental care was initiated. The leading role in the struggle against child homelessness was played by the Extraordinary Commission of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee for Improving the Lives of Children (Children’s Commission of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee) headed by F.E. Dzerzhinsky. Under the leadership of the Children’s Commission of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee, local Children’s Commissions were created. They managed to unite the efforts of regional authorities to save children from famine. For this purpose, children were evacuated from areas where famine raged to more prosperous regions of the country. In the early 30s of the 20th century the state directed its efforts to expand the network of orphanages in the country, strengthened their material base and created subsidiary farms. In order to reduce the burden on orphanages, patronage or adoption of children by farmers came into use.