Mass artificial famine of 1921–1923 in Donetsk province

The study is dedicated to the centenary of the mass artificial famine of 1921–1923. Attention is focused on the development of the process in the territory of Donetsk province, which was one of the officially recognized starving. The chosen topic is relevant because to date it has not yet received comprehensive scientific coverage. On the basis of published and archival sources, a gradual exacerbation of the food crisis is shown. The statistical evidence on crops and harvests of Donetsk province are presented, confirming the natural component of hunger. At the same time, the artificiality of hunger was noted as a result of the seizure of grain for the tax in kind and the needs of the starving Volga region. The position of the head of the communist regime regarding the food situation in the region is given. The author focuses on the fact that neither the provincial nor the republican center initiated preventive measures to avoid the spread of famine to the entire region. The question of recognizing the province as a victim was raised by starving workers because of the instability of the centralized food supply of the „all-Union stoker”. The official recognition of the Donetsk province as a victim became the basis for the introduction of measures to combat hunger. The sources of obtaining bread for Donbas are considered as well. The role of Ukrainian agricultural provinces and foreign aid are emphasized. Various methods of filling the reserves of the committees to help the hungry were indicated – from a voluntary donation to a compulsory share contribution. Compared to the situation of the workers, the peasants suffered more from hunger. Rural districts of the north and south of the province were considered as food self-sufficient. This confirms their non-recognition of the famine in 1922-1923. To survive, the peasants put up passive and active resistance, which was a reaction to the internal policies of the regime, in particular taxation with compulsory confiscation of food. Analysis of the worked-out sources allows us to conclude that the Donetsk province suffered greatly from hunger and only thanks to its status received assistance. This partially reduced the effects of famine that was an artificially created catastrophe by the communist regime.