Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2018 number

The article highlights the situation in terms of housing a population in Kuzbass industrial centers and fighting the housing crisis in 1922-1928. The author used a problematic-chronological method that made it possible to trace the process of meeting housing needs of the working population in Kuzbass as well as housing construction of large coal trusts during NEP (New Economic Policy). Based on archival sources, the author analyzed housing stock, revealed the periods characterizing the approaches to fighting the housing crisis, identified funds for housing, as well as noted harsh living conditions of workers in Kuzbass mine settlements and towns. In 1922-1925, the housing stock growth took place due to limited housing construction, in which temporary houses, poorly adapted to local climatic conditions prevailed. At the same time, the population outflow from the mine settlements was observed, that had a positive effect on housing indicators of working people. 1926-1928 was marked by the revival of housing construction of apartment-type houses and private construction, as a result of loan money received by Kuzbassugol and Kuzbasstrast enterprises from the Central Bank for Communal Services and Housing. There were about 265,000 m² of living space at the disposal of industrial enterprises by October 01, 1928 as a whole, which showed doubling the housing stock of industrial Kuzbass. In total, before the first five-year plan about 36 thousand people or 62 % of the population in industrial regions were provided with housing. The author concluded that growth of the housing stock during NEP improved workers living conditions of Kuzbass industrial enterprises, had a positive impact on stabilization of the miners’ personnel, but did not allow to overcome the housing crisis the aggravated miners’ turnover in coal mines.