ABSTRACT
The focus of the second chapter is the challenges and issues surrounding evacuee housing. While Soviet officials put forward ambitious plans which would enable evacuees to secure adequate accommodations, many of these remained unrealized. As cities and towns quickly became overcrowded, millions of evacuees were sent to the countryside. Evacuees were usually housed in the apartments and homes of local residents, setting the stage for conflicts. Tensions ranged from petty arguments to outright evictions of evacuees. Many evacuees made unofficial arrangements with locals, agreeing to pay them for housing in order to stay in the cities. In petitions over housing conflicts, evacuees raised pointed questions about entitlement and privilege and deployed their status as dependents of servicemen to strengthen their claims. Access to adequate housing, or lack thereof, was understood as reflective of an individual’s status within Soviet society and one’s contributions to the war effort.
