Orphanages and «Trudkoloniyas» (Work-houses): «State Children» Life in Soviet Russia in 1920-1930s

The article analyzes the Soviet way of upbringing the so-called abandoned children (i.e. the children who had no parental custody and were placed to closed children's institutions) in the 1920-1930s. Particular attention is paid to the problems of financing and provision of children's institutions of different jurisdictions, to the upbringing methods of «morally defective» children and juvenile offenders, to the issues of educators' recruitment as well as the effectiveness of their work control by the Soviet and party bodies.

Soviet childhood, abandoned children, orphanage, labour colonies, children's ration, morally defective children, Narkompros