Mobilization of All Internal Resources of the Kyrgyz SSR
Speedy construction methods, which originated in the pre-war years, were particularly widely applied during the war and became one of the most important conditions for the rapid commissioning of evacuated enterprises and new industrial construction in deep rear areas. This gigantic work was accompanied by enormous difficulties. The volume of investments in the national economy of the republic decreased from 206 million rubles in 1940 to 138.5 million rubles in 1942. Of this amount, 42.9 million rubles were allocated for capital construction of republican significance in 1942. In fact, 18.3 million rubles were spent, or 42.7% of the plan. The management of the construction materials industry fulfilled the capital investment plan by 60.2%, the People's Commissariat of Food Industry by 44.6%, and the People's Commissariat of Forestry by 25.0%. The construction of buildings for cotton cleaning, refractory, glue production plants, and a hemp-jute factory, which were to be commissioned in 1942, was not completed.
Delays in the completion of capital works were a result of the lack of construction materials, transportation, and labor for the projects. Particularly low rates were observed in the production of construction materials. The five-month (January - May 1942) plan for the production of fired bricks was fulfilled by only 25.7%, and tiles by 6.2%.
In May 1942, a conference of construction industry workers of the Kyrgyz SSR was held. Valuable recommendations were made, and immediate tasks in the field of local construction materials production were defined. The rich natural resources of Kyrgyzstan—raw materials for the production of cement and glass, deposits of marble, gypsum, alabaster, various clays—were used insufficiently during peacetime. In 1942, especially in the second half of the year, the production of 14 new types of building materials was mastered. The output of anhydrite—a binding material that allowed the release of scarce Portland cement and lime—was expanded, the production of alabaster and ganch was established at the Jarbash plant, floor tiles for industrial enterprises and ceramic water pipes at the Novo-Pavlovsk plant, refractory products at the Frunze brick factory, and gypsum—pink sandstone at the Sogutinskoye deposit.
The creative search of scientists, engineers, technicians, and the enthusiasm of the people were the most important conditions for the successful mobilization of all internal resources of the republic, which allowed for the rapid commissioning of evacuated factories and plants, accelerating the construction of new ones and reconstructing a number of old enterprises switched to the production of defense products.
In an extremely tense situation, the reception, accommodation, labor, and daily life of the evacuated population from the front-line areas of the country were organized. From July 1941 to January 1942, 61,862 people arrived in Kyrgyzstan, and by December 1942, this number increased to 138,900. Among them, 6,485 arrived from Moscow and the Moscow region, 16,500 from Leningrad, 13,063 from Ukraine (by the end of 1941), and 1,423 from Belarus. Part of the population from the Lithuanian SSR, Moldavian SSR, Karelo-Finnish SSR, and the Kursk, Oryol, Tula, Rostov, Voronezh, Stalingrad regions, Crimea, and the Stavropol and Krasnodar territories moved to Kyrgyzstan over many thousands of kilometers. Additionally, 12,902 Polish citizens who had emigrated settled in Kyrgyzstan, including 3,700 in Frunze, 3,997 in Osh, and 2,120 in Jalal-Abad.
The reception, accommodation, and employment of the evacuated population were overseen by the Commissioner of the Council of Evacuation of the USSR for the Kyrgyz SSR. To provide practical assistance, district, city, regional, and later republican commissions for the affairs of the evacuated were created. These bodies were tasked with:
a) reception, accommodation, and employment of the evacuated population by districts, collective farms, industrial enterprises, and institutions;
b) providing material assistance to evacuated citizens;
c) organizing food supply and distribution of food, clothing, and footwear.
Of the total number of evacuated people, 62,047 were accommodated in the districts of the Frunze region, including 32,285 in collective farms. Below are the data on the resettlement of the evacuated population by districts and cities of the region.
In addition, 15,255 people settled in the Osh region, 13,547 in the Jalal-Abad region, 15,372 in the Issyk-Kul region, and 1,826 in the Tien Shan region. Upon arrival at their destinations, the evacuees were immediately employed and provided with food, clothing, and monetary assistance. One of the most pressing problems was providing them with housing. The need for housing for urban residents was far from being satisfied even in peacetime. The housing stock of the city housing management of the capital of the Kyrgyz SSR, as of December 1941, amounted to 49,000 square meters, almost fully occupied. In addition, 98% of the housing stock of the private sector and 99% of the departmental housing were occupied. The unoccupied area consisted of excess space in already occupied premises. At the same time, the number of unaccommodated people in the city of Frunze alone by the end of 1941 was 1,700.
Construction of factories and plants in the rear of the USSR - Kyrgyzstan