Local Soviets in the Ukraine during the Years of the Great Patriotic War

Abstract

From the very first day of the Great Patriotic War, local Soviets of all the Soviet republics contributed in every possible way to the use of all forces and means for the needs of defense of the Motherland and the defeat of the enemy. The Ukraine was one of the first to experience all the hardships of the fascist invasion: the death of people, the destruction of cities and villages, and the bestial cruelty perpetrated by Hitler's minions on the occupied territory. With the direct participation of the local Soviets of the republic, about 2 million people were mobilized into the ranks of the Red Army in the first months of the war alone, 657 fighting battalions were formed, sections of the People's Army numbering more than a million persons were created, and over 2 million citizens worked to build equipment for defense. The Soviets also used their efforts to organize the evacuation of the population, industrial enterprises, and various material goods from the territory near the front. By the end of 1941, more than 550 enterprises, 427 machine tractor stations, a huge volume of agricultural products, and over 4 million Soviet citizens had been evacuated from the territory of the republic.¹ This tremendous work was done under the leadership of Party organizations, the supreme organs of government, and the central administrative bodies of the republic. The entire country of Soviets gave all-round assistance to the Ukrainian SSR.