The 1946-1947 Famine in Ukraine
Hundreds of thousands perished in the 1946-1947 famine in Ukraine, the third such mass starvation event in the country's modern history. This tragic period resulted from a confluence of postwar devastation, severe drought, and deliberate policies from Moscow. Andriy Kohut, Director of the SBU's Sectoral State Archive, notes that famine conditions began to be recorded in Ukraine in January 1946. The Izmail region was among the hardest hit, with significant losses also documented in the Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.
Policy and Its Impact on the Food Supply
The Stalinist regime used food as a tool of soft power, which critically worsened the crisis. Andriy Kohut emphasizes that 'many different factors coincided' to create the famine. Beyond natural disaster, state policy played a crucial role. 'This particular factor played an especially negative role, though not a greater one than another cause of the famine,' Kohut states. During this time, the Soviet Union exported large quantities of grain and food to other regions, highlighting a grossly unequal distribution of resources.
The activities of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) and the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), which resisted mass collectivization, also significantly impacted the country's food situation. This famine occurred in the shadow of World War II, as the Soviet Union reasserted control over its territories. The 1946-1947 famine left a deep scar on Ukraine's history, illustrating the deadly interplay between natural catastrophes and political decisions.
Like previous famines, the 1946-1947 tragedy demonstrates how political choices can have catastrophic consequences for a population. Amid postwar ruin and political pressure, local communities fell victim not only to environmental factors but also to the conscious policies of the state. Studying this period remains vital for understanding the historical challenges that continue to shape Ukraine's national memory and identity.