Liliia Tsyganenko
Doctor of Historical Sciences (habil.), Professor,
Gerda Henkel Foundation Scholarship Recipient (2022–2024, Germany),
«Denkraum Ukraine» Scholarship Recipient
(2025, University of Regensburg, Germany)
E-mail: liliatsyganenko@gmail.com
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5014-9845
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.53.4
Yuliia Lukashevych
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Assistant Professor, Leading Researcher
of the Scientific of the Research Department of Intangible Cultural
Heritage at the National Historical and Ethnographic Reserve “Pereiaslav”,
Kyiv , Ukraine
E-mail: lukashevichyl551@ukr.net
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8336-3904
DOI: 10.17721/2522-4611.2026.53.4
WOMEN’S SURVIVAL STRATEGIES
DURING THE FAMINE OF 1946-1947 IN SOUTHERN UKRAINE:
ORAL HISTORIES, EVERYDAY LIFE AND MEMORY
This article analyzes women’s survival strategies during the famine of 1946–1947 in Southern Ukraine. It is based on a combination of oral histories, archival documents, and a gender-sensitive approach to the study of everyday life. The study demonstrates that women’s experiences make it possible to view the famine as a complex social process in which economic, moral, emotional, and cultural dimensions intersected. Women emerged as central figures in the organization of daily life. They managed household economies, distributed scarce resources, provided food for children and the elderly, engaged in exchange practices, and maintained social networks.
The aim of this article is to reconstruct women’s survival strategies during the famine of 1946–1947 in Southern Ukraine on the basis of oral interviews and archival materials. The study seeks to demonstrate how women adapted to the tragedy of famine, which practices they employed, how they made decisions under conditions of extreme resource scarcity, and which forms of memory of the famine have been preserved in their narratives decades later.
A comparison of oral histories with official documents exposes a significant gap between state discourse and the lived experience of the population. Archival materials document quotas, procurement campaigns, and reporting practices, yet they largely fail to capture the moral dilemmas, emotional burdens, and survival practices that shaped women’s lives. Oral testimonies fill this gap. They reveal the “invisible” side of history and demonstrate that an understanding of famine is impossible without considering the gender dimension, everyday practices, and local forms of support.
Keywords: famine of 1946–1947, Southern Ukraine, women’s history, everyday life, oral testimonies, survival strategies.
Received 14.11.2025.
Revised 18.12.2025.
Accepted 6.01.2026.
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