Mother and Child in Early Soviet Social Policy: The Case of Dagestan

Abstract

The paper analyzes the Soviet social policy of 1920–1930 in the field of maternity and childhood protection in Dagestan. Based on archival materials introduced for the first time in scientific circulation, as well as an analysis of published documents, literature and periodical press materials, I reveal the main trends of early Soviet policy. This analysis made it possible to build a holistic picture of the transformations in the field of medical care for women, their emancipation, and inclusion in public life. These documentary materials reflect the difficulties the Soviet authorities faced in their attempts to penetrate and transform Dagestan’s villages. One key example was how Soviet health care collided with traditional medical practices in Dagestan. The traditional alers formed the basis of medical care with most using the services of local
midwives who had no professional education. This was due to the lack of specialized educational institutions in the region. However, in the mid‑1920s, an obstetric-paramedic school was opened, which began to train qualified medical workers. As statistics show, before the ban on abortions was introduced, their number in Dagestan was significant. The ban imposed on abortion led to a growth of fertility, which in turn led to the opening of the maternity hospital in the capital of the republic. The opening of the Dagestan Medical Institute in 1932 and the creation of the departments of children’s diseases and obstetrics and gynecology had a positive impact on the provision of skilled medical care to mothers and children. The article shows that despite the famine, the reluctance of local residents to resort to qualified medical care, as well as other difficulties associated with the conduct of Soviet social policy, a considerable increase in population was observed in Dagestan in the 1920s‑1930s.