On November 7, 2024, the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology held a national scientific and methodological seminar titled “Research and Issues in the History of Homeless Children in the 1920s-1930s.” This event was organized within the framework of the grant-funded project by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, titled “The Problem of Child Homelessness in Kazakhstan and Adjacent Territories in the 1920s-1930s” (IRN AP23488331). The purpose of the event was to discuss methodological approaches to studying the problem of child homelessness in the 1920s-1930s within domestic and foreign historiography in the territories of Kazakhstan and neighboring countries, as well as to identify, collect, and incorporate new sources on this research topic into academic circulation.

The scientific and methodological seminar was opened with a welcoming speech by the Director General of the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Historical Sciences Z.E. Kabyldinov Ziyabek Yermukhanovich introduced the projects currently being implemented at the Institute, highlighting the significance of the research project on “The Problem of Child Homelessness in Kazakhstan and Adjacent Territories in the 1920s-1930s.”

Dr. Orazgul Khasenkzy Mukhatova, a Chief Researcher at the Ch. Ch. Valikhanov Institute of History and Ethnology and Doctor of Historical Sciences, presented on the study and issues surrounding the history of homeless children in the 1920s-1930s. In her presentation, she raised the question, “Is it more accurate to refer to them as ‘homeless children’ or ‘children without guardians’?” Participants expressed that the term “children without guardians” more effectively reflects the research topic. Dr. Mukhatova also provided an overview of foreign and domestic historiography on the subject, highlighting the contributions of scholars such as A.I. Zak, A.S. Makarenko, N.K. Krupskaya, E.D. Kuskova, I.V. Zezina, N.V. Manannikova, A.B. Bisenova, K. Aldazhmanov, K. Kusainov, E. Baimagambetova, T. Kalenova, and others. She emphasized the value of analyzing articles from periodicals of that time as well as contemporary publications to offer a comprehensive view of the topic. Additionally, she referenced the dissertation by G. Sugiralimova on the history of homeless children in Kazakhstan in the 1920s-1940s and discussed the establishment and development of orphanages during the 1920s-1930s. Among notable document collections, she cited the 2010 compilation “Gonimye golodom” by E. Sydykov, focused on Kazakh refugees to Western Siberia, and the 2021 three-volume “Asharshylyk. Golod. 1928–1934. Dokumentalnaya khronika.”

In concluding her presentation, Dr. Mukhatova suggested addressing several critical issues in writing the history of homeless children:

– Reassessing the concept of “homeless children;”

– Defining categories of homeless children;

– Clarifying the causes of homelessness;

– Determining the number of homeless children;

– Investigating instances of false claims of homelessness and exposing them;

– Distinguishing between the issues of orphanages and homelessness;

– Defining the historical and legal basis for homelessness;

– Reevaluating the resolution of the homelessness problem.

The seminar, held both offline and online, attracted nearly 50 participants, including scholars, educators, doctoral candidates, and others interested in the study of the history of homeless children. During the post-presentation discussion, several participants, including Candidate of Historical Sciences G.U. Orynbaeva, PhD Dr. M.M. Kozybayeva, History MA A.A. Bekenova, and doctoral candidate Y. Sauyrkan, shared their thoughts and raised questions related to the presentation topic.

T. Sakabay, a lecturer from Karaganda University, shared insights from his research on this topic, revealing that records of children in orphanages were sometimes inflated by state authorities to secure increased funding. PhD Dr. M.M. Kozybayeva highlighted that the project would also investigate the history of children left without guardians due to famine and repression, who migrated to neighboring regions, and emphasized the importance of conducting a comparative analysis of how homelessness among children was addressed in regions like Kyrgyzstan, Western Siberia, and Southern Siberia, where many Kazakh children fled during the famine.

We anticipate that the issues discussed during this seminar will contribute valuable insights to the ongoing research project on “The Problem of Child Homelessness in Kazakhstan and Adjacent Territories in the 1920s-1930s.”