Between Famine and Production: Food Supply and Nutrition of Industrial Workers in Besieged Leningrad (1941–1944)

Annotation

The relevance of the study stems from the fact that, amid catastrophic famine and total mobilization, the food supply for Leningrad’s workers became not only a matter of survival but also a key factor in the city’s defense capabilities. As the primary industrial center, Leningrad supplied the front with armaments, and the physical condition of its workers directly influenced the outcome of the war. The study is also relevant because it reveals the mechanisms of state regulation under extreme conditions, where food distribution was a military-strategic task. The aim of the study is to analyze the food supply system for workers at industrial enterprises in besieged Leningrad, the mechanisms of state-regulated resource allocation, their impact on labor productivity and workers’ physical condition, as well as the reconstruction of their daily lives under famine conditions. The research is based on documents from archives of Saint Petersburg, which helped reconstruct the public catering system, identify supply issues, and examine survival strategies. The study employs comparative-historical, statistical, source analysis, and structural-diachronic methods to trace the dynamics of food supply, reconstruct workers’ diets, and compare their situation with that of other social groups during the siege. The findings demonstrate that, despite strict rationing and prioritized distribution, food supplies for workers in blockaded Leningrad remained insufficient, leading to mass starvation, declining productivity, and social transformations. However, the network of hospitals and canteens played a crucial role in maintaining minimal workforce viability, serving both as a survival tool and an instrument of political control.

Acknowledgments

the study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation № 25-28-00518 “Labor potential of enterprises of besieged Leningrad (1941–1944)”, https://rscf.ru/en/project/25-28-00518/.

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