Governments of developed countries periodically conduct surveys of the population. All-Union censuses in the USSR, like any other, were carried out in order to see the real picture of the life of the population, to sum up the activities of state structures and outline a further work plan. There are, of course, other sources of information, such as the registration of acts of civil status, but not always the study of archival documents can provide an answer to the question posed. For example, in today's Russia it is impossible to identify information about the birth order of children in a family from documents. Or another situation: the attestation commission keeps data on the number of diplomas received, but it is impossible to determine how many people really work or can work in a scientific environment, because some graduates went to completely different structures, and some left the state. In our multinational country, it is impossible to ignore the language and national issue. Current statistical records do not provide comprehensive information, and the population census becomes the only alternative.
Eight such large-scale events have been held throughout the existence of the country. Population censuses in the USSR had different purposes, and, accordingly, the list of control questions changed.
1920 Census
In the difficult circumstances of the unfinished Civil War and complete economic ruin, the first large-scale survey was carried out within the borders of Soviet Russia. The current situation dictated the special nature of the census.
Representatives of the authorities were interested in the following parameters:
- demographic aspect (registration of births, deaths and marital status);
- presence of educational institutions;
- Agricultural accounting;
- presence of industrial enterprises.
A man was at the center of the study. For the first time, in addition to the question on literacy, a question on the level of education and employment, as well as participation in wars, was included. The results were processed manually. Some areas still engulfed by the fire of the war were not included, so this census is not considered a general one.
Data collection in the post-war years
The first census in the USSR was conducted in 1926. One of the features was the replacement of the item on nationality with the item on nationality. In addition to the main ones, there were questions for the unemployed. The authorities were interested in the duration of unemployment and former employment. The family map created specifically for the survey included the composition of the family with separately identified married couples and children, housing conditions andduration of marriage. Outcomes were developed with the utmost care, and special attention was paid to family data. For the first time, the use of machine data processing began.
In addition to the main survey instruments of the population census in the USSR, they included a personal statement.
Counting the population during the period of repressions
The 1937 census is considered a failure and was rechecked in 1939. Its main drawback was the duration - one day. Many difficulties caused by the change in the list of questions and the short census period, repeated postponements of the dates and constant interference in the preparation of the country's top leadership predetermined the failure of the procedure: the final population turned out to be lower than the calculated one. Responsibility was shifted to the leaders of the census, who, in the light of the repressions of 1937, were recognized as enemies of the people. The results were recognized as defective and were not published anywhere. Subsequently, analyzing the preliminary data, the scientists found that the underestimation was small. It was just the quantitative indicator of the country's population, declared by the top leadership, that turned out to be overestimated. The number was exaggerated in order to hide the colossal human losses during the famine and repressions of the 1930s, and also to prove the authenticity of the socialist propaganda claim that the rapid population growth is one of the merits of the socialist social order.
Data collection in 1939year
By the time of the second census in the USSR, the procedure had been changed. The program included such questions as social group and attitude towards the head of the family, as well as a mark on permanent and temporary residence. A period of three years was allocated for processing information at three machine counting stations. However, only preliminary results were summed up and published.
1959 event
The 20-year gap between the 1939 and 1959 censuses was caused by the huge human losses during the Great Patriotic War and the economic post-war difficulties. To military losses (27 million people) were added losses from hunger, which claimed about 1 million human lives. Naturally, I. Stalin refused the statisticians in 1949, since information of this kind had to remain hidden and could not be used to promote the socialist way of life. One of the results of the event was the introduction of benefits for the third and next child in order to increase childbearing among the Russian population.
The 1970 census is significant in that, for the first time in its process, only a quarter of the country's population was surveyed (sampling method). The total of this event showed that for every thousand men in the country there are about 1,200 women, and the share of the urban population (56%) is almost equal to that of the rural population (44%).
Processing of the data collected during the 1979 census in the USSR was carried out for the first time using a computer. resultscarefully carried out work became a source of widely used information about changes in the composition of the population of the country.
The last (1989) census in the USSR differed from previous ones by including information about living conditions. The results became the basis for the development of housing cooperation.
The procedure for large-scale registration of the population has changed and improved throughout the 70 years of the existence of the Soviet Union. Data that is not always preserved is securely hidden in local and central archives. For those who wish to look into the past of their family and fatherland, one of the sources of information can be the census of the USSR. You can find a person by contacting the local authorities in charge of the state archives.
