Institutions for prisoners of war and internees in the Chkalov region during 1943-1949 (number and disposition)
The paper presents the final data on the Chkalov area over 1943-1949 including the camps of the Main Directorate for POWs and internees of the USSR NKVD, individual work battalions of the Defense Ministry of the USSR and special hospitals of the people’s Commissariat of health of the USSR. The article determines the number and location of the institutions for detention of foreign citizens, indicates the beginning and the end of their functioning. It has been found out that foreign POWs and interned citizens were in Chkalov oblast from October 1943 till April 1949. Among them were soldiers of European and Japanese armies, as well as civilians. Only in the Chkalov region there were 10 special hospitals of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the USSR, 5 camps of the Main Directorate for POWs and internees of the USSR NKVD in which there were 20 camp departments and 4 separate work battalions of the Defense Ministry of the USSR. The special hospitals in Akbulak village, Orsk and Mednogorsk functioned longer than any others. POW camps and labor battalions were primarily located in the industrial centers - Mednogorsk, Novotroitsk, Orsk, Chkalov, experiencing high demand in workforce.