Based on archival materials, the article considers the problems of wom-en’s employment in Karelia in the 1950s, pinpoints the causes of the multitude of non-working women, describes the ways and methods used to involve them in public production. It is noted that the party organizations regarded the public employment issue to be of political significance, putting it in opposition to the private-property mindset of those engaged in subsistence farming. Identified were the challenges encountered when dealing with employment issues in the Republic, associated with the narrow economic profile of forest villages, the nu-merousness of settlements with meager population in rural areas. The factors that influenced the process of transformation of the professional employment of women are outlined. Special attention is paid to the measures taken by the government to provide people with kindergartens and infant daycare centers, to organize children’s and teenagers’ leisure time, to improve services to households, medical care for mothers and children. Significant differences be-tween the living and working conditions of women in urban and rural areas are highlighted. It is emphasized that along with a significant growth of women’s labour in the Re-public, women remained overloaded with household chores, lacked free time, were paid less and held less prestigious jobs than men.boyarinova-57-68. read in PDF>>>
