Deserting villages in eastern and South-Eastern Lithuania in 1960s-70s: between a provincial settlement, big town and Vilnius

On the basis of the archival and historiographical materials the article concerned is looking into the agricultural reform pursued by the Soviet authorities in the 1960s-70s when individual farms and small villages were being eliminated, and the life style maintained for years was changing radically. The changes involved a dramatic migration of people from villages to new places of residence. The author of the article attempted to answer several key questions: 1) how the destruction of the system of individual farms carried out in Eastern and South-eastern Lithuania affected the demographic situation; 2) the major targets of migration from villages: more populated surrounding locations or big towns; 3) the consequences of the migration in Eastern and South-eastern Lithuania. The article is summed up with the following conclusions: The demographic situation in Eastern and South-eastern Lithuania in the period concerned remained fairly stable. Such demographic stability of the region was determined by a quite high natural population growth which compensated for migration loss. Another source supplementing the population was migration from other republics of the Soviet Union, especially from Belarus. Residents of this neighbouring republic were attracted to Eastern and South-eastern Lithuania by a better economic, social status, greater personal freedom (leaving Belarus guaranteed them a Soviet passport, which ensured better opportunities for mobility). The new arrivals would most often choose larger settlements. One could meet Russians, Byelorussians, Ukrainians, Polish and new arrivals of other nationalities in small towns and cities of Vilnius or Šalčininkai districts which were not so far from Belarus. They worked at state institutions of agricultural, industrial, educational and other areas. [...