This article examines the phenomenon of child homelessness in Soviet Kazakhstan during the interwar period as a complex socio-political challenge rooted in famine, forced collectivization, and political repression. Particular focus is placed on the role of orphanages and state-run institutions designed to protect and re-educate children abandoned by circumstances.

Drawing on previously unpublished archival records, statistical data, and state reports, the author analyzes the mechanisms of social response to mass orphanhood and mortality.

The article explores the paradox of the Soviet system acting both as a savior and an authoritarian force, imposing ideological conformity on traumatized children. The findings underscore the broader context of state control over vulnerable populations in the formation of the new Soviet society. The article presents a historical and social analysis of the phenomenon of child homelessness in the context of global and national processes of the 1920s–1930s. Particular attention is given to the causes of mass child homelessness, which resulted from the consequences of wars, revolutions, economic crises, and social disintegration. The article examines international trends in addressing child homelessness, as well as the specific features of the Soviet Union's state policy toward homeless children. It analyzes forms of social assistance, child welfare institutions, ideological approaches, and practices of re-education. The study emphasizes that child homelessness during this period was not only a pressing social issue but also a reflection of profound societal transformations that required a comprehensive approach at both national and international levels.