This article examines the characteristics of the postwar reconstruction of daily life for the population of the Aktobe Region between 1946 and 1953, based on materials from the Soviet press. This period is characterized as a phase of postwar reconstruction, which had a significant impact on the demographic situation and the standard of living of the population of Kazakhstan. Analytical and journalistic publications that depict the various facets of urban daily life—workdays, financial difficulties, changes in social structure, and public mood—are analyzed.

The aim of this study is to examine how the local press reflects everyday life in the region. The source base consists of materials from regional newspapers (“Ferrosplavshchik,” “Aktyubinskaya Pravda,” “For Bolshevik Collective Farms,” “For Metal,” “For Communism”), which made it possible to identify the socioeconomic, every day, and cultural aspects of the population’s life. The authors managed to identify the features of everyday life, reflect on the role of women, and reflect on the achievements of collective farms and construction processes in the region.

Newspaper articles are one of the most widespread and accessible historical sources that allow us to examine the diversity of lifestyles in Soviet regions. At the same time, the authors do not rule out the possibility that newspapers of the Soviet era often constructed a ‘correct’ picture of life, guided by ideological imperatives, with the result that real-life everyday problems were covered only in a piecemeal fashion or were not covered at all. It was concluded that the press played a dual role: on the one hand, it served to strengthen the role of state bodies, whilst on the other, it provided the authorities with insights into public sentiment and needs.