Abstract
Labour played a central role in the relationship between the Soviet state and society. The ideological emphasis on a conscientious approach to work represented a crucial component of socialist labour discipline. This article examines the distinctive features of the labour organization system and labour discipline issues among workers at industrial enterprises evacuated to Kazakhstan during the war years (1941-1945). The research aims to achieve its objective by analyzing published and unpublished archival documents from central and regional archives, which illuminate the distinctive characteristics of labour discipline at defense enterprises, including the diverse transgressions committed by their workers, as well as the punitive measures taken against such violators. This study adopts an institutional perspective to comprehensively examine the state’s labour organization system, using specific industrial enterprises as case studies, and drawing upon the approaches of social history. The analysis considers the labour behavior of workers within the context of their dual roles as both objects and subjects of historical processes. Existing historical accounts have often portrayed the issues of labour discipline in a one-dimensional manner, primarily emphasizing the mass enthusiasm of workers. This article, however, adopts a more nuanced approach, analyzing the impact of evacuation processes on the organization of production and the complex relationship between production and labour discipline within these industrial enterprises. The article further reveals previously unexamined cases of equipment failures, industrial accidents, as well as the causes and consequences of worker desertion from these enterprises.