Bathhouse facilities in the cities of the Chelyabinsk region during the Great Patriotic War

Relevance. The study of the Great Patriotic War still has many uninvestigated aspects. The history of the Soviet bathhouse economy has long remained on the periphery of historical science. Recently, interest in this topic has grown within the framework of the history of everyday life and social history. Research into sanitary and hygienic infrastructure during the Great Patriotic War is important for understanding living conditions on the home front and measures to ensure social security. The paper introduces into scientific circulation for the first time archival data from the Chelyabinsk Oblast State Archive and the Magnitogorsk City Archive on the presented topic. The novelty of the study lies in the fact it is based on regional material concerning the history of the bathhouse economy during the Great Patriotic War. Purpose of the study: to analyze the development and functioning of the bathhouse facilities in the cities of the Chelyabinsk Oblast during the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945). Objectives: to assess the state of the region's bathhouse facilities on the eve of the war; to identify key problems in its functioning during the wartime period (funding, material and technical base, fuel, personnel); to analyze the impact of these problems on the quality of services and the sanitary-epidemiological situation; to study the measures taken by the authorities to overcome the crisis. Methodology. The research is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity within the framework of the modernization approach. The following methods were used: historical-genetic (to analyze changes in dynamics), historical-comparative (to compare the situation in different cities), and historical-systemic (to consider the bathhouse economy as a complex system). Results. The study and synthesis of archival sources allowed for an objective assessment of the problems of the bathhouse facilities in the cities of the Chelyabinsk Oblast during the Great Patriotic War. Conclusions. By the beginning of the war, the bathhouse economy of the Chelyabinsk Oblast was already experiencing a systemic crisis, which was exacerbated by the war. Its operation was paralyzed by a set of problems (fuel, personnel, equipment), leading to a sharp drop in efficiency and creating a threat to the health of citizens. Despite this, public bathhouses remained a critically important, albeit scarce, tool for maintaining personal hygiene and combating epidemics on the home front.