Репресивна політика радянської влади та долі жінок Південної Бессарабії у перший рік її анексії (червень 1940 – липень 1941 рр.)

The purpose of the study is to analyse the features of the repressive policy of the Soviet authorities towards the women of Southern Bessarabia in the first year of sovietisation; identify the scale, mechanisms, consequences of repression in the gender dimension. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity and a systematic approach, which involve analysing events in their cause-and-effect relationship, taking into account the social, political and cultural context. The scientific novelty is determined by the need to expand gender studies in historical science, to objectively assess events, to introduce new archival documents into scientific circulation, and to clarify the consequences of repression and deportation not only for women but for the region as a whole. Conclusions. The repressive policy of the Soviet authorities towards women in Southern Bessarabia (June 1940 – July 1941) was part of the large-scale political and social changes that accompanied the region's accession to the USSR. The annexation of the region was accompanied by arrests and repressions directed not only against the social elite, but also against the general population, including women, who found themselves in a situation of double pressure. On the one hand, women faced repression as individuals, and on the other hand, their situation was aggravated by their social or family context. Repression against women had consequences not only for them personally, but also for the region as a whole. Destroyed or separated families, social isolation of women, deportations and resettlement led to a certain destabilisation of the socio-economic situation in Southern Bessarabia, leaving a noticeable and painful mark on the history and memory of local residents.