▁homes ▁to ▁the ▁local ▁railway ▁stations ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁loaded ▁in ▁un he ated ▁cattle ▁cars . ▁ ▁In ▁many ▁cases , ▁the ▁cars ▁were ▁filled ▁beyond ▁capacity ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁contain ▁bath rooms . ▁ ▁Food ▁was ▁not ▁provided , ▁and ▁water ▁fell ▁through ▁the ▁holes ▁and ▁cra cks ▁in ▁the ▁cattle ▁car ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁snow . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁har sh ▁conditions , ▁many ▁children ▁and ▁elder ly ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁died ▁en ▁route . ▁ ▁Post - war ▁Kal my k ia ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁their ▁w ides p read ▁dispers al ▁in ▁Si ber ia ▁their ▁language ▁and ▁culture ▁suffered ▁a ▁possibly ▁irre vers ible ▁decl ine . ▁K hr ush chev ▁finally ▁allowed ▁their ▁return ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁when ▁they ▁found ▁their ▁homes , ▁jobs , ▁and ▁land ▁occupied ▁by ▁imported ▁Rus si ans ▁and ▁Uk ra ini ans , ▁who ▁remained . ▁ ▁On ▁January ▁ 9 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁Kal my k ia ▁again ▁became ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁ob last , ▁and ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 , ▁an ▁autonom ous ▁republic ▁within ▁the ▁Russian ▁S FS R . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁years ▁bad ▁planning ▁of ▁agricult ural ▁and ▁ir rig ation ▁projects ▁resulted ▁in ▁w ides p read ▁desert ification . ▁On ▁orders ▁from ▁Moscow , ▁sheep ▁production ▁increased ▁beyond ▁levels ▁that ▁the ▁frag ile ▁ste ppe ▁could ▁sust ain , ▁resulting ▁in ▁ 1