2 2 , ▁was ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁mass ▁star v ation ▁and ▁dr ought ▁that ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁Kir gh iz ▁A SS R ▁ ▁( present - day ▁Kaz akh stan ) ▁and ▁Turk est an ▁A SS R ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁war ▁commun ism ▁policy , ▁in ▁which ▁ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁to ▁ 7 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁pe as ants ▁died . ▁The ▁event ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁greater ▁Russian ▁fam ine ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 1 – 2 2 ▁that ▁affected ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁USS R , ▁in ▁which ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁died ▁in ▁total . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁fam ine ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁severe ▁inter mitt ent ▁dr ought ▁conditions , ▁ag gra v ated ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁Pro d raz vy or st ka ▁adopted ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁government . ▁ ▁Fam ine ▁By ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁roughly ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁was ▁star ving . ▁Ep ide m ics ▁of ▁ty ph us ▁and ▁mal aria ▁were ▁also ▁w ides p read . ▁The ▁greatest ▁percentage ▁of ▁losses ▁of ▁the ▁Kaz akh ▁population ▁was ▁in ▁Ak ty ub in sk , ▁A km ola , ▁K ust ana i ▁and ▁U ral ▁provinces . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁estimates ▁of ▁dem ograph ers , ▁about ▁ 1 9 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁died , ▁which ▁is ▁equivalent