The article is devoted to the problem of organizing assistance to Russian soldiers who were captured during the First World War after their repatriation. The history of studying this problem has a rich history, starting with the writings of contemporaries of those events. In the last two decades, scientific works have begun to appear, affecting not only the all-Russian, but also the regional aspect of the problem. Nevertheless, this problem has not been studied enough by region. That is why the main emphasis in the article was placed on the regional component of this issue through the interpretation of events on a national scale, how and under what conditions support was provided to prisoners of war who returned to Kozmodemyansk and Krasnokokshaysk districts of the Kazan province. The article, based on the materials of the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El, examines the forms of assistance to prisoners of war from the Soviet state, the creation of special departments for refugees and prisoners of war under local councils, accounting and control, a set of measures for material support of this category of the population, conducting propaganda and other cultural events for those who returned from captivity. It is noted that former prisoners of war joined the ranks of the Red Army. Their knowledge and military training were used by the Soviet military-political leadership to strengthen the defense. Some of the prisoners of war were involved in local government bodies and military commissariats. This research is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity, which, in the context of the development of Russian historical science, makes it possible to assess the events of that time in a new way, to more adequately present the situation in the center and on the ground related to the position and use of this category of the Russian population during the Civil War.