The term Gulag began as an acronym for the Soviet government agency in charge of forced labor camps throughout the country, but is used today to refer to the entire system of prison labor camps that existed in the Soviet Union during the Stalinist era.
The first camp, created under Lenin, was established in 1918. Though most data from Gulag camps between 1918 and 1929 has been lost or was not kept, it is estimated that between 1929 and 1953, the camps housed approximately 14 million people. Estimates of deaths in the camps in this period range from 1.6 million to 10 million, based on interpretation of data and circumstances.
The prison camps were first established to quiet political dissenters, and to ostensibly "re-educate the bourgeoisie". Before and during the Second World War, the Gulag served as a repository for those deemed counterrevolutionaries (disloyal or dissenting to Stalin), those convicted of criminal charges, and quite often highly-educated intellectuals who were distrusted by government officials.
Corrective labor camps varied in their conditions, but the overwhelming majority shared many harsh characteristics that made prison life unbearable. There was often not enough food, clothing unsuitable for the weather, overcrowding and poorly constructed facilities, minimal or absent health care, and constant physically-taxing labor. Prisoners were dehumanized to the point that they were viewed only as sources of economic labor, as this quickly became a driving force of the system that rivaled the penal purpose (this will be examined under "Role of the Gulag in the Cold War").
Below, a series of graphs and pictures attempt to give a more comprehensive look at life within the Gulag and the effect of this pervasive, arbitrary, and severe prison system.
The first camp, created under Lenin, was established in 1918. Though most data from Gulag camps between 1918 and 1929 has been lost or was not kept, it is estimated that between 1929 and 1953, the camps housed approximately 14 million people. Estimates of deaths in the camps in this period range from 1.6 million to 10 million, based on interpretation of data and circumstances.
The prison camps were first established to quiet political dissenters, and to ostensibly "re-educate the bourgeoisie". Before and during the Second World War, the Gulag served as a repository for those deemed counterrevolutionaries (disloyal or dissenting to Stalin), those convicted of criminal charges, and quite often highly-educated intellectuals who were distrusted by government officials.
Corrective labor camps varied in their conditions, but the overwhelming majority shared many harsh characteristics that made prison life unbearable. There was often not enough food, clothing unsuitable for the weather, overcrowding and poorly constructed facilities, minimal or absent health care, and constant physically-taxing labor. Prisoners were dehumanized to the point that they were viewed only as sources of economic labor, as this quickly became a driving force of the system that rivaled the penal purpose (this will be examined under "Role of the Gulag in the Cold War").
Below, a series of graphs and pictures attempt to give a more comprehensive look at life within the Gulag and the effect of this pervasive, arbitrary, and severe prison system.
A group of prisoners constructing the Kolyma Road at one of the most feared Gulag camps. The temperatures in this area commonly reached -50 degrees Celsius. The road is now known as "The Road of Bones" because the bones of Gulag prisoners who perished during construction were incorporated into the foundation of the road itself.
This image shows prisoners constructing the Baltic Canal. This project was the first major labor project that relied so heavily on forced labor in the Soviet Union.