A fully documented history of the system of Soviet concentration camps traces the evolution of the gulag from its origins during the Russian Revolution to its final collapse during the era of glasnost, describing their use as forced labor camps, how prisoners lived and died, their cultural and social significance, and more. Reprint. 30,000 first printing. Chronicles the history of the Soviet concentration camp system from its start after the Russian Revolution to its collapse, discussing its creation and the way of life for those who lived there. The Gulag--a vast array of Soviet concentration camps that held millions of political and criminal prisoners--was a system of repression and punishment that terrorized the entire society, embodying the worst tendencies of Soviet communism. In this magisterial and acclaimed history, Anne Applebaum offers the first fully documented portrait of the Gulag, from its origins in the Russian Revolution, through its expansion under Stalin, to its collapse in the era of glasnost. Applebaum intimately re-creates what life was like in the camps and links them to the larger history of the Soviet Union. Immediately recognized as a landmark and long-overdue work of scholarship, Gulag is an essential book for anyone who wishes to understand the history of the twentieth century.
