Changes

Camps were located in every part of the country—most notoriously in cold Siberia—and slave labor was used not only for mining and heavy industries but for producing every kind of consumer product such as furniture toys, and fur hats.  

Camps were located in every part of the country—most notoriously in cold Siberia—and slave labor was used not only for mining and heavy industries but for producing every kind of consumer product such as furniture toys, and fur hats.  

 

The camps were not designed for execution, but rather forced labor in a society not driven by the the profit motive. The death rate was very high from exposure to the cold, over-work, disease and very poor food, government rations, clothing and medical care. Nearly 130 million prisoners passed through the gulags in their more than 60 years of operation. Some people were imprisoned for violating Soviet law,<ref>Unemployment is illegal under "social parasite" laws in the [[collectivist]] system.</ref> others simply to fill quotas for the demand for workers. The population of the Gulag peaked around 1939 (at the climax of the Stalinist purges) at 11 million, and again in the early 1950s at 13 million. Around 50 million Gulag prisoners died of over-work, ill-treatment, disease or starvation between 1931 and 1953.<ref>In 1992, Russian demographers announced a determination that there were 63 million 'excess deaths' in the Soviet Union during Josef Stalin's reign — 1923-53.</ref>

The camps were not designed for execution, but rather forced labor in a society not driven by the the profit motive. The death rate was very high from exposure to the cold, over-work, disease and very poor food, government rations, clothing and medical care. Nearly 130 million prisoners passed through the gulags in their more than 60 years of operation. Some people were imprisoned for violating Soviet law,<ref>Unemployment is illegal under "social parasite" laws in the [[collectivist]] system.</ref> others simply to fill quotas for the demand for workers. The population of the Gulag peaked around 1939 (at the climax of the Stalinist purges) at 11 million, and again in the early 1950s at 13 million. Around 50 million Gulag prisoners died of over-work, ill-treatment, disease or starvation between 1931 and 1953.<ref>In 1992, Russian demographers announced a determination that there were 63 million 'excess deaths' in the Soviet Union during Josef Stalin's reign — 1923-53.</ref>

The process of rehabilitation was slowed by the victims' disorientation on release and their fear of further repression. A person needed "rehabilitation papers" to find a job or housing, although "gainful employment" was illegal because the profit motive [[subversion|subverted]] the Soviet system.  

The process of rehabilitation was slowed by the victims' disorientation on release and their fear of further repression. A person needed "rehabilitation papers" to find a job or housing, although "gainful employment" was illegal because the profit motive [[subversion|subverted]] the Soviet system.  

A greater problem was the government's denial of its history rather than admitting to leftist ideological flaws. Even after Khrushchev's 1956 secret speech to the 20th Party Congress, the state was slow to acknowledge that many former 'enemies of the people' were in fact innocent victims.<ref>Nanci Adler, "Life in the 'Big Zone': the Fate of Returnees in the Aftermath of Stalinist Repression," ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 1999 51(1): 5-19</ref>

A greater problem was the government's denial of its history rather than admitting to leftist ideological flaws. Even after Khrushchev's 1956 secret speech to the 20th Party Congress, the state was slow to packnowledge that many former 'enemies of the people' were in fact innocent victims.<ref>Nanci Adler, "Life in the 'Big Zone': the Fate of Returnees in the Aftermath of Stalinist Repression," ''Europe-Asia Studies'' 1999 51(1): 5-19</ref>

 

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

*[[Concentration camp]]

*[[Concentration camp]]

*[[Democide]]

*[[Democide]]

* [[Joseph Stalin]]

*[[Joseph Stalin]]

*[[Essay: KAL 007 Survivors and Gulags of Russia]]

*[[Essay: KAL 007 Survivors and Gulags of Russia]]