Gulag facts for kids

The Gulag was a huge system of prison camps.

The Gulag was a huge system of prison camps run by the Soviet Union. These camps existed from the 1930s to the 1950s. After the Soviet Union started in 1917, it put people in prison who disagreed with the government. This was similar to older Russian prison camps called katorga. But the Soviet Union's prison system grew to be one of the largest ever.

Why the Gulag System Started

During the 1920s, the Soviet Union put more and more people in prison. These were people who didn't agree with the government. Leaders thought it was a good idea to make these prisoners work. Their work and the things they made would help the country's economy. In fact, about 2 out of every 100 workers in the Soviet Union were Gulag prisoners.

The Gulag system officially started in 1930. During the 1930s, people were very afraid of the Soviet government. Police were told to arrest and imprison many people. This happened even for small reasons or if they were innocent. This made the Gulag system grow much bigger. By 1936, there were 5 million prisoners in the Gulags.

Where Gulag Camps Were Located

Many people think the Gulag camps were only in Siberia. However, these prison camps were actually located all over the Soviet Union. Siberian camps made it harder for prisoners to run away. But it was also harder to get food and supplies to these camps. Moving goods in and out was difficult because the camps were so far away.

The End of the Gulag System

The Gulag system began to end in the 1950s. This happened after the death of Joseph Stalin. Many prisoners were released starting in 1954. The Gulag program officially ended with a government order in 1960.

The Gulag administration reported that 10 million people were sent to the Gulags between 1934 and 1947. However, experts from other countries believe the numbers are much higher. They estimate that between 1918 and 1956, 15 million to 30 million people died in the Gulags.

Images for kids

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  Punishment cell block of one of the subcamps of Vorkutlag, 1945

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  Genrikh Yagoda (middle) inspecting the construction of the Moscow-Volga canal. Behind his right shoulder is a young Nikita Khrushchev.

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  The fence at the old Gulag camp in Perm-36, founded in 1943, turned into a museum. Many Ukrainian nationalists were repressed and held at this camp.

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  Group of prisoners in Sakhalin, remote prison island, c. 1903

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  Population of Gulag camps (blue) and Gulag colonies (red) in 1934–53.

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  Central shop in Norilsk built by prisoners of the Norillag

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  Lithuanian deportees preparing logs for rafting on the Mana River

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  The Transpolar Railway was a project of the Gulag system that took place from 1947 to 1953.

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  During the Stalin era, Magadan was a major transit center for prisoners sent to the Kolyma camps.

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  Political prisoners eating lunch in the Minlag "special camp" coal mine. In "special camps" prisoners had to wear prison garb with personal numbers.

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  Vorkuta Gulag

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  Shack from Gulag – reconstruction in Museum of the Occupation of Latvia

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  Siberian taiga in the river valley near Verkhoyansk. The lowest temperature recorded there was −68°C (−90°F).

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  Part of 'Project 503' to build a railroad from Salekhard to Igarka near Turukhansk on the Yenisey

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  OGPU chiefs responsible for construction of the White Sea–Baltic Canal: right: Frenkel; center: Berman; left: Afanasev (Head of the southern part of BelBaltLag)

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  Yurshor, Vorkuta area

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  The city of Vorkuta

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  Map of Stalin's Gulag camps in Gulag Museum in Moscow

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  Memorial in St. Petersburg

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  Gulag Museum in Moscow, founded in 2001 by historian Anton Antonov-Ovseyenko

See also

In Spanish: Gulag para niños