Historian and writer Yuri Felshtinsky has become a participant in the documentary series «GULAG. Witnesses.» The discussion touched upon the key themes of his book «From Red Terror to a Mafia State,» in which he analyzes the evolution of the Soviet repressive system and its transformation into a criminalized political structure.
«The country was absolutely ruthless to everyone. There was no place for mercy. Perhaps after 1956, the perception of events changed somewhat, but before that, the country had gone through a revolution, a civil war, military labor, Stalinist terror, then World War II (the Great Patriotic War), and after that — the harsh post-war years. Until 1956, life in the USSR remained either relatively or completely hopeless. And it was in these conditions that the GULAG existed—the most terrifying embodiment of the Soviet system.»
«During any terror, the first to die are the most active people—those who refuse to compromise, to hide, to remain silent, to yield. Those who consider themselves principled and honest. They disappear, while those who manage to survive remain. This led to widespread obedience among the population, which persisted for decades.»
«The well-known phrase ‘half the country is in prison, the other half is guarding them’ was not an exaggeration. In reality, part of the population was exterminated, part was sent to camps, and part became guards. And let’s be honest: prisoners, who were divided into male and female zones, could no longer reproduce. Meanwhile, those who worked as guards continued to do so without any obstacles.»
«I don’t have the statistics, but it would be interesting to study demographic data. How many of those who lived in the Soviet Union 20 years after 1956 were descendants of former prisoners, and how many were descendants of former guards? I believe the ratio was clearly not in favor of the prisoners.»
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