The truth about the Russian Gulag

The Gulag, established after the Bolsheviks took control of Russia in 1917, was the governmental body responsible for the extensive prison and labor camp network in the Soviet Union. It reached its height of power between the 1930s and early 1950s under Stalin's rule. The Gulag became infamous for its association with suffering, murder, and terror, giving Siberia its reputation as a place of punishment. Although the Gulag system was abolished in 1957, the term itself continues to elicit feelings of fear and repression that characterized the Soviet Union during the first half of the 20th century.

Take a look at the following gallery and rediscover the harsh reality of being imprisoned in the Gulag.