LABOR CAMPS IN THE KOLYMA REGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006000470005-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 20, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 17, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Ih-,.,
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
c;
.
COUNTRY USSR (Magadan Oblast)
Labor Camps in the Kolyma.Region
SUBJECT
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United states, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT L
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REQUIREMENT
REFERENCES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
S okoynava (N 6
17 March 1955
vamT9 A
a River and was in the neighborhood
Spokoynaya was located on the Spokoynay not more than eight I. fkilometers
1, Camp
E 147-57),
(N 63-11
k
,
dAr
a 1"c'
of Kholodnyy'an' highway'(sic) . It took four or five days to travels aboutc two hours
from the E 150-48) to Camp Spoko a. The camp
Magadan (N 59-349 gereg.
by truck. froam Levyy
(fenders and
Spokoynaya was divided into two sections, one for polit
Cam
t 800-900 inmates.
p
had abou
2? criminals Each section the po ~?
The two major national,grouPs. rest of the
sin bout 300 Baits.
section con s Chinese, Nort
- - --ae -, of ra meris. Poles qr.- ,.e were
and some Sovihesenationalities.7 The only quarrels were between
quarre s In -volt camp -among t
Moslems and members' of other faiths,.
MVD?
The chief of the two sections of Camp Spokoynaya was Captain Isayev (fnu ,-
3. es on, the collar and hat band., He had ;four
He wore a uniform with blue strip
assistants, a major."and three.lieutenant~rk ne,' for details.ltural ratters,' one for
e of
har
g
political affairs, and one in c
(Note: Washington Distribution Indicated By "X"; Field Distribution By "*'I?)
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4.
The political camp consisted of seven or eight-barracks. Five of the barracks
were for sleeping quarters; one was a hospital; and one was a dining hall. The
barracks were divided into-two sections with 50 or 60 men in each. The prisoners
slept on boards, and each had one blanket.
5. About 20 men in Camp Spokoyn eight of these cases
were taken to-the-hospital. tuberculosis
cases by-the fact that the men were very thin and frequently-ha ever.
Camp near Orotukan (N-62-16. E 151-42~
6. Camp Orotukan was located just outside the town of Orotukan. There were approxi-
mately 800 male political prisoners in this camp. The nationalities represented
were the okoynaya. There were-no fights among the nation-
alities, only criminal prisoners had fights, which were con-
cerned primarily with stolen objects. In Camp Orotukan, the prisoners slept on
mattresses -stuffed- with, hay.
9.
Camp Discipline
In the camps for political prisoners (Berlag) the discipline was very, strict,
and the prisoners worked because they were-afraid. The internal camp guards
were unarmed; but,'whenever political' prisoners went to work, they had. to be
escorted by armed guards and dogs. This was not-true for prisoners condemned
for some crime. Criminals were allowed more-freedom; and, if the camp adminis-
tration permitted-it, they were allowed to go around without escorts, even
beyond the -ca?np limits. When a political 'prisoner came within ten.paces of
a camp guard or any member of the administration,-he had to come to. attention
and stand still until the guard was ten paces past him. No political prisoner,
under penalty of arrest, was permitted to use the word tovari_ sh h. He had to
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address the camp commander in the proper way, then recite his name, date of
birth, and paragraph of sentence.l-A prisoner might have to leave the presence
of the guard and return three or four times, until he did everything right.
Before leaving camp and on returning, the prisoners were. searched. The number
which appeared on the prisoner's cap and on his back had to be visible at all
times. Three-tines-source was-punished with five days of solitary confinement
for failure to have his number clearly-visible.
10. In all camps there was-a prison for solitary confinement; it was called kartser.
int
d
d
b
a p
an
rea
In solitary confinement, prisoners received 300 grams of black
t both
ld
ge
of water (0.5 liter)-per'day, but no heat. Often a prisoner wou
ka.rtser i bur'-(brigada--usilennogo rezhima).
+ 1-1.QVL1
inmates, but the former were confined to their barracks and-had no freedom to
walk even within--the camp-limits. These prisoners had to do the same work as
the others.
11. The camp commander could also deprive a prisoner of any pay and of his discount
(zaschet) on the-length of-his sentence. This discount--on sentence meant that
a prisoner could reduce his sentence by overfulfilament-of the norms of work.
For one day of work the maximum discount was three days. The rates were as
follows:
Norm Fulfillment
120 percent
120-130 percent
130-140 percent
140-145(sic) percent
Over 150 percent
Discount
day.
li days.
2 days.
21 days.
3 days.
this system applied only to Dalstroy and the work on the
-this system was a mere incentive to do more work.
L. Actually
Ur %_t on ana
,
.
Most foreign political prisoners were released before completion of their
sentences, regardless-?af their discount earnings.
Camp Culture
12. Three or four times--a-month there-were-assemblies for all prisoners. These
meetings were devoted almost entirely to propaganda for more work; there-was
little political propaganda. Once a month a film was shown, usually in the
d
l
-
ou
dining hall. Each month a propaganda bus (agitmashina), equipped with a
speaker blaring forth work slogans and other propaganda, came to each camp to
bring the next movie. Many~of the movies contained anti-American propaganda.
"Kubanskiye Kazaki";-"Iskaniye Zemli Siberakoy" (Exploration of
ld Men
B
;
o
Siberia); "Traktorist"; "Za Granitsey" (Beyond Our Borders); "Daieko of Moskvy"
(this film showed how the komsomols worked in building a city; "Vstrecha na
Libel' (Meeting on the Elbe); "Sekretnaya Missiya"; "Oni imeyub,Rodinu" (this
film concerned uhil-dren -returning to their- home--in Berlin after the So,,:ie,.
conquest of the -city; it was apparently presented in a light.favorable to the
Soviets.
Criminal Classes
13, All the political prisoners kept together. Among the
criminal offenders, however, there were various classes. At the top of the
order were the thieves (vory), who were respected the most because they had
a certain sense of honor. At the bottom of the order were the suki, who sold
out to the administration and worked for it. They were always at odds with the
y2=,, A class by itself was constituted by the "lawless" (bespredelnyye),
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who were against everyone?
there were also "redcaps"
X1
they might be stool pigeons. A class that cut across the line
s was
25X1
rormed y e blatnoy, who were athlet
es and thoug
ht they were better than
the others, They tried to evade work,
"
referred to them as "gold-
bricks
, They could be found among bo
th the vor
and the saki,
Comment. This probably refers to, the article of the republic
Criminal Code under which the prisoner was sentenced,
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