1. UPRISINGS IN FORCED LABOR CAMPS IN KANGIR AND RUDNIK 2. IMPROVEMENTS FOLLOWING THE UPRISINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A008200610003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2009
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: October 21, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/01/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008200610003-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains Information affecting the National Defense of the United states within the meaning of the Itepionase Laws, Title
18, U.B.C. sees. ?11 and 794, the traasmie ton or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person Is prohibited by 125X1
S-R-C-R-'R:-T
COUNTRY USSR (Kazakh BE)
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
1. Uprisings in Forced Labor Camps
in Kengir and Rudnik
I. I~^provements Following the
Utirisiris
REPORTI
DATE DISTR. 11 Osteber 1955
NO. OF PAGES t
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
REFERENCES
1. The central administration for the Kasakkatan forced labor ea>ps, located at25X1
xengir (p8, z 67), has Jurisdiction over seven cups distributed over an
area 600 to 700 kilometers in cireweferenap lying between the Aral Sea aft
Lpke kyksl. Each carp is divided into approximately three subsidiary cams.
2. From My to Jwne 19511, strikes and uprisings escurred in the Keagir and nearby
. was ftuLnded to Macaw,
Rudnik labor camps, In Kengir, a 414lay strike from 10 My to $0 J=s resulted
in the death of about 600 prisoners, when troops arsrd with whine guns and
supported by seven T-34-type tanks forced their way into the esap. The
Rudnik sump, informed by free settlers of the progress of the strike at Ksngir,
initiated a syspathetic strike an 13 Jtms, which ended without bloodshed on
22 .Tune when seven tanks appeared before the camp gates.
The leads; of the strike at Kengir was a prisoner, Colonel Kusaikor (flnu),
IUD until about 3,930 was attached to the Soviet Kaoendatura in Berlin.
rillsnikav defended himself so ably at his trial in Karaganda (N 1i9-50, B 73-10)
following the strikes that the court declined to sentence hiz1and his case
After the strikes, the cusps were visited, by commissions whisk usually included
a represehtative of the Ministry of a-ternal Affairs and a representative of
the Central Committee of the Party. Camp officials were absent free the in.
terriers wick prisoners, and the latter did not spare'.te!r et'ititlsa. Cool-
plaints ware acted upon is so far as was feasible.
5e The behavior of guards toward the prisoners improved after the uprising, and
-unpopular guards were withdrawn under threat of further strikes. In fall 1954,
essential changes were made in the administration of the camps and the treat.
merit of prisoners. The internal administration of the censer ti+ansf~irred'
as widely as possible to the prisoners thaisiives. Regular political training
which emphasised the theme that the prisoners were all members of the "great
Soviet family" was initated in the camps. The free settlers were reaindsd, on
tie other hand, that the political prisoners were not criminals, as they had
been reg rdsd previously.
STATE ARMY NAVY AIR PIN ARC
(Notei Washington distribution Indlested by 1X"1 Field distribution by "#"?)
25X1
Approved For Release 2009/01/08: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA008200610003-4
 Approved For Release 2009/01/08: CIA-RDP80-00810A008200610003-4
S-E-C-R -PI-T
6. The wearing of civilian clothing had already been permitted in the suer of
1954. m October, the following improvements were made in camp conditions;
a. Shaving of heads of prisoners was no longer mandatory.
b. All political prisoners were permitted to write one letter monthly to an
address inside the USSR. Until that time, the maximum had been two letters
per year. A special ruling was promised on letters abroad.
c. Visits of relatives were allowed.
d. At least half of the inmates received passes to leave the u. and visit
the town. Foreign prisoners were somewhat restricted in this respeet,,
because the authorities evidently did not want them to mule with the
local Population,
e. Four-week vacations were granted all prisoners, regardless of nationality,
and one of the better barracks vu designated as vacation quarters, where
prisoners could receive better than average food,
f. The guards and officers were ordered to treat the prisoners courteously.
Three amnesties were announced in 3,9141
a. An amnesty for persons whose offence occurred before their eighteenth
birthday.
b. An amnesty for invalid., and older persons.
c. An amnesty for all prisoners who had served two-thirds of their sentences.
Amnesty was not automatic bait was ruled on by a local court consisting
of three lay judges and a representative of the public paroseeitoarts office.
The final decision was made by ,the camp directors. Serisma offenders
were not amnestied.
Approved For Release 2009/01/08: CIA-RDP80-00810A008200610003-4