The Gulag Archipelago

In a short chapter, Solzhenitsyn explores the idea of revolution and resistance. He addresses relationships between Ukrainians and Russians, as well as the spirit of resistance among prisoners of the Gulag.

Solzhenitsyn describes the chains and handcuffs used to secure prisoners in the Gulag. They were used “religiously” (346) to keep prisoners under control and to inflict additional pain. Inmates were also assigned numbers in place of names, and this practice was another attempt to dehumanize the prisoners. Some brave prisoners fought back against these practices and even managed to win some concessions from the guards.

Throughout Russian history, the Russian people have endured “a succession of tyrannies” (348). Solzhenitsyn believes that the Soviet Union is the latest in a long line of tyrannical regimes, but that the Soviets’ use of the Gulag is uniquely cruel and tyrannical. For example, Lenin, whose own brother attempted to assassinate Tsar Alexander III, was allowed to attend university. Solzhenitsyn believes that, under the Soviet regime, Lenin himself would have been sent to the Gulag. He describes the pleasant conditions of Lenin’s imprisonment and exile under the Tsarist regime. Solzhenitsyn credits the Tsarist government for being more lenient than the following regime, but also criticizes it for allowing the Russian Revolution to take place due to the relaxed treatment of prisoners such as Lenin. Solzhenitsyn points to the numerous escapes and uprisings in the Gulag to suggest that the inmates did not “put up with it” (354).

Solzhenitsyn describes how his attitudes to work duty evolved over the course of his sentence. Settling into a specialized work role allowed him to clear his mind and gave him more time to think about writing. He wished to write a poem but struggled to find an opportunity to write. Without writing tools, he had to memorize every word of his work, using a specially made rosary to aid the memorization. The guards did not take away the rosary, as they believed that he was a religious person. He knows that other people wanted to write and that they used different methods to preserve their words, but each writer was too scared to talk to another. Eventually, Solzhenitsyn opened up to several writers and they shared their work with one another.

The people who made regular escape attempts from the Gulag were known as committed escapers. These people knew the risks involved, but they couldn’t stand their confinement. The committed escapers were the reason security measures were so tight, but they denied that their behavior might negatively impact others.

Solzhenitsyn recalls the life of a committed escaper named Georgi Pavlovich Tenno; “the urge to escape had been with him from birth” (362). Tenno was multilingual, acrobatic, and completely dedicated to escaping. Solzhenitsyn recounts Tenno’s various escape attempts. Tenno planned carefully but often ran into unexpected problems. He talked to other committed escapers and learned more escape strategies. He constantly searched for weaknesses, opportunities, and allies. Because Tenno was prepared to die, he believed that he was prepared to escape.