By: Daniel Nardini
It is one of the least known facts of the history of the former Soviet Union. During the Great Depression of the 1930’s, when as much as 25 percent of all people in the United States found themselves out of work, many considered going anywhere to find work. And a number of them found work in the Soviet Union during the 1930’s. No one is sure how many Americans went to live and work in the Soviet Union. It could have been thousands. Many of those who went to the Soviet Union were members of the Communist Party of America. Many were from pro-Soviet organizations, and still others were from United Front (against the rise of fascism in Europe) associations. However, the majority of those Americans who went to the Soviet Union were just simply looking for work. So many Americans were desperate at the time for work that they did not care where they went.
Interestingly enough, the Communist Party and many left wing organizations recruited many people to go to live and work in the Soviet Union. In the beginning, life was good for those Americans who went to live there. The jobs paid well, the Soviet authorities provided housing, gave them free medical care, and even helped arrange for marriage to Soviet citizens as a first step to becoming Soviet citizens themselves. What almost none of these Americans realized was the repressive nature of the Soviet system (especially under Joseph Stalin), nor the fact that once they were in their Soviet Union they had their passports confiscated and therefore could not leave. For most of those Americans who went to the Soviet Union, life seemed good. It was not going to be good for long. In 1937, began the Great Purge of the entire Communist party of the Soviet Union. All of the Communist Party members, many of whom had been around since Lenin took over Russia in 1917, were shot and tortured to death.
But the Great Purge went much further. Soon most of the Party was purged, and then the armed forces and finally the whole of the Soviet Union. Stalin saw those Americans who came to the Soviet Union as enemies, so he had them shot or sent to the Gulag—the slave labor camps. Like all those poor souls, all those Americans who were sent to the Gulag were starved to death, tortured to death, and were forced to spend ten and even 20 years in some of the worst places on earth. Even during the Second World War almost none of these Americans were freed, and the Soviet government never revealed how many Americans remained in the Gulag. When Stalin died almost all those Americans remaining in the Gulag went free, but almost none of them were allowed by the Soviet government to return to the United States. Those who were able to regain their passports and return to the United States have been able to tell of their harrowing stories, but sadly most Americans do not seem to have much of an interest.
While the Gulag is now history, the Communist slave labor camp system itself is far from dead. The Communist slave labor camp system was established elsewhere outside of the Soviet Union. It still exists in countries like China where it is known as the Laogai. In North Korea it is known as the Kwan-li-so. In Vietnam the labor camp system is known as the trai hoc tap cai tao. It does not matter what the name of the Communist slave labor camp system is—what does matter is that it still exists and it still imprisons the innocent, political and religious dissenters, people of “enemy” class backgrounds, and those “endangering state security.” So I warn my fellow Americans that before they take up residents in certain countries following their dream jobs, think carefully what kind of penal system might be on the other end.
Americans in the Soviet Slave Labor Camps
By: Daniel Nardini
Interestingly enough, the Communist Party and many left wing organizations recruited many people to go to live and work in the Soviet Union. In the beginning, life was good for those Americans who went to live there. The jobs paid well, the Soviet authorities provided housing, gave them free medical care, and even helped arrange for marriage to Soviet citizens as a first step to becoming Soviet citizens themselves. What almost none of these Americans realized was the repressive nature of the Soviet system (especially under Joseph Stalin), nor the fact that once they were in their Soviet Union they had their passports confiscated and therefore could not leave. For most of those Americans who went to the Soviet Union, life seemed good. It was not going to be good for long. In 1937, began the Great Purge of the entire Communist party of the Soviet Union. All of the Communist Party members, many of whom had been around since Lenin took over Russia in 1917, were shot and tortured to death.
But the Great Purge went much further. Soon most of the Party was purged, and then the armed forces and finally the whole of the Soviet Union. Stalin saw those Americans who came to the Soviet Union as enemies, so he had them shot or sent to the Gulag—the slave labor camps. Like all those poor souls, all those Americans who were sent to the Gulag were starved to death, tortured to death, and were forced to spend ten and even 20 years in some of the worst places on earth. Even during the Second World War almost none of these Americans were freed, and the Soviet government never revealed how many Americans remained in the Gulag. When Stalin died almost all those Americans remaining in the Gulag went free, but almost none of them were allowed by the Soviet government to return to the United States. Those who were able to regain their passports and return to the United States have been able to tell of their harrowing stories, but sadly most Americans do not seem to have much of an interest.
While the Gulag is now history, the Communist slave labor camp system itself is far from dead. The Communist slave labor camp system was established elsewhere outside of the Soviet Union. It still exists in countries like China where it is known as the Laogai. In North Korea it is known as the Kwan-li-so. In Vietnam the labor camp system is known as the trai hoc tap cai tao. It does not matter what the name of the Communist slave labor camp system is—what does matter is that it still exists and it still imprisons the innocent, political and religious dissenters, people of “enemy” class backgrounds, and those “endangering state security.” So I warn my fellow Americans that before they take up residents in certain countries following their dream jobs, think carefully what kind of penal system might be on the other end.