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Definition of «gulag»

The term "Gulag" refers to a system of forced labor camps that were used by the Soviet government during World War II and for several decades afterwards. The name comes from the Russian acronym GULAG, which stands for the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps. These camps were used as a form of political repression to punish those considered enemies of the state, including prisoners of war, dissidents, and other individuals who were deemed a threat to the government's authority. Conditions in these camps were often harsh, with inmates facing poor living conditions, forced labor, and brutal treatment at the hands of guards. The Gulag system was officially abolished in 1987 by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, but its legacy continues to be remembered as a dark chapter in Russian history.

Usage examples

  1. The Soviet Union established numerous gulags during Stalin's reign, where political dissidents and perceived enemies of the state were sent for forced labor.
  2. The memoir "The Gulag Archipelago" by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn offers a haunting account of the harsh conditions inside the gulags.
  3. The term "gulag" is often used metaphorically to refer to any oppressive or inhumane system, such as working long hours without breaks in a toxic corporate environment.
  4. In recent times, countries like North Korea have been accused of running modern-day gulags, where political prisoners are subjected to similar brutal conditions.
  5. The word "gulag" has entered common usage to describe a place of extreme suffering or confinement, as in the phrase "I feel like I'm living in a gulag under these lockdown restrictions."

Sentences with «gulag»

  • They burned down churches, foribid religion, killed priests and civic leaders and put millions in gulags. (religion.blogs.cnn.com)
  • Hitting movie theaters this weekend: No Strings Attached — Natalie Portman, Ashton Kutcher, Kevin Kline The Way Back — Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell (limited) Movie of the Week The Way Back The Stars: Ed Harris, Jim Sturgess, Colin Farrell The Plot: A group of gulag escapees journey 4,000 miles to their freedom. (thescorecardreview.com)
  • His book, along with a range of other accounts, chronicle the escape of a small band of multi-national prisoners from a Siberian gulag in 1940, and their epic journey over thousands of miles across five hostile countries. (empireonline.com)
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See also

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