Gulag: A History

In Chapter 13, the focus shifts to the complex and often paradoxical roles of the guards and administrators within the Soviet camp system. Applebaum explores the blurred lines between prisoners and their overseers, highlighting the fluidity of positions within the Gulag hierarchy. The chapter opens with an exploration of how individuals navigated the camp’s social ladder, where guards, often former prisoners themselves, occupied a precarious position at the top. The narrative reveals the intertwined lives of guards and prisoners, characterized by shared backgrounds, illicit interactions, and the potential for roles to reverse due to the volatile political climate. This fluidity underscores the systemic corruption and moral ambiguity that pervaded the camps, challenging simplistic narratives of oppressor and oppressed.

The chapter further examines the oscillating fortunes of camp personnel, emphasizing the arbitrary nature of authority within the Gulag. Applebaum illustrates how guards and administrators could rapidly transition from enforcers to prisoners, caught in the purges and power struggles that defined Stalinist terror. Through personal anecdotes and archival evidence, she paints a picture of a system where loyalty and brutality were rewarded but where the specter of suspicion loomed large, leading to cycles of accusation, denunciation, and retribution.