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Stalinist Gulag system
Sexual violence was a widespread, endemic feature of the Stalinist Gulag system, particularly targeting female prisoners and, in some cases, male prisoners, often used by guards as a tool of terror, control, and coercion. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago and various survivor accounts, such as Elena Glinka’s testimony of the "Kolyma tram," detail a system where rape and sexual exploitation were part of daily camp life.
Key aspects of sexual violence in the Gulag include: Coercion by Guards: Female prisoners were frequently coerced into sexual favors by guards in exchange for protection, better food, lighter work, or to avoid being sent to worse, often fatal, camp conditions.
"The Kolyma Tram": Survivor Elena Glinka described this as a horrific,, systematic act where women were subjected to mass rape by groups of men—often criminal inmates—resulting in the death of many victims, who were then dragged away while others were subjected to the same.
"Attractiveness as a Curse": Solzhenitsyn notes that for women, "attractiveness was a curse," leaving them constantly surrounded by the threat of violence. The only protection was often considered to be old age or being deemed unattractive.
Sexual Assault on Men: While less frequently highlighted in general histories, the "opushchennye" (a marginalized, lower-caste group in the camps) were subjected to sexual violence and murder, often involving rape by other inmates.
Prostitution and Survival: Due to the dire conditions, some women used sexual relationships with guards or, as a, "protection" strategy, with influential male inmates to survive the brutal conditions.
Pregnancy and Trauma: Any woman who became pregnant was often transferred out of the camp shortly before giving birth, frequently losing her child to an orphanage, where many died.
Normalization of Violence: Sexual abuse was part of a larger, systemic environment of degradation where prisoners were already dehumanized through starvation, forced labor, and constant punishment. While The Gulag Archipelago focused on the overall, mostly male experience, later studies have highlighted that female prisoners, who made up a significant portion of the population (sometimes up to 30% in post-war periods), suffered uniquely from these specific, endemic abuses.
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