Strikes in the Russian Camps

The strikes that have shaken the entire Soviet concentrationary system during the past few years are a new phenomenon, and yet, in certain respects, they recall the phase of the development of the camps that came to an end in 1935-6. It will be recalled that political prisoners—or at least those who had been involved in communist opposition groups—had formerly enjoyed certain advantages over common-law criminals and taken advantage of them to carry on intense political activity in the camps that were set up specially for privileged political prisoners.

From 1936 until a short time ago, the situation was the reverse. The special rights of the political prisoners were withdrawn and certain privileges were granted to the “c...