USE OF PRISON LABOR IN KOM ASSR FOR FOREST CLEARING AND IN SAWMILLS (DOI: 1971

Created: 9/15/1982

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

during THEhe komi ASSRajor center Of prison camps. most OF THEORT OF THE ASSR HAS covered HI TH taigaarge number OF camps. PPOBABlT MORE than tOO. HERf situated DEEP IN THE taiga. criminal sentryregiment. which HAS headquartered to THE SOUTH of THE KOMI ASSR in THE CITY OF kirov. consisted of criminal sentry guaro companies HHOSE men served AS.guards at perhaps 0 prison camps in THE KOMI ASSR. omment' source could NOT recall THE precise locationsNY1 OF THEBUT believeo MOST of THEM HERE in the southern part of THE ASSR. based this belief on THE fact THAT many of THE officers made daily trips from headquarters in kirov to THE camps which THE units guarded. I

THE camps range0 in size fromrisoners torisoners. all OF THE prisoners HERE CCtttON criminals: THERE HERE no political prisoners among them. THE prisoners in all of THE camps worked in ONE aspect or another of THE forestry AND hoodhorking industry. THE variations in THE sizes of THE camps corresponded both to THE degree of security (RE2HIMI orce ano TO the nature of THE labor which THE prisoners perfcrmeo. THE larger camps HERE THE more secure. and THE prisoners at

them performed labor oetails which reouireo relatively close

supervision both BY guards and by FOREMEN. such asANO other machinery in sawmills AMD plywood plants. in THE smaller camps. on THE other hand.details which enabled them to move about HI THgreater degree of freedom. these details, suchinitial clearing of forests AND THE construction ofHERE extremely pcG physically . twould BE fair TO characterize all OF THE laborN THE SENSE THAT they consisted OF thingshireoOT like BUT THEby FAR HAS THAT performed BY prisoners without closed by guaros OR foremen. i

of THE prisoners in THE camps guarded by THEorxeo ON OIL. GAS ORTHE. similarly, there WERE noTHE soldiers ofST regiment ABOUT PIPELlV.by prisoners, whether in THE komi ASSR or elsehhereseveral unidentified officers of THE regiment TOLDTHAT duringO'S they HAD guaroed prisoners WHOALL ofinitial hork ON THEin THE BURfAT assr. mMmW comment: THISof THE "dirtiest" WORK THAT prisoners HAO tocomment! source could NOT speculate about AANY. between THIS railroad AND energy resources. HAD fqrmeo THE BELIEF THAT ITS principal purpose HASTHE movement of TROOPS TO ThE chinese border INqfiew which he saio HE HAOAFTER USTftfljj^ TQiscuss THE railroao. J

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