A. L. J. I. R. Camp for wives of “traitors”

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А.Л.Ж.И.Р. Лагерь для жен "изменников родины"

Akmola camp of wives of traitors of the Motherland or, as it was called prisoners, A. L. J. I. R., was one of three Islands of the infamous “GULAG Archipelago.” In a huge camp in the middle of the Kazakh steppe, where winter frosts reach up to 40 degrees, and the huts were built of a mixture of clay and straw, has sent thousands of women.

Show completely… they were Guilty of only one thing – they happened to be wives of those who in times of Stalinist repressions considered traitors. Hunger, cold, disease, and endless faith in justice – the life in the camp, A. L., J. I. R. – OK.media.

We have come for you

August 15, 1937 the people’s Commissar of internal Affairs Nikolai Yezhov has signed the order “About the repression of wives and children of convicted traitors to the country”. The NKVD followed immediately the arrest of the wives convicted of spying, “traitors” and members of right-Trotskyist organizations. Took all with the exception of pregnant women, the elderly and seriously ill. True, and those are not always spared — often under the hot hand got the wife pregnant. Trial was not the person searched, was taken away, his property was described and the apartment was sealed. An explanation’s out of the question — had to sign a paper saying counterrevolutionary work, and the preparation of the assassination of comrade Stalin. If the victim refused, she was thrown in a cell and tortured.

Camp, A. L., J. I. R. was located in almost bare Kazakh steppes

“I can not sleep. Hug seated daughter, looking at the sleeping mother and suddenly — a knock at the door. Again… again… heart skips a beat. Open before me the two in the form of the interior Ministry: “We came for You.” “What arrest?” — escaped from the breast. “Yes. You’re under arrest. Pack your things yourself, child. No noise now”… And in one hour destroyed the family forever: on the road from the car took the daughter, and the prison doors for 16 years closed behind me…” recalled Maria Antsis, the wife of the Secretary of Krasnosulinskogo Secretary of the city Committee of the CPSU (b).

On stage

After sentencing women waited for a long stage in Kazakhstan. South-West of Akmolinsk (now Astana) was the Karaganda camp. It was there, on the basis of the 26th tradephoneline village at the beginning of 1938 was created by A. L. J. R. I. Circle — Kazakh steppe with a 40-degree frost in winter and 40 degree heat in the summer, strong winds all year round. The office was surrounded by several rows of barbed wire, behind which were six huts made of dried clay and straw. Glasses enough not everywhere — the Windows had curtain or plugging it with a cloth. Heated huts with reeds, which grew near to assemble went together.
Barracks in the camp were made of mud bricks

Get the convicts in the camp for a long stage in the supply trucks, cars. They were cramped, stuffy, not enough water. In one of the cars drove the women with infants. Maria Antsis told in his memoirs how all the “wives of traitors of the Motherland” worried, not coming down with a cold if. Using the guard they gave nursing mothers saved the sugar to dissolve for kids in the water.

Especially dangerous

Prisoners at the camps were considered “especially dangerous”, so the conditions were strict. Check twice a day, forbidden to read, write, receive letters and to arrange family visits. It was the hardest to even hope to get out of the camp, the women realized that may never see their loved ones. Men shoot, and children will be put in an orphanage where they will change the names.

Because of the constant hunger (the prisoners were fed only millet, is sometimes given bread) often had scorbutic disease. In A. L. J. I. R. e had grown new varieties of vegetables and fruits — apples, pears, melons, cucumbers, and onions. But all this was taken out of the camp, so the feeding of prisoners did not improve. Local Kazakhs tried to help women, feeding Kurt. This peculiar kind of cheese they threw in the passing prisoners. The guards took Kurt over the stones. Also local is sometimes left under bushes, meat and bread. But it is not saved from all troubles — suffering prisoner and from tuberculosis, pneumonia, cancer and dysentery. Another problem — the violence of the guards.

Local residents fed up of women of Kazakh cheese Kurt

With the outbreak of war the order came no one from the camp to release — and even those who have already served their time. Prisoners, they sewed uniforms for the front, working as elsewhere, according to the plan, and exceeding it. Officially, the A. L. J. I. R. shut down in 1950, but the Akmola branch of Karlag eliminated only in 1953.

High society

The camp gathered a good society. “Among us was the Leningrad professors, nearly the entire troupe of the Kharkov Opera house, engineers, technicians, builders, doctors, geologists, teachers — professions hundred, probably. And the artists… there were and Actresses, scientists, engineers, and teachers. Horses from the slurry tank barrels at first was ruled by ladies in hats. Hats then worn out, and it was a camp,” — wrote in his memoirs, prisoner of the camp Maria Danilenko.

In A. L. J. I. R. e contained singer Lydia Ruslanova

Galina Stepanova-klyuchnikova says about his conclusions: “Under us slept Rachel M. Plisetskaya (the mother of the ballerina Maya Plisetskaya — D). Three times a day, she ran to the children’s barracks to breastfeed son <…> In the corner of the barracks quietly whispered among themselves, wives of the Belarusian poets — an Evening Astapenko, Taubina. Opposite something homemade knit crochet Lydia gustavovna Bagritsky, the wife of the poet Bagritsky. After his death she married again, but still received eight years in the camps”.

He was among the prisoners of the mother of Bulat Okudzhava Ashkhen Nalbandian, Kira Andronikashvili, the Princess of the family Andronikovich, singer Lidiya Ruslanova. The last one of the Amateur performances refused to speak, saying: “a Nightingale in a cage singing”. Accurate data, how many prisoners were held in camp no. In 1938 there were about 8 thousand women In 2000, 12 of the prisoners of the camp was glorified in the Assembly of new martyrs and Confessors. May 31, 2007 (the day of memory of victims of political repression) on the site of the former A. L. J. I. R. and was opened as a Museum and memorial.

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