Andrei Vyshinsky Character Analysis in The Gulag Archipelago

Andrei Vyshinsky, a prominent Soviet lawyer and politician, became infamous for his role as the chief prosecutor during Stalin’s Great Purge. Vyshinsky played a key part in the Moscow Trials of the 1930s, during which he secured convictions for numerous high-profile political figures through forced confessions and show trials. He argued passionately for the guilt of the accused, often labeling them as “enemies of the people” and advocating harsh sentences, including executions. Beyond his prosecutorial work, Vyshinsky served as the Soviet Union’s Foreign Minister and represented the USSR at the United Nations, where he continued to champion the Soviet government's interests with the same combative zeal.

Andrei Vyshinsky Character Timeline in The Gulag Archipelago

The timeline below shows where the character Andrei Vyshinsky appears in The Gulag Archipelago. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Oppression and Totalitarianism Theme Icon

Authorities embraced Marxist ideology to rationalize these tactics. Andrei Vyshinsky, a legal theorist, argued that because humans can only know relative truths, any confession, even... (full context)

By 1933, Stalin’s vision for socialism demanded a stronger state apparatus. Vyshinsky, the Soviet Union’s Prosecutor General, echoed this idea, emphasizing the necessity of bolstering the network... (full context)