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Part 7, Chapter 2: Rulers Change, the Archipelago Remains
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Gulag Archipelago, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Oppression and Totalitarianism
Survival and the Human Spirit
The Dangers of Ideology
Power as a Corrupting Force
The Value of Religion and Spirituality
Summary
Analysis
Khrushchev’s era gave an impression of change, with leaders claiming that political prisoners no longer existed in the Soviet Union. This illusion, however, masked a harsh truth. Although many prisoners were released, and society seemed to relax somewhat, the state’s iron grip remained. This is exemplified by the horrific events of Novocherkassk in 1962, when striking workers, protesting wage cuts and rising food prices, were met with brutal force. Soldiers opened fire on unarmed demonstrators, killing and injuring many. The massacre was quickly covered up, and even the name “Novocherkassk” became a forbidden topic, erased from public knowledge. The brutal suppression and subsequent silence demonstrated that the state still relied on violence and secrecy to control its people, even in this supposed era of reform.
The image of reform projected during Khrushchev’s era serves as a deceptive facade, masking the Soviet Union’s persistent reliance on oppression and violence to maintain control. The massacre at Novocherkassk in 1962, where soldiers fired on unarmed workers protesting economic hardships, epitomizes the Soviet state’s willingness to use brutal force to silence dissent. The swift cover-up and erasure of the event from public memory reflect the government’s manipulation of information, a tactic used to maintain its power and control over the populace.
Themes
Beyond this public repression, quieter but equally sinister persecutions continued against religious believers, especially Baptists and sectarians who refused to comply with the state’s atheist directives. Monks were expelled from monasteries, churches were closed, and believers were harassed, fired from jobs, and arrested. Trials of religious individuals often turned into mockeries of justice, where hostile witnesses were used, and young children were coerced into testifying against their parents. The state’s aim was clear: to suppress any form of spiritual independence that could undermine its authority. Despite international agreements guaranteeing religious freedom, the Soviet regime systematically violated these rights, justifying its actions as necessary for the advancement of Communism. For those who practiced their faith, this meant harsh punishments and forced labor, all in the name of maintaining control.
By shutting down churches, expelling monks, and imprisoning believers, the state demonstrated its intolerance for any form of spiritual or ideological independence that might challenge its authority. The trials of religious individuals, where children were coerced to testify against parents, illustrate the lengths to which the regime would go to dismantle communities and instill fear. Through these quiet yet relentless efforts, the Soviet regime maintained a stranglehold on personal and spiritual freedoms, violating even international agreements that purportedly protected religious rights.
Themes
Although the number of political prisoners had decreased from Stalin’s era, this was not due to any genuine legal reform. The repressive framework was still in place, and the state could reassert its authority at any moment. Political trials, arbitrary arrests, and the unjust treatment of prisoners continued, shrouded in the same fog of secrecy and manipulation. The Soviet Union’s laws were applied inconsistently, serving the interests of the state rather than delivering real justice. The facade of progress could not hide the reality that power was still wielded with brutality. Solzhenitsyn notes that, although he has titled this chapter “The Law Today,” it should be called “There is No Law.” He insists that true freedom still does not exist in the Soviet Union; rather, there is a fragile illusion of freedom that the state shatters whenever it needs to reassert its dominance.
Despite the reduced number of political prisoners, the legal framework underpinning Soviet repression remained intact, allowing the state to reassert its power at any moment. Solzhenitsyn emphasizes that this reduction in numbers was not a result of genuine reform but a strategic recalibration. Notably, everything Solzhenitsyn describes in this chapter reflects how he felt at the time of its writing, which he completed in 1968. Although the Soviet Union never returned to the levels of totalitarian control it exhibited under Stalin, it certainly continued to exhibit totalitarian tendencies until its collapse in 1991. Because of the international recognition Solzhenitsyn eventually received, he would not return to his homeland until 1994, after the Soviet Union was dissolved.
Themes
