Summary of “Kolyma Stories” Shalamova
Stories of V. Shalamov are devoted to the hard life of prisoners in the Gulag, their prison life. In the world of the Gulag, the chief role is played by the chiefs and the so-called “thieves,” the life of prisoners in the camps depends entirely on the case, whatever it may be. The author describes the terrible existence of prisoners very brightly and reliably: eternal hunger, cruel treatment of the authorities, frequent illnesses and gradual onset degradation.
Tombstone This story is dedicated to the comrades who were with him in the camps. Shalamov describes the fate of his friends, their suffering and hopes, excruciating deaths. Few of those who remember the author, survived and retained their old worldview.
The life of the engineer Kipreev The author, living on the basis of the principles of morality, told himself that the honor and dignity of man consist in the readiness to meet death at any time. But then he realizes that it is impossible to know in advance
At the presentation Shalamov in his story says that the violence in the camp affected all without exception and gives an example. One of the “thieves” during the game of cards is defeated and offers a game for “representation”, which means in debt. Completely engulfed in the game, he at all orders one of the prisoners, a normal intellectual, to give him his sweater. After the refusal of the intellectual, one of the “thieves” kills him, and the sweater
At night Prisoners of the Gulag come to the grave of their friend, take off his underwear. They want to sell the dead man’s things in order to buy food the next day. First, prisoners are disgusted. But then they forget about what they are doing, because tomorrow will have the opportunity to eat and, possibly, smoke.
A single measurement The author compares the conclusion in the Gulag with the corruption. The prisoner, thin and weak, works very slowly and, of course, does not give an interest rate. One such person is a certain Zek Dugayev, he is weakening from a working day lasting 16 hours. All day Dugayev performs the same work. In the evening the inspector measures work – it makes 25 percent. Dugayev considers this indicator to be huge. His whole body aches terribly, he no longer feels hungry. Then the investigator asks Dugayev about his name, surname, date and reason for the conclusion. The next day the prisoner is taken to an unknown place, fenced with a fence. Exhausted Dugaev understands that his life is over. The only thing that this person regrets is that he worked the last day of his life.
Rain A certain Rozovsky shouting to the next-door narrator that the meaning of life simply does not exist. Rozovsky is trying to interrupt the escort, but it’s useless. Having lost the meaning of life, a man tries to rush to the guards, but then the narrator runs to him. In order to save Rozovsky, he tells the escorts that his friend was sick. Then Rozovsky wants to commit suicide and rushes under the trolley. After the trial, he is simply sent to another place.
Sherry Brandy Prisoner – a poet, one of the most recognized in the twentieth century, painfully and long dies. He lies in the darkness of the two-storeyed bunks. The poet thinks of terrible things, for example, that his bread was stolen. He is ready to seek this bread, fight for it. But the strength disappears with every minute. When a poet is brought bread, he eagerly bites his spoiled teeth. About his death, the authorities will not know for another two days. Sly neighbors raise the dead man’s hand in order to get his share of bread during the distribution.
Shock therapy The prisoner of the Gulag Merzlyakov, a satisfied large man, feels a breakdown due to the fact that too much work. At some point, he was so weak that he fell to the ground. Due to the fact that Merzlyakov does not want to carry the log any more, he is beaten by escorts and other prisoners. Despite the fact that soon Merzlyakov is recovering, he wants to delay time before going to work. The prisoner complains of his poor condition. As a result, Merzlyakov is sent to the surgical department of the central hospital, then to the nervous department. He struggles to seem sick, because he does not want to be exposed to lies and sent back to prison. But Merzlyakova is examined by the doctor Pyotr Ivanovich, who always exposed those who pretended. Peter Ivanovich is very proud of being so professional. The doctor immediately understands Merzlyakov’s intentions and wants to reveal the whole truth. To do this, Pyotr Ivanovich makes a patient an anesthesia raush, thanks to which Merzlyakov became able to unbend. After that, the prisoner undergoes shock therapy, as a result of which his behavior is similar to the behavior of an epileptic. The settlement of these torments Merzlyakov begs for him to be discharged.
Typhoid quarantine The prisoner of the Gulag named Andreev falls ill with typhus. This saves him from hard work and provides an opportunity to survive. Andreev wants to do everything possible to stay in transit for a long time. Then he will have a chance not to be sent to the so-called golden faces, where nightmarish conditions reign. The prisoner is hiding for a long time: he does not respond to the roll call of the recovered. Finally, it’s time for discharge. Andreev is confident that he has already managed to avoid the worst, because business trips, most likely, will now not be so distant. But here the prisoners see a truck leaving with people who have been sent to neighbors, and understands all the bitterness of their situation.
Aortic aneurysm A special place in Shalamov’s stories is occupied by illnesses. The author reckons the terrible condition of emaciated prisoners to the form of the disease, although officially it was not so. The doctor on duty Zaitsev draws attention to the woman who entered the hospital, Ekaterina Glovatskaya, a very beautiful woman. Zaitsev is aware of the close relationship of the beautiful woman with a prisoner named Podshivalov, who runs a circle of amateur art. Despite this, the doctor leaves no hope. Zaitsev examines Glovatsky, he forgets about his interest in attitudes toward her, he is seized by professional concerns. The doctor finds out that women are sick with an aneurysm of the aorta, in which the likelihood of a fatal outcome is high. The doctor makes a report on a serious illness Glovatskaya. But the head of the hospital believes that Zaitsev lies in order not to separate Glovatskaya and Podshivalova.
The last fight of Major Pugachev Shalamov in his stories also pays attention to people who can influence the course of events, and not just be saved, by all means. In the early 1940s, among the prisoners were those who fought and were captured by the Germans. These people are radically different from the rest of the Gulag prisoners, they can take risks for the sake of freedom. They saw death, they shed their blood. But they were not exhausted by the camp conditions, and this consisted of “guilt”. Major Pugachev, one of such brave and resolute people, understands that in such circumstances he and his comrades can not survive. Therefore, he assembles a group consisting of a scout, tankman, paramedic and pilots in order to escape. But they can escape only if they do not participate in common works. Therefore, those who participate in the conspiracy, gradually moving into the service staff. Finally comes the spring – it’s time to escape.
Early in the morning the camp cook came for the keys to the pantry. The duty officer, without suspecting anything, opens the door and is killed. The same fate befalls the attendant who came later. Then the participants of the escape kill the guards and take their own weapons. Prisoners wake up. The conspirators keep them at gunpoint, at this time they stock up on food and put on the uniform of the military. Coming out of the camp, they “catch” the truck on the terrace and drive until the car runs out of petrol. Then the conspirators go to the taiga. The leader of the escape – Pugachev – remembers his German captivity, about the arrival in the Germans’ camp of “Vlasov” emissaries, who believed that the captives were traitors to the Motherland.
At first Pugachev did not believe the emissaries, but then he was convinced of this. The first night after escaping, the major understands that the comrades who agreed to go with him are the most worthy people. A bit later, a fierce battle between the fugitives and the soldiers who found them is unfolding. As a result, almost all those who escaped from prison die, one is left to be cured and then shot. The escape organizer manages to escape. Nevertheless, he realizes that sooner or later he will be caught. However, Major Pugachev does not regret anything. He shoots himself.
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