The End of the Gulag and the Birth of the Colonies

Abstract

This paper examines the transformation of the Soviet penitentiary system from the abolition of the Stalinist Gulag system to the system of correctional labour colonies that was established in the 1960s. I analyse the drivers of change along three main lines: political, economic and legal/technical. The political changes were linked to Khrushchev's efforts to destalinise Stalinist terror and to make communism more humane. From an economic point of view, the low productivity and high maintenance costs of the Gulags justified the abolition of the system. Legal reforms, in particular the 1958 amendment to the Penal Code, emphasised the rehabilitation of prisoners, the development of a positive attitude to work and respect for socialist norms. The colony system that replaced the Gulags was more structured, differentiated and, at least rhetorically, more humane. The paper pays particular attention to terminological precision, pointing out that the proper naming of the institutions of the period is essential for historical and legal interpretation.