Graveyard of the Lazy

Description

Black and white photograph of a "propaganda" graveyard. The sign reads "Grave of the Lazy" and the tombstones show a last name and various percentages indicating that the dead prisoners failed to fulfill their work norms and died as a result. The photograph illustrates how Gulag authorities tied the fulfillment of work norms to the possibility of survival in the camps in their propaganda aimed at prisoners, and how comfortable they were telling their prisoners of the possibility of death in the camps if they failed to do what was expected of them.

Creator

Unknown

Source

International Memorial Society, Moscow

Bibliographic Citation

Unknown, "Graveyard of the Lazy." Gulag: Many Days, Many Lives, Item #785 (accessed May 27 2021, 1:07 pm)

Collection

Memorial Moscow