Gulag: A History | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

The Zeks - These characters were prisoners within the Gulag system. They came from all social and ethnic backgrounds within the Soviet Union and included a number of foreigners.

Joseph Stalin - This character led Russia during the height of the Gulag system after becoming the general secretary of the Soviet Communist Party in 1922. He instigated the Great Terror during the 1930s to consolidate power and eliminate rivals.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - This character was the first leader of Soviet Russia and was the leader of the Bolshevik Revolution. He organized the...
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