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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which of the following food items was frequently served to the prisoners for lunch?

2. What did relatives furiously try to pack when their family members were arrested?

3. For how long were juveniles sent to Gulag when sentenced?

4. What type of prison cells were prisoners kept in during their interrogation process?

5. What is the acronym for the school where Solzhenitsyn studied?

Short Essay Questions

1. What made the first two hours of the day the most difficult for Solzhenitsyn?

2. What was the Section 11 paperwork that Solzhenitsyn signed during his interrogation?

3. What was the Cadet Party?

4. What significant event happened on Russian soil in the autumn of 1941?

5. What happened in the 1960s when 70 judges were brought before the Supreme Court to justify their actions in the Gulag trials?

6. Who was Igor Tronko?

7. Why couldn't interrogators be trusted to uphold the law?

8. How does Solzhenitsyn define evil?

9. Why was Solzhenitsyn arrested, and what was his reaction?

10. How did the prisoners of Gulag know that WWII had ended in Russia?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The Russian government was extremely concerned with its reputation in the Western world. Explain how the West first viewed Russia and its labor camps in the 1930s. Explain how propaganda was used by the government to augment the way the West viewed the Gulag camps.

Essay Topic 2

Joseph Stalin was, perhaps, the strongest force in keeping the Gulag prison system in effect for as long as it was. First, explain why Stalin created Gulag to begin with and how he fought to keep the camp system running alongside his vision. Next, explain the reaction to Stalin's death in the camps and what changes were made in Gulag following Stalin's passing.

Essay Topic 3

Within the punishment cells of the Gulag camps, prisoners were forced to endure various forms of cruel and unusual punishments. Describe at least two forms of torture the prisoners in Gulag were subjected to and what offenses could lead to such punishments. Explain how members of the government rationalized those punishments to themselves and their moral sensibilities.

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