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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. What typically happened to a house after its owner was arrested?

2. What did Lenin call the purge through which he got rid of all those he wished to suppress?

3. What was used at night when prisoners were being interrogated in the 1920s?

4. What was Solzhenitsyn's first cell number?

5. What decade is generally considered a decade of freedom to those who have studied the Gulag prison system?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Solzhenitsyn feel about prison during the first few days he spends there?

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

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

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

5. How long did trials at the height of Gulag last for civilian prisoners?

6. What happened in the Gulag prison camps in 1945-1946?

7. Who were the organs?

8. Who was the German civilian present on the day Solzhenitsyn was arrested?

9. What was the Cadet Party?

10. What was the hygienic purge?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

Before arriving at Gulag prison, many prisoners, including Solzhenitsyn, spent time in local prisons training for their time at hard labor. Describe life for the prisoners in the local prisons, and compare/contrast their living conditions to those in Gulag. Explain how life for Solzhenitsyn, specifically, changed as he was moved from prison to prison.

Essay Topic 3

When the widespread arrests started sweeping through Russia, few political prisoners fought against their arrests. First, explain why many men didn't fight against their arrests, and what they thought would happen to them in their first days within the camp. Next, explain how hope was slowly dashed, and why many prisoners refused to commit suicide or attempt escape.

(see the answer keys)

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