Gulags and The Gulag . . . and Varlam Shalamov

Sarah J. Young, a lecturer in Russian at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) at University College London reminds us of the original source or etymology for the word "Gulag" today and makes a very interesting point (or two) for writers.

She writes:

‘Gulag’ is an acronym standing for ‘Главное управление лагерей’ (Glavnoe upravlenie lagerei), which means ‘Main Administration of Camps’. In other words, it refers to the system as a whole, not to individual labour camps, and therefore should not be used in the plural to refer to different camps. An indefinite article is acceptable if ‘Gulag’ is being used metaphorically, as in the article ‘How California Got to be a Bankrupt Gulag‘, but unless one is comparing systems in different places, the correct term is ‘The Gulag’.

Be sure to keep reading here (of course) and here.

Varlam Shalamov

The short stories of Varlam Shalamov, whom Ms. Young mentions as being "the main focus of my current research," are at least noted here and here.

As God and Gulags is not really "comparing systems in different places," nor quite using the term metaphorically, this blog shall remain unchanged in both name and purpose.