History 06/02/20 “lagerniy of easy virtue:” who is so called in the Gulag

the term “shalashovka” if you believe one of the most famous and titled inmates of the Gulag by the Nobel laureate A. I. Solzhenitsyn emerged in the 30 – 40-ies of XX century. Its etymology is simple – “hut” called sheets enclosed bench where a woman in the camp was paying him for the provision of any benefits.

the Internet is variations the meaning of the word, with reference to the jargon of thieves, which interpretiruya “shalashovka” as the fallen, an easy woman. Actually, the term most likely became widespread with the introduction of the Soviet Gulag system, from 30-ies of XX century. Anyway, in the “Dictionary of slang of criminals (thieves music)” compiled by the NKVD S. M. Potapov “according to the latest data” and published in 1927 for the limited use of this status in the criminal world does not appear.

On the camp of “shalashovka” mentioned such well-known writers and prisoners of the Gulag as Leo Razgon, Varlam Shalamov, Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

As wrote Alexander Solzhenitsyn in his “GULAG Archipelago”, “shalashovka” could be any camp female prisoners, regardless of their social status in the wild – the transition to a different quality in captivity was due to specific critical circumstances, pushing the convicted to pay for the bread ration. Hungry woman walked in the men’s hut, called it a price equivalent to part loaves of bread, and willing followed her into the women’s barracks, where three sides were canaveruelas sheets sleeping space that’s enclosed (made “hut”), and there was “payback”.

in Fact, the “shallowly” in his drama in 4 acts “Deer and shalashovka” Solzhenitsyn calls “lugarnica easy virtue, love in humble conditions”.

as “thieves”, SPOable to get the “shalashovka”, could be all categories of staff of the Gulag – from the prisoners to the representatives of the contingent of guard camps (all levels): all those who could offer a woman certain benefits, expressed in providing additional power or a more lucrative job.

“Shalashovka” was originally not an indispensable segment of the community of thieves and especially its integral part – indeed, it was an accidental victim of the harsh circumstances of the camp’s existence. However, the specifics of stay in the Gulag (the grueling work for 12 – 14 hours a day, without weekends and holidays) left its mark on the behavior, in particular, and the inmates of the female barracks.

Konstantin Gursky, who is serving his sentence at 30 years in Solovki, recalled (his testimony is systematized and published by the human rights organization “memorial” in the collection “People Uhtpechlag”), as in the women’s camp bawdy women shalashovka sabotaged going to work. They went out beyond the zone, it happened just stripped naked. The convoy, which was supposed to accompany them to the place of work, refused to accept this group of prisoners. In the end, “salakovac” returned to the camp and placed in solitary confinement.

… In remembrance of A. Solzhenitsyn, V. Shalamov, L. Overclocking and other writers who survived imprisonment in the Gulag, “shalashovka” are women forced to make concessions to men their honor. None of the authors of the memoirs do not blame them, because this act was only an attempt to survive in these harsh conditions.

Nicholas Syromyatnikov

Source:
© Russian Seven

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