A video depicting the struggles of Azari Plisetsky, a man who spent his early years in a Gulag
The psychological impact of having one’s first memories closely tied to oppression is unimaginable. This phenomenon is exactly what is explored in the video produced by Generation Gulag, “The Dancer.” The opening scene of the video is a young boy, scrubbing the floors, unaware of his predicament. The boy says he could only gather information subconsciously, through noticing the fear his mother had for authorities and dogs barking. He was so young that he learned his first words in this setting – they were “I want out.” The video tells the story of Azari Plisetsky, a Russian man who was forced into a labor camp at a young age with his mother as a result of Stalin’s purges.
The main question of Unit 7 was this: what happens when the revolution takes power? Now, there is no clear-cut, single response to this question. There are countless revolutions and countless results – sometimes the revolution brings sweeping change that benefits a large portion of the previously repressed population, sometimes the revolution brings sweeping change that furthers repression. Stalin’s rise to power was a direct result of the Russian Revolution, and his unfettered control of the Soviet Union brought with it deep oppression of many citizens. Stalin enacted purges of the Communist Party in the 1930s to ensure that citizens remained loyal. However, this was coupled with the extreme repression and forced labor in Gulags of those who were deemed not loyal. There was also an element of randomness to the purges: people were frequently ousted for no apparent reason, having their lives taken away out of the blue.
The rise of communism in Russia was a revolution; the impact of repression by Stalin left a revolutionary impact on those who suffered. I believe that a revolution can be something other than toppling a government and putting new institutions in place. I believe a revolution can be a shift in a paradigm, changing the beliefs and feelings of populations. In the case of Stalin’s terrors, most families were affected and witnessed the random upheavals of the lives of friends and family. This changed how many citizens think – they had to live in fear at the time to avoid persecution. The phenomenon of mass fear during the purges was difficult on adults, but also changed the way that children thought forever. Plisetsky talks about many fears he had as a child that he did not understand: dogs barking, men in uniform, and authority, in general. Revolution that shifts paradigms can be beneficial, like that of the Scientific Revolution, but in the case of Stalin’s terror, it has left generations with trauma.
However, this trauma can be forgotten as new generations join the old. Plisetsky, towards the end of the video, pleas that new generations reflect upon the terror. He said that it is a wound that must be reopened, so as not to forget those who suffered and died, who might otherwise be forgotten. This is where the humanities come in: recognizing history can help express truth. Without acknowledging the history of the purges, an entire generation’s truth and identity could be lost.
Citation
“The Dancer,” Generation Gulag, accessed May 1, 2020. https://www.codastory.com/series/generation-gulag/#intro.
