For decades, the Soviet Union maintained strict control over the flow of information both domestically and internationally. Censorship was extensive and widespread, allowing high-ranking government officials to determine on behalf of the Russian people which materials were acceptable in a Soviet society, and which were damaging to the Communist state. Anything that possessed the ability to express negative implications towards the state was to be either destroyed or quarantined, including literary and artistic works, technology, and of course, people. Stalin’s system of mass incarceration through the gulags was especially effective in disabling communication of dissent amongst Soviet citizens, and due to this effectiveness, the gulag system has essentially become a symbol of censorship in the western world.
However, isolating dissenters and political nonconformists was not the only function of the gulags. Instead, these labour camps were also home to an abundance of petty and professional criminals, who have often been historically overshadowed by political prisoners. Yet, a very interesting historical event occurred within this population of incarcerated criminals that many don’t know about - a full-scale gang war between two opposing factions of organized criminals, ignited by one small disagreement in conduct in conjunction with the second world war. This is the Bitch Wars.
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A list of sources can be found at bit.ly/2HpWuhO
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