Usollag, full name: Usolye Corrective Labor Camp () was a
Gulag
The Gulag was a system of Labor camp, forced labor camps in the Soviet Union. The word ''Gulag'' originally referred only to the division of the Chronology of Soviet secret police agencies, Soviet secret police that was in charge of runnin ...
forced labor camp established on February 5, 1938 and functioned after the dissolution of Gulag, until 1960. It was headquartered in
Solikamsk
Solikamsk (, , also Соликамскӧй, ''Sovkamsköy'') is a town in Perm Krai, Russia. Modern Solikamsk is the third-largest town in the krai, with a population of
History
The earliest surviving recorded mention of Solikamsk, initially a ...
, now in
Perm Krai
Perm Krai (, ; ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (a Krais of Russia, krai), located in Eastern Europe. Its administrative center is Perm, Russia, Perm. The population of the krai was 2,532,405 (2021 Russian census, 2021 ...
, Russia, and it had numerous "
lagpunkt
A lagpunkt (), literally "camp point" or ''lagotdelenie'' (, literally "camp detachment), may be translated as "subcamp", "camp unit", or "camp site" was a separate settlement subordinated to a major Gulag forced labor camp. Lagpunkts were conveni ...
s" (individual camp locations) in the northern parts of the then
Molotov Oblast
Until 1 December 2005, Perm Oblast () was a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) in Privolzhsky (Volga) Federal District. According to the results of the referendum held in October 2004, Perm Oblast was merged with Komi-Permyak Autonomous Okrug t ...
. Its main occupation was
logging
Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksУСОЛЬСКИЙ ИТЛ(Усольлаг) /ref> based on the book ''GEDENKBUCH: Книга Памяти немцев-трудармейцев Усольлага НКВД/МВД СССР (1942-1947 гг.)'' Its reported peak occupancy was 37,000 inmates on January 1, 1942.
Its name is related to old name Usolye Kamskoye of Solikamsk and is not to be confused with ИТЛ Усольгидролес (Usolgidroles ITL) sometimes referred to as Usolye Corrective Labor Camp as well, but it was headquartered at the town of
Usolye Usolye () is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia. The name is an archaic Russian term for a salt-producing locality.
;Urban localities
* Usolye, Usolsky District, Perm Krai, a town in Usolsky District of Perm Krai
*Usolye, old name ...
. Its name meaning:''gidro-''=hydro- standing for + 'les' standing for "лесозаготовки", i.e., "logging", i.e. logging for
Stalingrad
Volgograd,. geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn. (1589–1925) and Stalingrad. (1925–1961), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Volgograd Oblast, Russia. The city lies on the western bank of the Volga, covering an area o ...
hydropower plant
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and also mo ...
construction works (now known as the
Volga Hydroelectric Station
The Volga Hydroelectric Station or Volga GES () also known as the 22nd Congress of the CPSU Stalingrad/Volgograd Hydroelectric Power Station (), is the largest hydroelectric station in Europe, and the last of the Volga-Kama Cascade of dams, imm ...
).
A significant number of the residents of Usollag were the
Labor army
The notion of the Labor army (трудовая армия, трудармия) was introduced in Soviet Russia during the Russian Civil War in 1920. Initially the term was applied to regiments of Red Army transferred from military activity to lab ...
"worker columns" formed from the mobilized
Volga Germans
The Volga Germans (, ; ) are ethnic Germans who settled and historically lived along the Volga River in the region of southeastern European Russia around Saratov and close to Ukraine nearer to the south.
Recruited as immigrants to Russia in the ...
lagpunkt
A lagpunkt (), literally "camp point" or ''lagotdelenie'' (, literally "camp detachment), may be translated as "subcamp", "camp unit", or "camp site" was a separate settlement subordinated to a major Gulag forced labor camp. Lagpunkts were conveni ...
s'' ("camp points"). Most of them housed about 100 inmates each doing logging. The only penal settlements of Sim and Surmog survived, which were converted into corrective labor colonies. Other settlements with disappeared subcamps of Usollag include Сом, Талая, Усть-Талка, Цыбин Родник; Шомыш, Цветково, Ржавец, Талица, Красный Яр, Vilva, Мысья, Родники.''Собеседник плюс'' no.02, 2013. Special, issue: "100 мест, которые стоит посетить в России" p. 21, "Глухая Вильва" (" Glukhaya Vilva")
In 2013 the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Usollag was celebrated by the veterans of Perm division of
Federal Penitentiary Service
The Federal Penitentiary Service (, FSIN) is a federal agency of the Ministry of Justice of Russia responsible for correctional services.
The FSIN is the federal authority for the detention of suspected and convicted persons, the security an ...
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
' () is a Russian newspaper published by the Government of Russia.
History
''Rossiyskaya Gazeta'' was founded in 1990 by the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR during the ''glasnost'' reforms in Soviet Union, shortl ...
Aleksander Oinas
Aleksander Ferdinand Oinas (28 December 1887 – 3 March 1942) was an Estonian politician; he was a long-serving member of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) and served three times as a government minister. was an Estonian politician; he was a l ...
(1887-1942) - Politician, M.P.
*
Karl-Eduard Pajos
Karl-Eduard Pajos (also Karl-Eduard Pajus; 2 July 1894 Rakvere Parish, Kreis Wierland – 23 May 1953 Ussolye prison camp, Perm Oblast) was an Estonian politician. He was a member of IV Riigikogu. On 20 May 1930, he resigned his position and he wa ...
(1894-1953) - Politician
*
Johannes Perens
Johannes Perens (26 September 1906 Kaavi, Torgu Parish (now Saaremaa Parish), Kreis Ösel – 25 December 1941 Ussolye prison camp, Perm Oblast) was an Estonian politician. He was a member of the V Riigikogu
V Riigikogu was the fifth legislature ...
(1906-1941) - Politician
*
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In 1910, he g ...
(1890-1942) - Military commander
*
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VI Riigikogu was the sixth legislature of the ...
(1900–1943) - Politician
*
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Jaan Soots ( – 6 February 1942) was an Estonian military commander during the Estonian War of Independence and politician.
Jaan Soots was born in Küti farmstead, Linna village, Helme Parish, Viljandi County (now in Tõrva Parish, Valga Cou ...
(1880-1942) - Military commander and politician
*
Järvo Tandre
Järvo Tandre (also Rudolf Stockeby; 22 October 1899 Väinjärve Parish, Järva County – 30 August 1943 Usollag prison camp, Perm Oblast) was an Estonian politician. He was a member of VI Riigikogu
VI Riigikogu was the sixth legislature of the ...
(1899-1943) - Politician
*
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*
Artur Tupits
Artur Tupits (8 October 1892, in Puurmani Parish (now Põltsamaa Parish), Kreis Dorpat – 28 October 1941, in Ussolye prison camp, Perm Oblast, Russian SFSR) was an Estonian politician. He was a member of the I, II, III, IV, and V Riigikogu.
...
(1892-1941) - Politician
*
Richard Veermaa
Richard Veermaa (born Richard Vreeman; 26 May 1901 Lasva Parish, Võru County – 19 February 1942 Ussolye prison camp, Perm Oblast, Russia) was an Estonian police chief and politician. He was a member of III, IV and V Riigikogu.
Veermaa was a v ...
*Ludvigs Adamovičs (1884-1943) - Lutheran pastor, Minister of Education of the Republic of Latvia
*
Emīlija Benjamiņa
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(1881-1941) - Businesswoman and publisher
*
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*Rihards Bērziņš (1888-1942) - Social activist, man of letters, founder of the first Latvian news agency
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LETA is the main Latvian news agency. Its headquarters are in Riga. It is owned by Estonian entrepreneur Margus Linnamäe through his company Postimees Group.
History
It was founded as ''Latopress'' in 1919, soon after Latvia became indepe ...
*
Alfrēds Birznieks
Alfrēds Birznieks (13 February 1889 – 28 April 1942) was a Latvian politician and lawyer. He was the acting Minister of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia from 6 September 1919 to 8 December 1919, and the Minister of the Interior from 20 Ju ...
(1889-1942) - Politician and lawyer
*
Andrejs Veckalns Andrejs Veckalns (April 18, 1879 - May 18, 1942) was a Latvian politician, member of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party, and member of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saeima (Latvian parliament), representing Social Democrats, and Chairman of ...
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*Mārtiņš Jeske (1883-1941) - General and state official
*Jēkabs Grots (1888-1942) - Judge, member of the Supreme Court ("Senate") of Latvia
*Jānis Kaminskis (1878-1942) - Civil engineer and statesman
*Vilhelms Ķuze (1875-1941) - Teacher and businessman
*
Frīdrihs Vesmanis
Frīdrihs Vesmanis (April 15, 1875 – December 7, 1941) was a Latvian lawyer and politician for the LSDWP and the first Speaker of the Saeima.
Early life
Vesmanis was born on April 15, 1875, in Rundāle Parish to Kārļa Vesmaņa and Elizab ...
(1875-1941) - Lawyer and politician
*Alfrēds Valeika (1889-1941) - Aviator
Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate)
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), commonly referred to by the exonym Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP), is an Eastern Orthodox church in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian Orthodox Church was officially formed in 1990 in pla ...
saint, canonized in 1995
* Lev Razgon (1908-1999) - Soviet writer and human rights activist
* Heinrich Alexander Stoll - German writer
* Mikhail Tanich (1923-2008) - Russian song lyrics writer
*Philipp Tolziner (1906-1996) - German and Soviet architect