гулаг
gulag[ɡʊˈɫak]masculine
The English word gulag refers to the Russian word гулаг.
Meaning: place where, or political system in which, people with dissident views are routinely oppressed (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| гулаг | gulag | [ɡʊˈɫak] (narrow) | masculine |
| ГУЛАГ | GULAG | [ɡʊˈɫak] (narrow) | masculine |
The term refers to a place or a political system where people with dissident views are routinely oppressed. It can also refer specifically to the government agency in charge of the Soviet Union’s network of forced labour camps.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term Карлаг is used to refer specifically to the labor camps located in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
gulag
Did you know?
- In Russian, the word лагерь (camp) is used for both the forced labor camps of the ГУЛАГ and the innocent, happy experience of a children's summer camp.
- While English speakers often use 'gulag' as a general noun for any prison camp, in Russian the word is an acronym for the 'Chief Administration of Corrective Labour Camps'.
- The word гулаг is so heavily associated with trauma that many Russian speakers prefer using the euphemism система (the system) to refer to the camp network.
Examples in context
- История ГУЛАГа изучена во многих университетах.Istoriya GULAGa izuchena vo mnogikh universitetakh.The history of the gulag is studied in many universities.
- Эта книга описывает жизнь в гулаге.Eta kniga opisyvayet zhizn' v gulage.This book describes life in the gulag.
Example conversation
Two people are discussing a history book in a library.
- Александр AleksandrТы читала эту книгу о гулаге?Ty chitala etu knigu o gulage?Have you read this book about the gulag?
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, Александр, она очень грустная.Da, Aleksandr, ona ochen' grustnaya.Yes, Alexander, it is very sad.
- Александр AleksandrТам описаны ужасные условия жизни.Tam opisany uzhasnyye usloviya zhizni.It describes terrible living conditions.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЭто была страшная страница истории.Eto byla strashnaya stranitsa istorii.It was a terrible page of history.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gulag” translations and entries гулаг, ГУЛАГ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
