Stalin, A Dark Time For Many Russians - 1698 Words

The times with a totalitarian state led by a despot with absolute power, Stalin, was a dark time for many Russians. Since the establishment of the secret police, people had to live in constant fear about the words they say and the actions they commit, in order not to â€Å"disappear† into thin air. During the Great Purge or the Great Terror from 1936 – 1938 in the Soviet Union (Gellately, 2007), an approximated amount of 600,000 to 1.2 million people died (Ellman, 2002). These numbers did not conclude all the people that died, since a lot of them went missing and bodies were never found. All sectors of the society were purged, including political parties that were against Stalin. He was always suspicious of betrayals, and therefore under the†¦show more content†¦In the story, there is an institution called the â€Å"Right Place†, which is symbolic of the secret police in the Soviet Union. â€Å"This Institution acquired the reputation of seeing everythi ng, hearing everything, knowing everything, and, if something was out of line, the Institution would be there in flash† (Voinovich, 167). This institution was extraordinarily powerful to the point that they could acquire all sorts of information anywhere and anytime. It shows that there were a lot of undisclosed people working for the secret police. People lived in deep agitation and were ceaselessly worried about the words to say in public and especially if they were unfamiliar with these people. They had to be very careful about what they say. In addition, not only did the Institution, or the secret police knew everything, they also had absolute power, â€Å"The chastising sword of the Institution hung constantly over everyone, ready to come down whenever necessary or even without any reason at all† (Voinovich, 167). This institution was given the ability and authority by the government to jail or execute people even without a single valid reason. Because of that, peo ple were deeply afraid of catching attention by the â€Å"Right Place†. They would avoid all causes to be associated with this institution. The people would not speak of anything they were not â€Å"supposed† to say, such as talking aboutShow MoreRelatedDmitri Shostakovich : The Greatest Composers Of The 20th Century And The Most Important Soviet Composer1567 Words   |  7 Pageshis time. His musical education and career took place entirely in the Soviet Union, where he created his greatest masterpieces including 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets. 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