Abstract
LIVES THAT FELL APART DURING THE STALIN PERIOD
Millions of people lost their lives during the twenty nine years when Stalin was in power in the Soviet Union in the 20th century. The lands of villagers were expropriated by the state. Material and spiritual bans were enforced. Those who rebelled against these actions were suppressed, sent into exile or sentenced to death. Thousands of Crimean Tatars lost their lives in the exile imposed by Stalin. Meskhetian Turks who were relegated from Georgia were imprisoned and executed. When the Azerbaijan People's Government was dissolved, years of anguish started for Azerbaijani Turks. Intellectuals and generals who stood against the system of government and did not change their views were executed by shooting. They were not the only ones whose lives fell apart. Their families were scrutinized; their children, spouses, sisters were dismissed, arrested and sent to exile camps [punishment camps]. Most of the women who were sent to women camps were wives and sisters of intellectuals who were labelled by Soviet government as ‘anti-communists’ and ‘traitors’. Majority of prisoners were acquitted in 1956-1957 after Stalin passed away and some of them could not survive the adverse conditions in punishment camps.
This study discusses the oppression and terror imposed by Stalin in the country, Crimean and Meskhetian exiles, the life of Azerbaijani women who were sent to exile in punishment camps, the reasons why women were imprisoned and sent to exile and the hardship they experienced in the places where they went, sent to exile or imprisoned.
Keywords
Turk, Stalin, exile, woman, intellectual
