The Washington times., 1935-09-24
PRISONER OF THE OGPU
BY GEORGE KITCHN
CHAPTER EIGHT.


The Kotlas Transfer Station
Of the Northern Penal Camps
of the 0GPU was located five
kilometers from the town of
Kotlas, on the steep bank of
the Northern Dvina at its juno
tion with the sukhona River.
This location, exposed on all
sides, offered no protection
whatever from the constant
disagreeable winds. When there
was no wind from the north,
it blew from the south; if not
from the east, it howled from
the west. Only during the sum-
mer the weather was compare
lively quiet and the summers
were very short. Unfortunately
we arrived in mid-winter.
The Transfer Station itself
occupied some Is acres and
was surrounded by barbed
wire. The long barracks were
located near the center and
served to house transient pris-
oners. Partitions divided the
barracks into several parts,
each one of which was occupied
by the so-called squadrons. Be-
sides the barracks the buildings
comprised storehouses, kitchen,
hospital, dungeon, office and
the bathhouse wherein we were
temporarily quartered on our
arrival.
Our party was theoretically
added to the third squadron.
which was occupying the central
part of the barracks, but as the
latter was chock full we were for
the time being showed into the
bathhouse. The second and fourth
squadrons were housed next to
the third. The first squadron con.
sisted of teamsters, load carriers
and other prisoners assigned to
permanent work at the Transfer
Station. It occupied separate bar
racks. Women prisoners lived in
a detached building and so did
the office workers, foremen, store
keepers and others. All barracks
and other buildings were con.
structed of green lumber and
looked very new.
The transfer station was filled
to overflowing and therefore
three enormous tarpaulin tents
were set up in the yard opposite
the office. These were intended
for not over $50 men, but already
sheltered about 1000.
The small second squad con.
sisted chiefly of carpenters, join
ers and helpers of the woodwork
ing shop which was furnishing
door and window frames, tables
and all other household furniture
needed in the encampment.
The boss of the woodworking
shop was the Finnish communist
Karjalainen, carpenter by trade,
who was said to have been in
command of an entire army of
the Reds during the civil war in
Finland. For some years he had
been active in the Finnish Com
munist party in Leningrad. Later
he was sentenced to five years.
imprisonment in the penal camps
for having been in communica.
tion with Finland through other
than party channels.
He had already served three
quarters of his term in the Solo,
vetSky camp and was transferred
to Kotlas to take charge Of the
woodworking shop.
Prisoners who worked under his
command led a better life than
the others. This tall, slim, quiet,
blond, blue-eyed Finn took care Of
his men, and though he was
exacting, he did not overload them
with work.
Several of his countrymen. sen.
fenced for various offenSeS to
longer or shorter terms, were
working in his shop. AS for him.
self, he enjoyed some quite ex-
traordinary privileges as former
Communist, was allowed outside
the barbed wire, and lived with his
Finnish wife in an apartment in
the town of Kotlas.
Boss O. DrlLnkard