JOURNEYS Mennonite Stories of Faith and Survival in Stalins Russia, John B. Toews, 1998

helped the unfortunate prisoners. He promised to stop by in the next few days. My horse reappeared and soon I was on my way to the sum¬ mer camp. Another warm reception and celebration. Someone brought a fresh fish, another sour milk, etc. As their boss I always struggled for fairness and justice and now this reward. Next day Hanyukov related the sequence of the drama. Korneva and Zvyagin were arrested. For a long time we had no further news. One day Zvyagin’s girlfriend informed us she re¬ ceived a letter from him. He was working in a forced labor battal¬ ion building a railway from Sharik to Balchasch. The work condi¬ tions were severe and the water polluted. Widespread dysentery was commonplace. He was in the hospital deathly ill. Why did 128 JOURNEYS he put his orderly, reasonably comfortable life on the line? Why was he so strongly influenced by Korneva? Now he suffered the penalty for deceit, baseness and characterlessness. We never learned the fate of Korneva. Somov probably sent her to a northern camp. It was the common fate of informers. As the saying went, “the Moor has served his purpose, he is now dispensable.” Somov no longer needed her. She was a danger to him and his type showed no mercy. My Release - January 1940 My date of release, January 23, 1940, gradually drew nearer. In order to facilitate all the formalities connected with my release my superiors decided I should come to the central administration in Dolinka. I needed both a special authorization and a pass. I followed the directives and initially all went well. I was photo¬ graphed and filled out all kinds of forms, then was suddenly sent to Karabas, the main dispatch camp. A guard accompanied me. Once more I found myself in a situation I knew all too well — a barrack filled with prisoners all eating the usual unpalatable food. Nothing happened for thirteen days while I waited for my pass from Karaganda. Finally I was called in and given my pass. I was now a free person. Serikov sent a truck to pick me up. I was back at my workplace but now had my own small room and ate in a different dining room reserved for free persons. The food was much better. Unfortunately none of my friends were allowed to speak with me using my and my fathers name. The official term was now “comrade boss” (natschalnik ). The prisoner was forbidden to use “comrade” because that placed him on an equal footing with free persons .... We decided among ourselves to use official language only in the presence of the authorities or the guards .... A very busy time began for me. I inspected and reorganized various departments. We made trips to the different camps and farms and appointed the needed specialists. The camp adminis¬ tration changed. A Ukrainian, Ignat Schvidkich, took charge. He was an assertive person but possessed a warm heart. He did much to ease the lot of the prisoners, especially in the area of medicine. During the 1960s we liv