Certain words that reference specific places or locales can have a chilling effect on their readers. One need only think about those places associated with the Holocaust to be reminded of this fact (such as Buchenwald or Dachau). Of course, there is the word "gulag", which for many brings to mind these rather well-known labor camps in the Soviet Union. Drawing on an innovative partnership between the Gulag Museum, the National Park Service, and the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, this exhibit tells the story of these places through both primary documents and short essays. The exhibit is divided into four parts, including those that deal with the growth of the gulag under Stalin and the human rights movement that attempted to redress the grievances of those forced to work and live in such places. The site is rounded out by an area that allows visitors to offer their own comments on the online exhibit.
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