Vorkutlag

Vorkutlag
Воркутлаг
Rechlag, Pекалаг
Forced Labour camp
Vorkuta Corrective Labour Camp, Воркутинский исправительно-трудовой лагерь
Perimeter fence and watchtower, Vorkuta Gulag.
Perimeter fence and watchtower, Vorkuta Gulag.
Nickname(s): 
Vorkuta, Vorkuta Gulag, Воркута
Location of Vorkutlag
Coordinates: 67° 29' 48.4080 N 64° 3' 38.2968 E
Established1932
Closed1962
Area
 • Total
28.69 km2 (11.08 sq mi)
Population
 (1932-1962)
 • Total
2,000,000
The Vorkuta industrial concentration camp complex was located 160 km above the Arctic Circle. The city had a population of approximately 15,000 and about 50 camps with more than 50,000 inmates.

The Vorkuta Corrective Labor Camp (Russian: Воркутинский исправительно-трудовой лагерь, romanized: Vorkutinsky ispravitel'no-trudovoy lager'), commonly known as Vorkutlag (Воркутлаг), was a major Gulag labor camp in the Soviet Union located in Vorkuta, Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. It was in operation from 1932 until 1962.

Vorkutlag was one of the largest camps in the Gulag system. The camp housed 73,000 prisoners at its peak in 1951, containing Soviet and foreign prisoners including prisoners of war, dissidents, political prisoners ("enemies of the state") and common criminals who were used as forced labor in the exploitation of coal mines, coal mining works, and forestry. The camp was administered by the Joint State Political Directorate from 1932 to 1934, the NKVD from 1934 to 1946 and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Soviet Union) from 1946 until its closure in 1962. The Vorkuta Gulag was the site of the Vorkuta Uprising in July 1953.