The Katorga Project

The Katorga Project was a Soviet initiative aimed at using forced labor from political prisoners and criminals to develop remote regions of Siberia. "Katorga" historically referred to penal labor camps in Russia. Under this project, prisoners worked on large-scale infrastructure, resource extraction, and industrial tasks, contributing to the USSR’s economic expansion. The system involved harsh conditions, with prisoners enduring physical hardship and minimal rights. Overall, the project exemplifies how forced labor was employed by the Soviet government to advance economic goals while repressing dissent.