Part 6/10:
The conditions within Stalin's expansive gulag system were brutal and unforgiving, with prisoners suffering from extreme cold, starvation, and despair. Evgeniya had likely suspected the personal danger of her visit, yet she pressed on. Stalin’s reaction to her request was not just indicative of his inhumanity but highlighted his ongoing campaign against perceived disloyalty.
Furthermore, the distrust of family hid darker implications—Stalin’s heartlessness compounded over the years, fed by personal grievances that spiraled into acts of horrific violence against even the most innocent of parties.