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Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin

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By Lev Kopelev

Translation by Gary Kern

A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin

by Anatole Konstantin

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1409 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Print length	:	258 pages

Lev Kopelev's Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin is a powerful and moving memoir of a young boy's coming of age in the Soviet Union during the reign of Joseph Stalin. Born in 1912 to a Jewish family in Kiev, Kopelev was a bright and curious child who grew up in a world of political turmoil and repression.

Kopelev's father was a socialist and a member of the Bolshevik Party, and his mother was a teacher. As a young boy, Kopelev was exposed to the ideals of the Russian Revolution, and he believed that the Soviet Union was a just and egalitarian society. However, as he grew older, he began to see the dark side of the regime.

In 1937, Kopelev's father was arrested and executed as part of Stalin's Great Purge. Kopelev and his mother were exiled to Siberia, where they lived in a labor camp. Kopelev was subjected to harsh conditions and witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Gulag system.

Despite the hardships he endured, Kopelev never lost hope. He continued to believe in the ideals of socialism, and he refused to be broken by the Soviet regime. In 1941, Kopelev was released from the labor camp and joined the Red Army to fight against the Nazis. He fought in some of the most brutal battles of the war, and was wounded several times.

After the war, Kopelev returned to the Soviet Union and became a writer. He wrote novels, plays, and essays about his experiences under Stalin. He also became a prominent dissident, and he was one of the founders of the Moscow Helsinki Watch Group. In 1981, Kopelev was forced to leave the Soviet Union, and he lived in exile in Germany until his death in 1997.

Red Boyhood is a powerful and moving account of a young boy's coming of age in the Soviet Union under Stalin. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and it is a reminder of the horrors of tyranny.

The Early Years

I was born in Kiev, Ukraine, in 1912. My father was a socialist and a member of the Bolshevik Party. My mother was a teacher. I grew up in a world of political turmoil and repression. The Russian Revolution had just taken place, and the country was in a state of chaos. The Bolsheviks were fighting a civil war against the White Russians, and there was widespread famine and disease.

Despite the hardships, I had a happy childhood. My parents were loving and supportive, and I had many friends. I loved to read and learn, and I was fascinated by the world around me. I believed that the Soviet Union was a just and egalitarian society, and I was proud to be a part of it.

The Great Purge

In 1937, everything changed. My father was arrested and executed as part of Stalin's Great Purge. I was only 15 years old at the time, and I was devastated. I didn't understand why my father had been arrested, and I couldn't believe that he was gone.

My mother and I were exiled to Siberia, where we lived in a labor camp. The conditions were harsh, and we were constantly hungry and cold. I was subjected to forced labor, and I witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Gulag system.

Despite the hardships, I never lost hope. I continued to believe in the ideals of socialism, and I refused to be broken by the Soviet regime. I knew that my father had been innocent, and I was determined to prove it.

The War

In 1941, I was released from the labor camp and joined the Red Army to fight against the Nazis. I fought in some of the most brutal battles of the war, and was wounded several times.

The war was a terrible experience, but it also gave me a sense of purpose. I was fighting for my country, and I was fighting for the ideals that I believed in.

After the War

After the war, I returned to the Soviet Union and became a writer. I wrote novels, plays, and essays about my experiences under Stalin. I also became a prominent dissident, and I was one of the founders of the Moscow Helsinki Watch Group.

In 1981, I was forced to leave the Soviet Union, and I lived in exile in Germany until my death in 1997.

Legacy

Kopelev's writing has been praised for its honesty, its compassion, and its insights into the human condition. He was a courageous man who spoke out against injustice and oppression, and he is an inspiration to all who believe in the power of freedom.

A Red Boyhood: Growing Up Under Stalin

by Anatole Konstantin

4.8 out of 5