The repercussions of the Stalin’s heritage in modern Russia are very strong. Seemingly, 21st century community should have done away with barbarity of one of the most ferocious and cruel authoritative regimes of the modern history. Afraid it’s not the case… Nowadays we are witnessing chimeras of the past being still alive, as Putin have been stirring his state back to the Stalin’s-like totalitarian regime.
Hitherto, one of the peculiar traits of Stalin’s regime was forced labour of prisoners, involved in building up almost all the large industrial facilities. This was to some extent preconditioned by economic crisis, overtaking the USSR in the 30-50s. of the 20th century. At the present time, in the context of the protracted economic recession, Kremlin perceives criminals as an economic asset. Again.
Hence, Russian State Duma deputy Alexander Hinshtein, upon approval of the Federal Penitentiary Service, drew a draft of amendments to Penitentiary Code of the Russian Federation, enabling to dispatch prisoners of the penal colony settlements to work beyond its territory. Thus government has introduced a new form of prisoners recruitment in the private enterprises and factories situated hundreds of kilometers away from the penal colony settlements prisoners are serving their sentences in. Deputy A. Hinshtein offers to use prisoners’ labour in order to erect facilities required for 2018 FIFA World Cup. Totally more than 40000 prisoners are about to be involved.
Upon adoption of the A. Hinshtein’s amendments by the State Duma, Russia actually restores the forced labour system, applied by GULAGs (Central Administration of Prison Camps in 1930-1956) in the Stalin era.
Government’s intention to engage forced prisoners labour in the construction of the 2018 FIFA World Cup facilities was mainly caused by the following reasons:
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Russia is drawing into a protracted economic crisis. Owing to economic sanctions and federal budget fulfillment discrepancies due to cost situation on the oil market, Russia is no more capable of getting through the preparation to an event scaled like Sochi Olympics that cost a vast deal of money for the State.
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Engaging the army of prisoners’ forced labour will enable Russian corrupted functionaries to make a hand of the World Cup budget now making 19.2 billion dollars. In contrast FIFA World Cup budget in Brazil made up 12.6 bl dollars and in the RSA – 6 bl dollars. Meanwhile it is presumed that this sum is about to be increased, as it happened in Sochi.
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Federal Penitentiary Service as one of the lobbyists of A.Hinshtein’s amendments has already turned into a kind of the State multi-field slave-owing corporation as it would in fact obtain the right to sell prisoners to private companies, involved in the construction of World Cup facilities.
Government’s decision to exploit prisoners forced labour can’t sustain any criticism. I don’t suppose football fans coming from different countries to feel at ease on the arenas erected by efforts of the prisoners either. It’s just a moral facet. In terms of security and quality of the construction, it’s clear that it must be carried out by well-trained workers rather than slaves.