Life and Fate Read Along, Part 1 Chapter 68

This post, covering Part 1, Chapter 68, is part of The Slavic Literature Pod’s chapter a day read along of Vasily Grossman’s Life and Fate. Learn more about our project here.

Today we see how the macro level political relationships continue to be perpetuated on a much smaller scale in the camps. Chernetsov and a soldier Pavlyukov talk about their general situation and the many men in the camps that seem to be sympathizing with General Vlasov—the Red Army general who defected during the war and fought against the Soviets.

Pavlyukov says that “They hate me because I bribed the right people and got myself a good job. But they know how to look after themselves, all right - they always end up working in the kitchen, washrooms and stores… And Old Bolshevik gets looked after as if he were in a health-resort, but the rest of us are no better than dogs,” (305). Clearly, Pavlyukov feels that the Party privileges are being replicated within the prison context.