Nerchinsk katorga

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Nerchinsk katorga (Нерчинская каторга) was a katorga system of the Russian Empire in the Nerchinsk okrug of Transbaikalia (today's Chita Oblast), between rivers Shilka and Argun, near the border to Mongolia, in 18th-20th centuries.

Katorga labor was used for mining lead ore and silver on emperor's private lands (so called kabinetskiye zemli, or cabinet lands) and in foundries, wine-making and salt-processing factories. In 1850-1890, katorga labor was used at Kara gold fields and for the construction of prison buildings. In 1869, they established the Nerchinsk Katorga Administration, which subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior. During 1826-1917 it was a katorga for political prisoners.

Its prisons were named after the mines they served:

• Akatuy katorga (Акатуйская каторжная тюрьма, 1832—1917)
• Algacha katorga (Алгачинская каторжная тюрьма, 1869—1915)

• Kara katorga (Карийская каторга)
  • Upper-Kara prison (closed in 1890)
  • Middle-Kara prison (closed in 1890)
  • Lower-Kara or Ust-Kara prison
• Zerentuy katorga (Зерентуйская каторжная тюрьма)
  • Maltsev katorga (for women) (Мальцевская каторжная тюрьма)
  • Kutomarskaya katorga (Кутомарская каторжная тюрьма)
  • Kadainskaya katorga (Кадаинская каторжная тюрьма)
• Alexandrovskaya prison (Александровская тюрьма)

Among its convicts were Decembrists, insurgents of Polish uprising of 1830-1831, Polish uprisig of 1863, Narodniks, Social Democrats, and others.

[edit] Links

• Memoirs of prisoners, lists of prisoners, photos of Nerchinsk katorga (In Russian)