Betraying the Motherland | Generation Gulag: Valentina Vodyanitskaya

Valentina Vodyanitskaya has kept much of her life a secret. That was the direct command she was given by the KGB. The five years she spent at a Gulag labor camp — a secret. The 1962 demonstrations that she was arrested during — a secret. The grave sites of those killed by Soviet troops during the demonstrations — a secret.

Generation Gulag is a series of nine short documentary films that uncovers the impact of Russia’s campaign to rewrite the history of Gulag survivors. The series features interviews and animated illustrations of the survivors’ memories, offering an accessible medium for understanding the dangers of recent campaigns to make history books fit new political narratives.

This story was first published by Coda Story. Watch the Generation Gulag series here.