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Richard Vitoldovich Pickel (1896-1936), Early 1930s. Creator: Anonymous
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Richard Vitoldovich Pickel (1896-1936), Early 1930s. Creator: Anonymous
Richard Vitoldovich Pickel (1896-1936), Early 1930s. Private Collection
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Media ID 36245835
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Archipelag Gulag Great Purge Great Terror Gulag Persecution Repression Stalinism Nkvd
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This portrait captures the enigmatic and haunting gaze of Richard Vitoldovich Pickel (1896-1936), a victim of the Soviet Union's brutal political repression during the Great Purge and the early years of Stalinism. The photograph, taken in the early 1930s, is an anonymous work from a private collection, and its provenance adds to the mystery surrounding Pickel's fate. Born in Russia, Pickel was a prominent figure in the country's literary and artistic circles before the Bolshevik Revolution. However, his association with the White Army during the Russian Civil War led to his persecution by the Soviet regime. In the late 1920s, he was arrested by the NKVD, the Soviet secret police, and sent to the notorious Archipelago Gulag, a network of labor camps in the Soviet Union's far north. The photograph reveals a man in his late thirties or early forties, with a strong jawline, piercing eyes, and a furrowed brow that suggests a deep sense of introspection or concern. The stark contrast between the light and shadow in the image adds to the sense of tension and unease, reflecting the political climate of the time. The Great Purge, which began in 1934 and lasted until 1938, was a period of widespread political repression and terror in the Soviet Union. During this time, millions of people were arrested, and many were sent to labor camps or executed. Pickel's fate is unknown, but his portrait serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of political repression and the enduring power of art to capture the essence of a person's spirit.
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