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WHAT IS IT? the early 1920’s to the late 1960’s the Soviet Union’s Politburo was sending massive numbers of people (estimated around 20 million ) to prison. Many of them died on the way to their camps or in detention due to extreme physical labour, very poor living standards and the undeniable lack of food. Some survived the work and others, like Slavomir Rawicz, took the desperate decision to escape in a way to reject their ordered ‘death’. By staying in the camp, they knew they would die. The camps meant death. The only freedom the prisoners were allowed was the choice of whether they wanted to live or die. With this in hand, some like Rawicz or Ossendovski, decided to escape from the gulag. It was their only way to have the ultimate control over themselves and their lives by choosing the way in which they died. After organising and waiting the necessary time some groups tried to make their way through Siberian hell. Some failed, some succeeded. Going East from their Siberian camp, meant joining another war front with the Japanese conflict. Going West equalled jumping into German’s hands. And going north would lead no where else then to ice! Heading, south even if long and geologically extreme was the only way that was acceptable. By following this way, they still needed to pass through the iron curtain and the countries attached to it. Walking, riding, hiding in the steppes, forests, swamps, deserts and mountain ranges were only some of the obstacles that needed to be defeated over 6000km for their lifetime escape. WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE? ased on a common escape TAKLAMAKAN.NET do not intend to retrace just one escape effort, but would like to retrace the tremendous efforts made by the hundreds of men and women whose only wish was to breathe freely.
- We want to find the natural routes and tools they used and finally produce a map of their routes, to make
them real.
- We want to face the difficulty of the itinerary in order to understand better what can push an individual to
- verpass himself in such conditions.
- We want to witness for the world.
> Because we all remember the Nazi’s victims but we never mention the Gulags’, TAKLAMAKAN.NET wants to break the ice. > Because remembering them and their courage to survive is a step closer to understanding our current freedom. > Because with hard work, courage and determination any goal can be achieved.
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An expedition by TAKLAMAKAN