“Why have I been exiled to prison?” It was a question millions of Soviet citizens asked themselves in the latter 1930s and in the years that followed World War Two. The charges brought against those who were imprisoned were decided by the State and the time of incarceration was also decided by the State. Urkho Rukhanen was arrested in 1938 and was accused of participating in an anti-Soviet nationalist organization. The accusation was a fabrication. Urkho was declared guilty, was exiled to a prison labor camp and was released in 1946. Sofia Prupis was arrested in 1949. She was accused of being a Trotskyite and a Zionist. The charges brought against her were fabrications. She was declared guilty of treason and given a ten-year sentence. Both Urkho and Sofia are the main subjects in the book.
