Soviet economy NKVD

sergei korolev shortly after arrest, 1938

the extensive system of labor exploitation in gulag made notable contribution soviet economy , development of remote areas. colonization of siberia, north , far east among explicitly stated goals in first laws concerning soviet labor camps. mining, construction works (roads, railways, canals, dams, , factories), logging, , other functions of labor camps part of soviet planned economy, , nkvd had own production plans.

the unusual part of nkvd s achievements role in soviet science , arms development. many scientists , engineers arrested political crimes placed in special prisons, more comfortable gulag, colloquially known sharashkas. these prisoners continued work in these prisons. when later released, of them became world leaders in science , technology. among such sharashka members sergey korolev, head designer of soviet rocket program , first human space flight mission in 1961, , andrei tupolev, famous airplane designer. aleksandr solzhenitsyn imprisoned in sharashka, , based novel first circle on experiences there.

after world war ii, nkvd coordinated work on soviet nuclear weaponry, under direction of general pavel sudoplatov. scientists not prisoners, project supervised nkvd because of great importance , corresponding requirement absolute security , secrecy. also, project used information obtained nkvd united states.