Norilsk uprising

The Norilsk uprising was a major strike by Gulag inmates in Gorlag, an MVD special camp for political prisoners, and later in the two camps of Norillag [ITL], Norilsk, USSR, now Russia, in the summer of 1953, shortly after Joseph Stalin's death. About 70% of inmates were Ukrainians, some of whom had been sentenced to 25 years because of MGB accusations of being involved in the "Bandera standard"; however, the Soviet secret police was notorious for fabricating such accusations. It was the first major revolt within the Gulag system in 1953–1954, although earlier numerous cases of unrest in gulags are known. It was led by Pavel Frenkiel in the first camp, Boris Shamaev in the third camp, Yevhen Hrytsyak in the fourth, Pavel Filnev in the fifth, and Lesya Zelenska in the sixth camp.