Hard Labor Convicts Roasting Ore in the Yard of the Kutomara Plant, 1891. Creator: Aleksei Kuznetsov

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Hard Labor Convicts Roasting Ore in the Yard of the Kutomara Plant, 1891. Creator: Aleksei Kuznetsov

Hard Labor Convicts Roasting Ore in the Yard of the Kutomara Plant, 1891. One of 74 views taken in July 1891 and contained in the albumTipy i vidy Nerchinskoi katorgi (Views and inhabitants of Nerchinsk hard labor camps). The Nerchinskkatorgawas part of the katorga (forced labor) system of imperial Russia, located in the province of Transbaikalia (present-day Zabaykal'skiy Kray), near the Russian border with China. The katorga was administered by the Ministry of Interior and included prisons at Akatuy, Kara, Aleksandrovsk, Nerchinskii Zavod, and Zerentuy, all of which are depicted in the album. National Library of Russia

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Aleksei Kirillovich Kuznetsov Aleksei Kuznetsov Convict Convicts Exile Exiled Forced Labour Hard Labour Katorga Kuznetsov Aleksei Labour Camp Mining Nerchinsk Transbaikal Territory Russia Penal Servitude Prison Camp Prisoner Prisoners Punishing Punishment Roast Roasting Siberia Siberian Transbaikal Russia Zabaykalsky Krai Russia Meeting Of Frontiers

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EDITORS COMMENTS
This evocative photograph, titled "Hard Labor Convicts Roasting Ore in the Yard of the Kutomara Plant" by Aleksei Kuznetsov, captures a moment in the harsh reality of Imperial Russia's Nerchinsk hard labor camps in the late 19th century. The image is one of 74 views taken in July 1891 and is part of the album "Tipy i vidy Nerchinskoi katorgi" (Views and inhabitants of Nerchinsk hard labor camps), housed in the National Library of Russia. The Nerchinsk labor camps, located in the Transbaikalia province near the Russian border with China, were administered by the Ministry of Interior and included prisons at Akatuy, Kara, Aleksandrovsk, Nerchinskii Zavod, and Zerentuy. This photograph was taken at the Nerchinskii Zavod labor camp, where convicts were forced to work in the mining industry. In the photograph, a group of men, likely convicts, are seen gathered around a fire in the yard of the Kutomara Plant. They are roasting ore, a process used to extract valuable minerals such as silver. The men are dressed in ragged clothing, their faces etched with the signs of hard labor and the harsh climate. Smoke rises from the fire, mingling with the wood and metal structures of the plant in the background. The image is a poignant reminder of the punishing conditions endured by those exiled to the labor camps in Siberia during this period. The meeting of frontiers – of cultures, of industries, and of people – is evident in this photograph, which offers a glimpse into the past and sheds light on the human cost of Russia's industrial expansion.

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