On the 16th of February, 2024, the Russian Federal Penitentiary Service announced that opposition leader Alexei Navalny had died. He had been imprisoned in the far-flung "Polar Wolf" penal colony, built in the city of Kharp on the ruins of a Stalin-era labour camp. Dan is joined by Alexander Watson, Professor of History at Goldsmiths, University of London. He lays out the history of exile and the treatment of political prisoners in the Soviet Union and details the vast Gulag system to which tens of millions of Soviets were sent. Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore. Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code DANSNOW sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/ We'd love to hear from you- what do you want to hear an episode on? You can email the podcast at [email protected]. You can take part in our listener survey here.