Greatest Stories From Varlam Shalamov's "Kolyma Stories"

Varlam Shalmov's Kolyma Stories is a masterpiece of Russian literature telling the tale of his time in the Gulag in the Kolyma region. He is not very famous, but in recent years historians have begun to analyze and study his work, which is one that is very unique and deserves further examination. Kolyma Stories is a collection of short stories from the Gulag, told in three different books. The second part of Kolyma stories is going to be released next year. Note that the stories here are using the titles from Donald Rayfield's translation of Shalamov's stories. For example, John Glad translated the story in 1994: "An Individual Assignment". Rayfield translated it as: "A Personal Quota".
The Top Ten
1 The Snake Charmer

The most famous story Shalamov wrote during his life. It's a very compelling tale of a novelist and his struggle to survive his first day in one of the camps; written in a beautiful yet cold prose.

2 A Personal Quota

A short story showing the harsh and cold reality of living in the camps, and how one's life can suddenly come to an end.

3 The Train
4 Carpenters
5 Major Pugachiov's Last Battle
6 On The Slate
7 The Green Prosecutor

One of the longest stories from The Spade Artist. Tells several stories of prisoners escaping from the camps

8 Berries
9 Courses: First Things First

A story from The Spade Artist discussing the author's training to become a hospital assistant at The Left Bank hospital.

10 Trampling The Snow
The Contenders
11 At Night
12 The Typhus Quarantine
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