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Quote by Lillian Hellman

“I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this season's fashions.”

Author

Lillian Hellman was an American playwright and screenwriter, renowned for her dramatic works and political activism. Her plays frequently delved into themes of political intrigue and personal morality, making her a significant figure in American theater during the mid-20th century. more

“Stalin perceived the world in stark black and white. In the same way, he divided people, nations, actions, and ideas into only two absolute categories: “ours” and “theirs.” “Ours” were all those — and everything — that, at the moment of decision, fell under his control or contributed to strengthening it. “Theirs” were everyone else, and everything else. He saw his role as a strategist in constructing a system of power that would force each of the “ours,” individually and collectively, to work at the very limit of human endurance in order to fulfill his strategic design. That design was simple and ruthless: to endlessly increase the number and strength of the “ours” by coercing the “theirs” into becoming “ours,” while simultaneously destroying — or, as a last resort, neutralizing — all who refused to submit. — Volodymyr Shablia, Stone. Book One Context note: This passage reflects the ideological logic of Stalinist totalitarianism, where power was built on absolute division, forced loyalty, and systematic repression. In the Soviet worldview of the 1930s–1940s, survival depended on belonging to “ours” — or being destroyed as “theirs.”

Power Historical Fiction Dictatorship Soviet Union Totalitarianism Authoritarianism Stalinism Stalin Stalin Era Political Repression

Book:Камень. Биографический роман: Часть первая. Первые шаги к свету и обратно

Source: Камень. Биографический роман: Часть первая. Первые шаги к свету и обратно

“If your case, as a politically repressed person, is reviewed by the Special Council, you are almost guaranteed the standard sentence: ten years in labor camps plus three years’ loss of civil rights. The Special Council delivers verdicts in batches, so it simply does not have time to examine each case in detail. But if a judicial panel hears your case—and if I, as the prosecutor, withdraw the charges—you might even be acquitted. For that, however, you would need to submit a request to be sent to the front and, if acquitted, go to war.” “And are you prepared to withdraw the charges?” Peter asked in surprise. “I will be frank with you,” the prosecutor replied, enunciating each word. “As a patriot of my country, I believe that in wartime young, strong, and intelligent men like you should fight the enemy—not rot in the camps. Two of my own sons are at the front fulfilling their duty to the Motherland, and I am ready to help you do the same.” “Thank you,” Peter said firmly. “I, too, am ready to defend my country rather than remain safely in the rear.” Context note: Set during World War II under Stalin’s regime, this scene exposes the legal absurdity of Soviet repression, where “justice” depended less on evidence than on political expediency. Special tribunals could issue sentences in batches, while wartime necessity sometimes transformed prisoners into soldiers—revealing a system in which ideology, survival, and patriotism collided.”

Historical Fiction World War Ii Soviet Union Abuse Of Power Stalinism Political Repression Labor Camp Miscarriage Of Justice Moral Choice Show Trial

Book:Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга третя. Несправджені сподівання.: Все буде Голодомор.

Source: Камінь. Біографічний роман. Книга третя. Несправджені сподівання.: Все буде Голодомор.

“Можеш образити мене словами, як Федю, але цим ти лише ще раз засвідчиш свою слабкість. You may insult me with words, but by doing so you only prove your own weakness.”

Historical Fiction Repression Gulag Ussr History Biography Inspired War And History

Author:Volodymyr Shablia

“I fear that even my authority as an army commander won’t help. The fear of the High Command is too great.”