In the Claws of the GPU

In the Claws of the GPU
	Front cover, 1937 Belarusian-language edition
Author	Francišak Aljachnovič
Original title	Siedem lat w szponach GPU (Polish) / У капцюрох Г.П.У. (Belarusian)
Genre	Memoir
Publication date	Polish (1935), Belarusian (1937)
Publication place	Poland
Media type	Print (Hardcover, Paperback)

In the Claws of the GPU (Belarusian: У капцюрох ГПУ, romanized: U kapciuroch HPU; Polish: Siedem lat w szponach GPU) is an early book-length eyewitness account of the Soviet Gulag. It was written by Francišak Aljachnovič, a Belarusian playwright, nationalist, and citizen of the Second Polish Republic (in Polish documents, his name is spelled Franciszek Olechnowicz). After his release from Gulag and return to Poland in 1933, Aljachnovič immediately wrote the book in three language versions, namely, in Belarusian, Polish, and Russian. In 1934 the Polish version was serialized in the daily Słowo, published in Wilno. In 1934-1935 the Russian-language version (in pre-1917 orthography) was serialized in the White émigré newspapers Vozrozhdenie in Paris, and in Nash put' in Harbin, Manchukuo.

Publication history

In Polish:

Franciszek Olechnowicz. 1935. Siedem lat w szponach GPU [Seven Years in the Claws of the GPU]. Wilno [Vilnius]: Nakładem autora [At Author's Expense].
Franciszek Olechnowicz. 1937. Prawda o Sowietach (wrażenia z 7-letniego pobytu w więzieniach sowieckich r. 1927-1934) [The Truth about the Soviet Union: Experiences from the Seven-Year-Long Incarceration in Soviet Prisons, 1927-1934]. Warsaw: Nakładem autora [At Author's Expense], 152pp.
Franciszek Olechnowicz. 1938. Prawda o Sowietach (wrażenia z 7-letniego pobytu w więzieniach sowieckich r. 1927-1933) [The Truth about the Soviet Union: Experiences from the Seven-Year-Long Incarceration in Soviet Prisons, 1927-1933] (Ser: Biblioteka Osadnika, Vol. 4). Kurytyba [Curitiba, Brazil]: Nakład i druk Gazety Polskiej w Brazylii [Published and printed by the Gazeta Polska w Brazylii], 155pp.
Franciszek Olechnowicz. 1990. 7 lat w szponach GPU [7 Years in the Claws of the GPU]. Warsaw: Centrum Informacyjno-Reklamowe (CIR). 167pp. ISBN 8385154094.

In Belarusian:

Францішак Аляхновіч. 1937. У капцюрох Г.П.У. Вільня: выданне аўтара. Francišak Aliachnovič. 1937. U kapciuroch H.P.U. [In the Claws of the GPU]. Vilnia: vydannie aŭtara [Vilnius: Published by the Author], 159pp.
Францішак Аляхновіч. 1941–1942. У капцюрох ГПУ. In the newspaper Мiнская прауда. Nos> 1941: 7–12, 14–17, 19; 1942: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9–12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 24, 25, 29, 31, 32, 36, 37, 39, 41.
Францішак Аляхновіч. 1991. У капцюрох ГПУ. In the periodical Полымя, No 1, pp. 151–214.
Францішак Аляхновіч. 1994. У капцюрох Г.П.У. Аповесць. Мінск: Мастацка література. Francišak Aliachnovič. 1994. U kapciuroch H.P.U. Apoviesć [In the Claws of the GPU: A Tale]. Minsk: Mastacka litieratura, 238pp. ISBN 5-340-01311-1.
Францішак Аляхновіч. 2005. У капцюрох ГПУ (pp 223–390). In: Ф. Аляхновiч. Выбраныя творы. Мінск: Беларускі Кнiгазбор. ISBN 9855040058.
Францішак Аляхновіч. 2015. У капцюрох Г.П.У. Дакументальная аповесць (Серыя: Мая беларуская кніга). Мінск: Попурри. Francišak Aliachnovič. 2015. U kapciuroch H.P.U. Dakumientalnaja apoviesć (Sieryja: Maja bielaruskaja kniha) [In the Claws of the GPU: A Documentary Tale (Ser: My Belarusian Book)]. Minsk: Popurri, 288pp. ISBN 978-985-15-2429-3

Translations

Portuguese: Fr[anciszek] Olechnowicz. 1937. Sete Annos nas Garras Soviéticas (Verdade sobre os Soviets) [Seven Years in the Soviet Clutches (The Truth about the Soviets)] [translated from the Polish by Eva Wedber]. Rio de Janeiro: Amorim Cia Ltda and Livraria Moura, 190pp.
Ukrainian: Францішек Аляхновіч. 1937. 7 літ на Соловках. Спомини білоруського діяча про миртиірольогію у Совітах. Львів: Накладом Видавничої Спілки "Діло" у Львові Frantsishek Alyakhnovich. 1937. 7 lit na Solovkakh. Spomyny bilorusʹkoho diyacha pro myrtyirolʹohiyu u Sovitakh [7 years in the Solovki {Gulag} Prison Camp: A Memoir of a Belarusian National Activist on the Sufferings and Martyrdom of Inmates in the Soviet Camps]. Lʹviv: Nakladom Vydavnychoyi Spilky "Dilo" u Lʹvovi, 168 pp.
Italian: Franciszek Olechnowicz. 1938. La verità sulla Russia bolscevica. Impressioni di un russo-bianco nazionalista liberato dopo sette anni dalle prigioni dell'URSS [The Truth about Bolshevik Russia: Impressions of a Belarusian Nationalist Freed After Seven Years Spent in the Prisons of the USSR] [translated from the Polish by Gian d'Arce]. Firenze [Florence]: Nerbini, 60pp (large format, 28 cm).
Russian: Франц Олехнович. 2012. В когтях ГПУ [In the Claws of the GPU] [пер. с белорус. Е. А. Тараса] (Серия: Неизвестная история). Минск: Харвест Frants Olekhnovich. 2012. V kogtiakh GPU [In the Claws of the GPU] [translated from the Belarusian by Ie. A. Taras] (Seriia: Neizvestnaia istoriia [Unknown History]). Minsk: Kharvest, 320pp. ISBN 9789851814707
Russian: Франц Олехнович. 2012. В когтях ГПУ [In the Claws of the GPU] [пер. с белорус. Е. А. Тараса] (Серия: Неизвестная история). Рига: Институт беларуской истории и культуры Frants Olekhnovich. 2012. V kogtiakh GPU [In the Claws of the GPU] [translated from the Belarusian by Ie. A. Taras] (Seriia: Neizvestnaia istoriia [Unknown History]). Riga: Institut belaruskoi istorii i kul'tury, 319pp.

Notes

↑ GPU is an abbreviation of the State Political Directorate

References

[1] GPU is an abbreviation of the State Political Directorate

[2] Францішак Аляхновіч. 2015. У капцюрох Г.П.У. Дакументальная аповесць (Серыя: Мая беларуская кніга). Мінск: Попурри. Francišak Aliachnovič. 2015. U kapciuroch H.P.U. Dakumientalnaja apoviesć (Sieryja: Maja bielaruskaja kniha). Minsk: Popurri, p285.

[3] Ф. АЛЯХНОВИЧЪ. 1934. Семь лѣтъ во власти ГПУ {Seven Years in the Hands of the GPU}(p 2). Vozrozhdenie, Volume 10, Number 3463, 26 Nov.

[4] Aljachnovič's book was published in 14 parts in Vozrozhdenie (1934: Nov 23, Dec 1, 3, 8, 10, 14, 17, 25, 29; 1935: Jan 9, 14, 16, 23, Feb 6), beginning on 1 December 1934 its title was changed to 1927-1934. Семь лѣтъ во власти ГПУ.

[5] АЛЯХНОВІЧ Францішак in: Рэпрэсаваныя літаратары, навукоўцы, работнікі асветы, грамадскія і культурныя дзеячы Беларусі. 1794-1991.

[6] Zenowiusz PONARSKI. 2002/2003. JÓZEF MACKIEWICZ — FAKTY I MITY. 2002/2003. ARCHIWUM EMIGRACJI Studia – Szkice – Dokumenty Toruń, No 5/6, p 291.

[7] Franciszka <sic> Olechnowicz. Życie i praca

[8] Zenowiusz PONARSKI. 2002/2003. JÓZEF MACKIEWICZ — FAKTY I MITY. 2002/2003. ARCHIWUM EMIGRACJI Studia – Szkice – Dokumenty Toruń, No 5/6, p 287.

[9] E-access to Prawda o Sowietach in the Biblioteka Narodowa

[10] "Catalog entry in the Archiwum Akt Nowych in Warsaw". Archived from the original on 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2020-06-02.

[11] WŁADYSŁAW CHOJNACKI. 1974. BIBLIOGRAFIA WYDAWNICTW POLSKICH W BRAZYLII 1892 - 1974. Przegląd Zachodni. No 2, pp 366-367.

[12] Catalog record in the Национальная библиотека Беларуси

[13] Andriej Moskwin. 2019. Powieść dokumentalna Franciszka Alachnowicza „7 lat w szponach GPU”: geneza utworu, cztery wersje. BIAŁORUTENISTYKA BIAŁOSTOCKA. Vol. 11, p 48.

[14] Andriej Moskwin. 2019. Powieść dokumentalna Franciszka Alachnowicza „7 lat w szponach GPU”: geneza utworu, cztery wersje. BIAŁORUTENISTYKA BIAŁOSTOCKA. Vol. 11, p 48.

[15] Cover and text of the 1994 edition of У капцюрох Г.П.У. Аповесць

[16] Catalog record in the Национальная библиотека Беларуси

[17] E-access: Францішак Аляхновіч У капцюрох ГПУ

[18] Catalog record in the Национальная библиотека Беларуси

[19] Brief review: Свобода 1939, No.66, p 3

[20] "Sete+Annos+nas+Garras" Boletim bibliográfico. 1951. Volumes 17-19, p. 221.

[21] Second hand copy offer

[22] Used copy. NB: The title is not recorded in the catalog of the National Library of Brazil.^{[permanent dead link]}

[23] Relatório de Sumário do Catálogo. 2011. Paraná: Museu Paranaense da Secretaria de Cultura do Paraná, p 74.^{[permanent dead link]}

[24] Sete Annos Nas Garras Sovieticas Fr Olechnowicz^{[permanent dead link]}

[25] "Sete+Annos+nas+Garras" review in Mensario do "Jornal do commercio" (artigos de collaboração). Vol. 2, Part 3, p 1089.

[26] Information on the publication of the Ukrainian translation, published in the Ukrainian-language newspaper Dilo

[27] A. Soloduch. 1938. Przeglad Wilenski. 18 Feb. Bibliografija: Alachnowicz. F. U kapciuroch G.P.U. Wilnia, 1939 <sic> (p 7).

[28] Нові книжки й журнали. 1937. Діло. 12 Nov. No 249, p 9.

[29] Entry in the catalog of the Biblioteka Narodowa in Warsaw.

[30] Entry in the World Catalog

[31] Entry in the Catalogo del Servizio Bibliotecario Nazionale.

[32] Information on the publisher's website

[33] Catalog entry in the Russian State Library

[34] Catalog entry in the National Library of Belarus

In the Claws of the GPU

Publication history

Translations

See also

Notes

References