Life at Kengir camp

“It was strange there, they took us there and lined us up. I saw people coming back from work grey, covered in dust. The columns made their way forward one after another, 250 in each column, in ranks of five, all holding each other’s arms. You couldn’t walk free, as you wished. You had to hold each other’s arms. Every one numbered, the numbers shining bright, even if they were black. Faces tanned, I looked at them and they all looked like Asians. Out there, it was very hot in summer and the wind tanned us too. People worked in the open air.”