Gulag Prisoner

Gulag VR: A Historical Simulation Based on Research and Testimonies

Gulag VR is an educational virtual reality experience that immerses users in the everyday life of prisoners in a Soviet labor camp. Developed as a university-based research project, it draws on extensive archaeological fieldwork, archival materials, and firsthand accounts from former inmates. The project is supported by the Czech Technology Agency (TAČR) and aims to bring history to life in an engaging, accessible, and emotionally impactful way.

Users explore five interactive scenes—barracks, roll call, forced labor in the forest, the dining area, and solitary confinement—each carefully reconstructed to reflect the brutal conditions and complex social dynamics of the Gulag system. The experience combines atmospheric design, spatial storytelling, and narration to convey both factual information and personal stories, making it suitable for educational settings and public history initiatives.

This VR simulation is part of a broader initiative to connect academic research with immersive media, helping students, educators, and the general public better understand the historical reality of totalitarian repression through an embodied, first-person perspective.