Just Send Me Word

In "Just Send Me Word," author Orlando Figes tells the poignant story of Lev Mishchenko, a former Soviet POW and deportee in the Arctic Gulag, who unexpectedly receives letters from his beloved Sveta after five years of separation. Over the next eight years, the couple manages to exchange over 1,500 messages and even conduct secret meetings within the confines of the camp. Drawing on their correspondence, KGB archives, and interviews, Figes constructs a powerful narrative that vividly captures their enduring love and the harsh reality of life in Stalin's Gulag.