The World Behind Bars. The Penitentiary System in Volyn and Galicia in 1918–1939

We invite you to the presentation of the book by Oleh Razyhraiev "The World Behind Bars. The Penitentiary System in Volyn and Galicia in 1918-1939" (Drohobych: Kolo, 2023).

In the book, the author analyzes the formation and development of the penitentiary system in Volyn and Galicia in the interwar period. The monograph has an interdisciplinary character and was prepared at the crossroads of regional history, social history, and legal history.

While researching the law enforcement system in Volyn and Galicia in 1918-1939, in particular the history of the Polish police, Oleh Razyhraiev has repeatedly asked the following questions: what was happening to the people who were arrested by the police? In what institutions and conditions were they held? What was their everyday life like? Who were the people working in the prisons?

During the presentation, the author will focus on the origin and organization of the penitentiary system in the Second Polish Republic; the characteristics of penitentiary institutions and their staff; and the study of the problems of the formation of the penitentiary system in Volyn and Galicia. Together with the author of the book, we will also talk about the dynamics of the number of prisoners, their conditions of detention, the quality of food and medical care, labor activities, and opportunities to fulfill cultural, educational, and religious needs, and will consider forms of protest actions by prisoners, such as hunger strikes, riots, and escapes. We will analyze the informal environments of prisoners and try to find out about the activities of public and political organizations to support prisoners in Volyn and Galicia and protect their rights.

One of the book's reviewers, historian Oleksandr Zaitsev, will join the conversation. The meeting will be moderated by Ivanna Cherchovych, a historian and researcher at the Center for Urban History.

Credits

Cover Image: Photo of the book "The World Behind Bars. The Penitentiary System in Volyn and Galicia in 1918-1939"

Gallery: Ira Sereda