Educational work in labor colonies the pre-war period: what was required in orders of the NKVD of the USSR

The article discusses the features of the organization of educational work among juvenile delinquents in labor colonies in the 1930s. The emphasis is on the analysis of a number of orders of the NKVD of the USSR, devoted to these issues. It is noted that a lot of attention was paid to this area of activity of labor colonies, in particular, the Regulations on the labor colony contained detailed instructions on this matter. However, in reality, the educational process was carried out inconsistently, with considerable difficulties, often highly formalized, which forced the NKVD of the USSR to issue strict orders with instructions to eliminate shortcomings.