The theme of “death barges” was popular in Soviet literature. Not only did it reflect the tragic events of the Civil War, but it also created a powerful propaganda image symbolizing the ruthlessness and cruelty of the Whites, on the one hand, and the unbending will of the Red prisoners, on the other. This study draws on an article by the renowned Perm journalist and writer N.I. Dubilet, who wrote several works about Kama rivermen, “The Unparalleled Feat of the Red Sailors”, published in the newspaper “Bolshaya Kama” in 1968.
