But Siberia was remote, 6,000 km from Moscow and had no connectivity. Roads were required and mining stations had to be set up. Political dissidents from states absorbed into the the Soviet Union (like Ukraine) who resisted communist rule, common criminals and others were forcibly conscripted. At its peak between 1940 and 1950, about 80,000 to 200,000 labourers worked in the gulags. The conditions of work were harsh and many died due to exhaustion and sicknesses. Others were shot dead for not working hard enough.
