More often, cruelty was not so much sadism as self-interest. Guards who shot escaping prisoners received monetary rewards, and could even be granted a vacation at home. Guards were therefore tempted to encourage such “escapes.” Zhigulin described the result: The guard would shout at someone in the column, “Hey, bring me that plank!” “But it’s across the fence . . .” “Doesn’t matter. Go!” The prisoner would go, and a line of machine-gun fire would follow him.79
