The Gulag Archipelago is Alexander Solzhenitsyn's art-historical study of the Soviet repressive system from 1918 to 1956. GULAG is an abbreviation for the Main Directorate of Camps, the name “GULAG Archipelago” is an allusion to “Sakhalin Island” by A.P. Chekhov. The Gulag Archipelago was written secretly by Solzhenitsyn in the USSR (completed on February 22, 1967), with the first volume published in Paris in December 1973. Contrary to popular belief, Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Prize in 1970 was not related to The Gulag Archipelago. The book made an extremely strong impression on the readers of that time. Due to its strong anti-Soviet orientation, “Archipelago” was popular among dissidents and is considered the most significant anti-communist work. In the USSR, “Archipelago” was published in 1990. The phrase “GULAG Archipelago” has become a household word and is often used in journalism and fiction, primarily in relation to the penitentiary system of the USSR of the 20-50s.