In the camp, Varlam Shalamov was reduced to the level of human material, disposed of by others and whose destruction was a foregone conclusion. A survivor in both life and work, he resisted any encroachment on his ego. Freely managing his life and fully retaining the supreme right to interpret his destiny in words was as precious to him as the authenticity of the feeling that informed every written word. His poetry and prose were based on what he himself had seen and learned. Speaking of his work, he once said, "I am the chronicler of my own soul. Nothing more." In all his texts, he closely linked his own life with modern Russian history. His strategy of recollection requires historical knowledge. It is designed for a reader willing to repeatedly question their own thoughts and actions.