The Tartar
The Tartar is the guard who catches Shukhov in bed after wake-up.
The book
Who they are in the book
Spoiler-freeThe Tartar is the guard who catches Shukhov in bed after wake-up. He threatens a punishment-cell sentence but instead orders him to wash the guards’ floor. His decision is arbitrary, yet the lesser punishment becomes one of Shukhov’s strokes of luck. He continues his guard duties after releasing Shukhov.
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