Gulag Museum rebranded to focus on Nazi crimes as Kremlin tightens grip on historical narrative
The Kremlin is eliminating references to Soviet-era repression under Joseph Stalin from Russian museums as part of a broader effort to suppress free expression. The Gulag Museum in Moscow, which was renamed the Museum of Memory in 2024, has shifted its focus to Nazi war crimes. It was closed due to violations of fire safety regulations, suggesting a potential permanent shutdown. Roman Romanov, who served as director until 2024 and had connections to Putin's Human Rights Council, was succeeded by Natalia Kalashnikova on 20 February 2025. On 9 April 2025, Russia's supreme court designated Memorial as an extremist organization. Additionally, the Yeltsin Presidential Center eliminated references to Memorial, and the Sakharov Center was closed in 2023. In 2024, Sergey Lukashevsky was sentenced in absentia, while on 13 March 2025, Nina Khrushcheva was classified as a 'foreign agent.'
Key facts
- Gulag Museum in Moscow rebranded as Museum of Memory, shifting focus from Stalin-era repression to Nazi war crimes.
- Museum website replaced in February 2025 with three sentences announcing the new institution.
- Natalia Kalashnikova appointed director on 20 February 2025; she previously ran Smolensk Fortress Museum and received a medal for participating in the 'Special Military Operation' in Ukraine.
- Russia's supreme court banned Memorial as an extremist organisation on 9 April 2025.
- Yeltsin Presidential Center in Yekaterinburg removed mention of Memorial from its walls.
- Sakharov Center in Moscow disbanded by court ruling in 2023.
- Perm-36 gulag museum taken over by authorities in 2015; Gulag history museum in Yoshkar-Ola forced to close in 2018.
- Exhibition '10 centuries of Polish Russophobia' opened at Katyn massacre memorial complex in March 2025, led by Vladimir Medinsky.
Entities
Institutions
- Gulag Museum
- Museum of Memory
- Memorial
- Yeltsin Presidential Center
- Sakharov Center
- Perm-36 gulag museum
- Gulag history museum in Yoshkar-Ola
- Katyn massacre memorial complex
- Smolensk Fortress Museum
- Moscow city government
- Putin's presidential Human Rights Council
- The Art Newspaper
- Verstka
Locations
- Moscow
- Russia
- Yekaterinburg
- Berlin
- New York
- Smolensk
- Perm-36
- Urals
- Yoshkar-Ola
- Katyn