Memory Divided: Representation of the Conflict around "Memorial Centre“Perm-36”" in the Russian Media

Abstract

The memorial centre "Perm‑36" in Kuchino near Perm made its first seriousappearance in the headlines of the Russian and the world press in July 2014."Perm‑36" previously enjoyed the status of being the only museum in Russiathat ran exhibits on Russian GULAG-history in Russia on the actual grounds ofa former soviet labour camp ("ITK‑36"). Media reports were triggered by a stateenforcedchange of management and the contents of the exhibition site itself. Inthe beginning of March 2015 the NGO that had established the museum and hadbeen in charge of it for almost 20 years, announced its self-liquidation, understandablegiven that its representatives had not been allowed to continue theirwork and projects on the premises for almost a year. In examining the Russianmedia coverage, it becomes apparent that there are highly controversial attitudestowards the museum among the Russian population. This is a typical feature ofpeople in Russia and the "divided memory" that they display in relation to thesoviet era. On the basis of Aleida Assmann’s theory of memorial culture thisarticle reviews the main topics of the Perm (and Russian) "memorial conflict"reflected in the media reports and as they are outlined against the background ofcurrent Russian politics of history.