Local Initiatives: A Historical Analysis of the Creation of Memorial Museums of the Gulag in (Post-)Soviet Russia

Most memorial museums of the Gulag in (post-)Soviet Russia emerged as grassroots initiatives between 1989 and 2015, driven by museum workers and historians rather than state directives. These efforts often reflected the perspectives of their amateur founders, leading to exhibitions that, while significant at the time, may appear ambiguous today. The study analyzes this historical process across ten regions, revealing how local initiatives shaped the narrative of Stalin's repressions and their evolution with varying support from authorities.

Staf, V. (2023). Local Initiatives: A Historical Analysis of the Creation of Memorial Museums of the Gulag in (Post-)Soviet Russia. Problems of Post-Communism, 70(5), 471–478. https://doi.org/10.1080/10758216.2023.2166846