“Silencing” or “Magnifying” Memories? Stalin’s Repressions and the 1990s in Russian Museums

ABSTRACT

Collective memories of different events often interact. There are multiple possible modes of such interaction. This article explores the interrelation of two memories in the Russian memory landscape: memories of Stalin’s repressions and the first post-Soviet decade, the 1990s. It shows that in museum exhibitions about the repressions, the 1990s are invoked in different modes. The interaction of the two memories has varying outcomes, including “silencing” through cacophonous commemoration and a “magnifying” effect of multidirectional memories. The article aims to open up the discussion of the complexity of the interrelation of the two memories.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Daniel Levy for the support of this project, Olga Malinova for her work on the memories of the 90s, Sofia Gavrilova, Andrei Zavadski and the anonymous reviewers for the helpful comments.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Interview, Solovki.

2. Interview, Magadan region.

3. Liberals is an umbrella term for proponents of democratic and market reforms.

4. Memory Museum Association, http://memorymuseums.ru/. Five museums are members of the association (including the Gulag Museum in Moscow), four are cooperating with the Association and the Moscow museum. In those museums that do not work with the Moscow museum and association, employees often noted that they would not be against some forms of cooperation, but, they either do not have enough resources (primarily, human resources) to work on it, or do not know how to join the association. In any case, most likely, more of these museums will join the association in the coming years.

5. Interview, Karelia.

6. Guided tour, Karelia.

7. Interview, Magadan region.

8. Magadan region is one of the most remote Russian regions. There is no rail connection; it can only be reached by sea or air.

9. Interview, Yagodnoe.

10. Interview, KBR.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies dissertation research grant program. The article was prepared within the framework of the HSE University Basic Research Program.