“The new museum will house an exhibition covering all stages of Nazi war crimes during the Great Patriotic War,” Moscow’s city government said in a statement, using the official Russian name for World War II.
It would also document “biological weapons tests conducted by the Japanese on Soviet civilians” as well as demonstrate the Red Army’s victories.
The Gulag History Museum was established in 2001, but authorities closed it in November 2024, citing “fire safety violations”.
Millions of people were imprisoned in the Gulag
Until its closure, the museum served as a reminder of the millions of people who were imprisoned in the Gulag – a vast network of forced labor camps across the country between 1918 and 1956.
During the rule of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, millions of alleged traitors and enemies of the state were sent there, many of whom died.
The museum was one of the last institutions dedicated to documenting Soviet-era political repression in Russia.
It contained thousands of artifacts from Gulag victims, including letters and personal effects.
The museum’s closure was widely seen as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s crackdown on institutions documenting Soviet-era human rights violations.
Critics criticized the Kremlin for attempting to restore the Soviet Union’s legacy by downplaying human rights abuses while promoting patriotism and supporting its role as a conqueror during World War II.
Edited by: Kieran Burke
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