Moscows Gulag History Museum announcedits short-lived closure on Thursday, pointing out fire safety violations in the middle of what critics state is a wider effort by the Russian authorities to minimize Soviet-era repression.The museum stated that the safety offenses, flagged by the citys building and construction examination center, posture a hazard to the safety and convenience of visitors and need to be addressed before reopening.While no timeline was offered, the museum promised to reimburse all tickets.
Authorities have actually not commented on the closure.First developed in 2001, the Gulag History Museum tells visitors the story of the Soviet Unions huge network of forced labor camps, in addition to their legacy inmodern Russia, with artifacts collected fromall over thecountry.The statement of the museums short-lived closure comes two weeks after ithosted a celebration for the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions a public occasion that the Moscow Mayors Office has denied licenses for since 2020.
Outside the museum on Thursday, a guy, who asked to be recognized just by his first name Mikhail, expressed issue about a possible long-lasting closure of the famous institution.Its a strong museum, extremely impressive.
Its disappointing that this happened.
Its a loss, a fantastic loss if, God forbid, its permanent, he told AFP.We need individuals to see it, to comprehend, to know that it should not be repeated.However, Yulia, a musician in her 50s who likewise declined to provide her surname, said she invited the closure.Im versus such establishments.
Im not sad, she informed AFP while strolling her canine in a nearby park.Im a Stalinist ...
people pass away in every period, today as well.
We cant make monuments for each era.Russian authorities have cited fire security concerns in past closures of cultural institutions, including the Documentary Film Center in 2022 and the European University of St.
Petersburg in 2008.
In September, Russias top district attorney ordered an evaluation of choices that rehabilitated victims of Soviet repression.
Soon after, the legal status of 4,000 rehabilitated individuals was revoked, reclassifying them as traitors of the Motherland.AFP contributed reporting.