Russia Takes the Gulag Out of the Gulag History Museum in Moscow
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by Neil MacFarquharFebruary 20, 2026
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The Gulag History Museum in Moscow, once dedicated to preserving the memory of Stalin’s labor camps and their brutal history, is being transformed into a Museum of Memory focused on Nazi war crimes and the "genocide of the Soviet people." The museum ceased operations in November 2024 under unspecified "fire safety violations," and its website was replaced with a statement from the Culture Department announcing the shift. This move reflects a broader trend under President Vladimir Putin to downplay Soviet-era atrocities while emphasizing external threats, such as Nazi Germany, to justify Russia's actions, including its invasion of Ukraine.
The Gulag Museum had long served as a rare institution in Russia acknowledging the immense suffering caused by Stalin’s regime, organizing public events and seminars on Soviet repression. However, since Putin’s return to power a decade ago, efforts to memorialize these crimes have been systematically dismantled. This shift aligns with the Kremlin’s narrative, which increasingly frames modern Russian history through the lens of victimhood, casting Soviet-era crimes as a necessary response to external threats rather than addressing internal injustices.
The transformation of the museum reflects a broader effort by the Russian government to control historical narratives and suppress uncomfortable truths about its own past. By focusing on Nazi war crimes—a topic with undeniable historical significance—the new Museum of Memory aims to shape public perception in a way that aligns with state ideology, reinforcing the idea that Russia’s current actions are driven by the need to protect against foreign threats. This move underscores how history is weaponized in contemporary politics and highlights the ongoing struggle over memory and identity in post-Soviet nations.
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Originally published on NYT Homepage on 2/20/2026