Perm-36

58°15′47.2″N 57°25′55.6″E / 58.263111°N 57.432111°E / 58.263111; 57.432111

Main building
Reconstruction of one of the prisoner barracks
The fence at Perm-36

Perm-36 (also known as ITK-6) was a Soviet forced labor colony located near the village of Kuchino,[1] 100 km (60 miles) northeast of the city of Perm in Russia. It was part of the large prison camp system established by the former Soviet Union during the Stalin era, known as the Gulag. Since 1972 the camp was designated a "strict regime" and "special regime" (строгого режима, особого режима) camp used exclusively for the incarceration of "especially dangerous state criminals", mostly Soviet dissidents.[1][2][3]

Built in 1946[1] and closed in December 1987,[1] the camp was preserved in 1994[2] by the Russian human historical and human rights organization Memorial.[4] In 1995[2] the following year it was opened to the public as The "Perm-36" Museum of the History of Political Repression[2] (known popularly as the Gulag Museum).[2][failed verification] It was run by an NGO called the Perm-36 Memorial Center of Political Repression".[2] It was the only surviving example of a Gulag labor camp, the others having been abandoned or demolished by the Soviet government before the dissolution of the Soviet Union.[1]

The museum was a founding member of the International Coalition of Historic Sites of Conscience.[2] and received an average 35,000 visitors a year.[2] There were hopes that the museum might be incorporated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2004, however, the World Monuments Fund included Perm 36 in its Watchlist of 100 Most Endangered Sites.[5]

Later various bodies of Perm Region administration withdrew support and funding, forcing the museum to close in April 2014.

  1. ^ a b c d e ""Perm-36" Soviet political repression camp (GULAG) & Chusovaya History Museum excursion". Ural tours. Krasnov Travel Agency, Perm, Russia. 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "The museum of history of political repressions "Perm-36"". Official web page. Russian Cultural Heritage Network. 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "Gulag Museum at Perm-36". List of founders. International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, New York. 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  4. ^ Stanley, Alessandra (October 29, 1997). "Lest Russians forget, a museum of the Gulag". New York Times. New York.
  5. ^ "World Monuments Watch 2004: 100 Most Endangered Sites" (PDF). World Monuments Watch. 2004. Retrieved 9 August 2021.