Public Perceptions of Russia’s Gulag Memory Museums

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this article we address the question of how residents of several Russian urban centers perceive museums with displays highlighting Soviet political repressions (in particular, the Gulag). The empirical base consists of focus groups with different age groups. The method of intergenerational analysis was used to compare respondents’ narratives in order to understand how their different life experiences and time distances from the tragic events of Soviet history affect their attitudes to such museums in urban spaces and their perceptions of how these museums shape local identities.