mission/activities page 01
The Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center «Peace, Progress, Human Rights» The Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center is both a cultural institution and a public organization promoting the formation of civil society in Russia. It was established by the Public Commission for the Preservation of the Heritage of Academician Sakharov – Andrei Sakharov Foundation, chaired at the time by E. Bonner and, subsequently (since 2005), by S. Kovalev. The Museum and Public Center opened 21 May 1996, on the 75th anniversary of Sakharov's birth. Permanent exhibits, temporary exhibitions, the library, and museum collections are dedicated to three main issues: «Totalitarian past», «Conditions of freedom – issues that currently face Russia», «The life and activities of Andrei Sakharov». The Museum and Public Center often initiates and organ izes discussions on urgent societal and political issues and grants, free of charge, its facilities for sem inars, conferences and other public events to organizations whose goals do not contradict the mission of the Museum and Public Center.
The Museum occupies a small mansion that was part of a 17th 19th century estate last owned by the Usachev – Naydenov merchant family. The premises housing the Museum and Public Center have been granted by the Moscow City Government free of rent until 2021. Reconstruction of the building was accomplished by architect Grigory Sayevich, and the permanent collection was designed by architect Yevgeni Ass. Exposition equipment was developed, produced and mounted by Bioinjector IPK. The design of the Round Table Room incorporates works by artists Svetlana Assiryants and Daniel Mitlyansky and Maksim Mitlyansky. In 2000, The Museum and Public Center was granted the status of an Autonomous Non Commercial Organization. The organization is managed by the Board of Directors. Grants and donations are the principal sources of operational funding.
Mission of the Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center – To contribute to the preservation of the historic memory of tens of millions of victims of the politi cal repressions and crimes of the Soviet regime – To contribute to the establishment of the values of an open democratic society and state in today's Russia, as advocated and shared by Andrei Sakharov
Major activities of the Museum and Public Center – Archive and museum activities – Arrangement of exhibitions – Defense of human rights – Educational and instructive programs – Arrangement of seminars and conferences – Editorial and publishing activities – Participation in the implementation of Andrei Sakharov Fund programs and projects page 03
«I believe that mankind will find a rational solution to the challenging task of implementing grandiose necessary and inevitable progress, at the same time maintaining the human in man and the natural in nature.» Andrei Sakharov major sections page 05
The Totalitarian Past of Russia: The Totalitarian Past of Russia: «Mythology and ideology of the USSR» and «Political repressions in the USSR» «The way through GULAG» and «Resistance to «Unfreedom»
Temporary exhibitions: «Problems of today's Russia» «Andrei Sakharov: Personality and Destiny» major sections page 07
The Museum's Permanent Exhibition presents Soviet history as seen through the prism of political repressions and resistance to the regime. In Moscow, it was the first exhibition open to the common pub lic in memory of the millions sacrificed in the name of communist Utopia. The artistic design of the exhibition was developed by architect Yevgeni Ass. The main idea of the exhibition is a metaphoric movement from «unfreedom» to freedom, from darkness to light. The exhibition space is divided into four naves (corridors) by high walls. The walls serve not only as places for exhibits, but as symbols of chang ing epochs, as well. By means of a variety of materials (brick, metal, wood, glass, textile), the dark and gloomy at the start of the route, becomes more spacious, light and bright on the way to its end. The proj I II III VI V ect was implemented by teams of young architects «Architect Lab» and «Ice Coating (Obledenenie) of Architects», «Bioinjector» Company. In 1997, the Museum's Permanent Exhibit project was awarded the prize «For the best interior» at the Moscow Architecture Competition held during the «Architecture and Design» Fair. The first authors to contribute to the major sections of the exhibition included Nikita Okhotin, Leonid Litinsky, and Galina Averbukh. In 1998 2003, the material content of the exposition was renewed, but its concept remained the same. The authors of the renewed exposition were Lyudmila Vasilovskaya, Aleksandr Yermolaev, Andrei Ivanov, Yuri Samodurov, and Maria Kudyukina. The exhibits' design and mounting were accomplished by the archi tects of «masterskaya taf», headed by Aleksandr Yermolaev.
Major sections:
I Mythology and Ideology of the USSR II Political Repressions in the USSR III The Way Through GULAG IV Resistance to «Unfreedom» the structure of the exposition V Andrei Sakharov: Personality and Destiny section #1 mythology & ideology of the USSR page 09
mythology and ideolo1gy of the USSR
Mythology and Ideology of the USSR The first section of the Exhibition presents a win dow dressing of Soviet socialism in the form of a bright, colorful collage of photos, posters, lines from Soviet songs and slogans. This is propaganda of the Soviet way of life: subjugation of nature, friendship of nations, labor exploits, festive demonstrations, military parades, sports festivals, progress achieved in science, technology and culture, unity of the Party and the people. The purpose of the propaganda was to inspire faith in the inevitable victory of communism. The idea of building a communist society rested on man's age old dreams of a just social order, material abundance, free and joyful labor, a world without violence, private property, exploitation, and a world without the poor (but, at the same time, without the rich). Vladimir Lenin declared: «the Russian mass public has to be presented with something extremely simple, intelligible to its comprehension. Soviets and communism are simple enough». Up to that point, the Bolshevik Party had led the Utopian project. The party enjoyed absolute power in politics, the economy and ideology. It controlled society in order to nip all doubts and deviations in the bud. The citizens of the Soviet state were assured that every day they made fresh advances on their way to the glorious future. But the attainment of these objectives required sacrifices. There was no coincidence in the frequent use of combat terminology: struggle for worldwide victory of the revolution, struggle for lib eration of oppressed nations, struggle for peace in the world, struggle for harvest, for cleanliness, for the new way of life, for the upbringing of a new man, for the accomplishment of housing and food production programs, etc. The ideological machinery of the State succeeded in creating an illusory vision of national life, and a considerable part of society responded with genuine enthusiasm. And it was natural that the guiding and organizing role played by the Communist Party and its leaders was emphasized permanently throughout the whole Soviet period of history. As soon as the majority of citizens realized the gap between the image of propaganda's «bright future» and reality, the fall of the Soviet regime became just a matter of time. раздел #1 mythology & ideology of the USSR page 11 section #2 political repressions in the USSR page 13
Political Repressions in the USSR The second section of the Exhibition deals with the his tory of political repressions in the USSR in the period from 1917 to the mid 1950's. The so called dictatorship of the proletariat in the person of the Bolshevik Party considered it inevitable to start the political repressions in the USSR construction of a new society with total repression against real and potential enemies of the regime. Early II on, opposition newspapers were closed, rival political parties banned, the Constituent Assembly was dis missed, and former landlords, noblemen, entrepreneurs, clergymen, army and police officers were deprived of suffrage. However, as time went by, it became clear that repressions were not a temporal measure but the very essence of the new regime. A few months after the revolution passed, a policy of enforcement was applied to peasantry (the most numerous segment of Russia's population) in the form of «pro drazverstka» (surplus appropriation system). This made civil war inevitable. The main instrument of civil war was terror – «red» and «white». After the war, many prominent representatives of humanitarian intelligentsia were exiled abroad and the party of socialist revolutionaries (SR) was set on trial (1922). Meanwhile, the Church suffered a fatal attack: its valuables were confiscated in the interest of the struggle against hunger; many priests were arrested and shot. In 1928, the so called «Shakhty case» became a rehearsal for political show trials of the 1930's. In the late 1920's early 1930's, dispossession of kulaks (wealthy peasants) and mass collectivization resulted in plunder and exile to remote areas of millions of peasant families. So far, independent peasantry was eliminated. The horrible hunger of 1932 1933 with 7 million starved to death was a direct conse quence of this policy. In the early 1930's, the system of Main Administration for Camps (abbre viated in Russian as GULAG) was formed. Inefficient forced labor of convicts was implied in construction of nearly all new giant industrial enterprises, new cities, railways and canals. It remained an inalienable and important part of the Soviet national economy until the mid 1950's. Violence reached its culmination in the Big Terror of 1937 1938. Many prominent party and state figures, scientists and mili tary officers were eliminated in those years. However, the overwhelming majority of victims consisted of ordinary workers, peasants and office employees. Arrests and executions were conducted in compliance with special quotas, approved by the Central Committee and Joseph Stalin personally. Tortures were per mitted officially. Even the Great Patriotic War could not stop the war of the Power against the People. During 1941 1945, several nations were removed «forever» from their native lands: western Ukrainians, Baltic peoples, several nations of the North Caucasus, Volga ethnic Germans, Crimean Tatars and many others. Liberated POWs were immediately sent to Soviet camps. All those who could not leave home and survived occupation were under suspicion. In 1946, the era of the Cold War began – political and military opposition of former allies. The new situation served as a background for ideologi cal campaigns: struggle against «false sciences» (cybernetics and genetics), against «servility to the West», against «cosmopolitans». In 1950 – 1953, a new wave of political trials passed including the Case of Jewish Anti Facist Center, Leningrad Case, Case of Doctors Poisoners etc. Only the death of Stalin (1953) prevented further, new mass repressions. The 20th CPSU Congress blamed the late leader for all mass violence and called the years of his reign «the cult of personality». But the very sys tem was not condemned. Henceforth, the party «revealed the cult of personality» and continued to build communism. Demography estimates show that in the period 1917 1954, the nation lost about 40,000,000 lives. The number of those who suffered is beyond estimation. section #2 political repressions in the USSR page 15 section #3 the way through GULAG page 17
tIhe wIay tIhrough GULAG
The Way Through GULAG For decades, the GULAG system was an ever present fixture of the Soviet regime, «a state within a state» with its own territory, laws, population, language and economy. This section of the permanent exhibition demonstrates, once again, the horrible cost of the country's achievements between the 1930's and the 1950's: broken lives, long years of forced labor of millions of unlawfully convicted Soviet citizens. Inspired by the book «GULAG Archipelago» by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn the exhibition depicts the life of a person sent to a camp – the way along the circles of the GULAG Inferno: arrest, investigation, verdict, camp, liberation and rehabilitation. The section presents original documents, photos, camp household items (such as tableware and clothing), primitive working tools (shovel, hack, pickaxe), camp newspapers, and letters of prisoners. An individual tragic fate lies behind each document or artifact. They are the material evidence of the crimes committed by the Soviet state against its people. Broken and cracked boards, reinforcing steel, metal rods and other items on display in the exhibit magnify the unfriendly atmosphere which serves as a back ground for the story of human life in the camp. On the black metal wall, you see photos of persons shot in Moscow and the Moscow Region for «counter revolutionary activities». In sliding boxes of metal shelves, you find copies of documents of the investigations of political prisoners in 1930's – 1950's. Access computer monitors to view documentation that demonstrates the «Crimes of the Soviet regime», fragments of the «Martyrs of political repressions executed in Moscow and the Moscow Region in 1918 – 1953» database, «Memoirs on GULAG and their authors», and «Monuments to victims of political repressions within the territory of the former USSR». Two reference documents are found at the end of the exhibition: certificates of liberation and rehabilitation. The first verifies that its owner has been imprisoned for a committed «crime». The second informs that the case has been «cancelled for the lack of corpus delicti». section #3 the way through GULAG page 19 section #4 resistance to «unfreedom» page 21
Resistance to «Unfreedom» This section of the exhibition presents evidence of opposi tion to the regime in the post war period through the mid 1980's. Only a few dared to manifest dis resistance to «unfreedom» satisfaction against the government openly. But hostile attitudes towards official Soviet ideology, 1V unwillingness to collaborate with the authorities, and attempts to broaden the «permitted area» in art and culture were very common throughout society. Upon entering the exhibit, you find photographs and documents about uprisings in the camps in 1953 – 1954. Fighting against the inhu man living conditions, convicts insisted, first and foremost, on observation of Soviet laws. Although these uprisings were brutally suppressed, they led, in the final result, to certain changes in the GULAG system. During the post war years, anti Stalinist moods spread among the youth, indicating the need for changes. Numerous underground youth organizations and groups emerged. The most noted among them included KPM (Communist Party of the Youth), SDR (Union for the Cause of Revolution), and DS (Democratic Union). Their main goal was to return to «Lenin's principles and ideals». Theoretically, they advocated force as a method of struggle, but practically their activities were limited to the study of Marxist classics and criticism of Stalinism. As a rule, the state security apparatus managed to detect such groups very quickly, and arrest and prosecute them in conformity with Article 58 of the Criminal Code. Most of the arrested were sentenced to long term imprisonment. Three SDR members were executed. In the 1960s, a completely new form of non violent, open opposition to the regime emerged – the dissident movement. The movement's most vibrant par ticipants – human rights activists – called for observation of the rights and freedoms granted by the Constitution and international agreements: freedom of speech, conscience, and movement, and access to information and its distribution. Many dissidents from the Baltic Republics, Armenia and Georgia also advocated the right to national self determination. Human rights campaigners did not establish organizations with rigid articles, rules and hierarchy. They were people with different and varying political views, interests, and confessions. In order to exert influence on the State, they pre ferred civilized protest: meetings, protest manifestations, open plea letters to the authorities and the world public, and interviews given to Western journalists. Violations of rights and persecution of human rights campaigners became widely known through the broadcasting of Voice of America, BBC, and Radio Liberty, and through information bulletins of Samizdat (such as «Chronicle of Current Events»). In other words, human rights campaigners conducted lawful opposition to the authorities. Although their activities did not contravene the USSR Constitution, the State fought against them with the help of the Criminal Code, an obedient judiciary system, and punitive psychiatry. An acceler ation of repressions in the early 1980's undermined the movement. But, despite the sad outcome at that time, the movement for human rights succeeded in the distribution of true information and the formation of public opinion. Underground culture flourished in the period of the 1970's and 1980's. Unlike human rights campaigners, painters, musicians, writers and poets did not fight against the power of the State itself, but resisted its ideological directives in art and literature. Their aim was to reach real freedom in free creative process. This trend was later given the name of non con formism. All of the phenomena mentioned herein contributed to the washout of Soviet offi cial ideology and, in the final analysis, to the fall of the regime. In 1991, the USSR disintegrated. section #4 resistance to «unfreedom» page 23 section #5 Andrei Sakharov page 25
Andrei Sakharov: Personality and Destiny Andrei Sakharov wrote in his memoirs: «In a sense, my destiny has been an exclusive one. It is not excessive modesty, but the need to be precise Andrei Sakharov: that makes me note that my destiny has appeared to be larger than my personality. I merely have tried to V keep up with my own destiny. I am no angel, politician or prophet. Therefore, my deeds and my evolution Personality and destiny do not result from a miracle: they are influenced by life, in particular, by people beside me … by ideas I find in books.» Each section of the exhibition about Sakharov concentrates on a specific issue: «The Birth,» «War and Science», «The Object», «The Choice», «Resistance», «Gorky», and «The Return». Each marks a certain «step» in his evolution. Sakharov devoted his life to science. His discoveries in thermonuclear synthesis, cosmology, the physics of elementary particles, the predicted decay of pro tons and, overall, his general body of substantive work in science, outstripped his time. Sheldon Gladshow, Nobel Prize winner in physics, called Sakharov «maybe the greatest of all contemporary Soviet physicists». In 1953, for his contribution to the development of thermonuclear arms, Sakharov was elected Academician of the USSR Academy of Science. Sakharov realized the dangerous consequences of nuclear weapons tests and started his struggle for their limitation. Thus began his long conflict with the Soviet authority. Gradually, the specter of his awareness grew broader. In 1967, he first signed appeals in defense of political prisoners. In 1968, in his first publicized article, «Considerations on Progress, Peaceful Co Existence and Intellectual Freedom», Sakharov revealed global threats to mankind. The problems could be solved jointly by the USSR and capitalist countries, said Sakharov, and he called for rapprochement on the base of convergence. Sakharov gave Considerations to Samizdat and sent a copy to Leonid Brezhnev. In the following couple of years, 18 million copies of Sakharov's article were pub lished abroad in 17 languages and gave rise to active debate. Since 1970, the defense of human rights and the defense of people persecuted for political reasons were of prime importance to Sakharov. He became a troublemaker to the authorities. In 1975, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for «…non compromise struggle against the abuse of power in all its manifestations». In 1980, after his pub lic protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, he was deprived of all governmental awards and exiled, without any trial and without any fixed term, to the city of Gorky. He lived there under 24 hour supervision of the KGB and had contact with the outer world only through his wife, Elena G.Bonner. Later, in 1984, Mrs. Bonner was also exiled to Gorky for five years. While in exile, Sakharov went on hunger strikes several times in order to defend his relatives. During the period at Gorky, he wrote a number of important articles on science and started his book «Memoirs». In December 1986, Mikhail Gorbachev, then Secretary General of the Communist Party Central Committee, freed Mr. Sakharov and his wife from exile. For many people, Sakharov was the informal leader of the democratic movement in sup port of perestroika. In 1989 he was elected People's Deputy representing the Academy of Science. At the First Congress of People's Deputies he presented his «Decree on Power» with the demand for abandon ment of Article 6 of the Soviet Constitution (guiding role of the CPSU). This demand determined the fol lowing stage in national history.
Andrei D. Sakharov died 14 December 1989. In the history of Russia in the twentieth century, few can be found who exerted such moral impact on their contemporaries. section #5 Andrei Sakharov page 27 exhibition hall page 29
Capital punishment. S.Agroskin. 2001
«All in good time». S.Faibisovich. 2001
Sologubovka/Russia. S.Shlyaer, M.I.Shtefan. 2004
Hands of the Power. M.Mikhalchuk, A.Panov. 2006 Political `justice` and political prisoners in today's Russia. A.Kholopov, Yu.Samodurov, L.Ponomarev. 2006 Notebooks of Yevfrosinia Kersnovskaya. V.Rivanenok, N.Magidova, L.Vasilovskaya. 2005 The dead road: construction object No. 501 503. L.Vasilovskaya. 2005 Sunken time. Russia. 20th Century. M.Dashevsky. 2005 Exhibition Hall The Museum's exhibition program is principally devoted to current social and Art to life or an emergency exit. political issues. Each exhibition is presented with a focus on the urgent problems facing society today, A.Trubetskov, S.Pushkin. 2005 and provides a way for the Museum and Public Center to participate in current societal life. The range Female portrait. Russia. Prison. 21 st century. Ye.Okun. 2005 of problems discussed is rather broad and includes the war in Chechnya, the death penalty, the posi Orrangement. tion of refugees, Soviet history, human rights and other similar topics. In the genre aspect, V.Rivanenok. 2005 most of the exhibitions present contemporary fine art. A special series of exhibitions is dedicated to Revolution? L.Malskaya. 2005 artists who have suffered repressions. The arrangement of such exhibitions is our tribute to painters who Sakharov Gardens. passed through the GULAG. The titles of exhibitions on important actual issues include: «The L.Vasilovskaya, N.Magidova. 2004 idea to create a Museum of the USSR», «Immunity against illusions», «Capital punishment», «Enough!», What we are fighting for? Yu.Samodurov, masterskaya taf. 2004 «What are we fighting for?», «People on the edge», «Caution: religion!», «Female portrait. Prison. Far away from socialist realism. Russia. 21st century», «Notebooks of Yevfrosinia Kersnovskaya», «Political `justice` and contemporary V.Tikhanova. 2004 Russian political prisoners». The exhibition «Caution: religion!» created the most controver From Samizdat to tactical media. O.Kireyev, N.Magidova. 2004 sial response. It was demolished by activists of a quasi confessional organization. The event was fol Immunity against illusions. Political "justice" lowed by two trials: one against the hooligans and then, one against the organizers of the exhibition. masterskaya taf. 2003 and political prisoners in today's Russia. A.Kholopov, Yu.Samodurov, L.Ponomarev. 2006 In both cases, the verdicts were not in the Museum's favor. The event revealed dramatic differences The Golitsyns from Pokrovka. V.Tikhanova. 2003 in citizens' comprehension of freedom of speech and liberty of conscience granted by the Constitution. The Museum's traveling exhibitions ("Enough!», «White list», «Illusion», «Capital punishment», «Lusya and Andrei», «Medieval architecture of Chechnya and Ingushetia») have been displayed in many Russian museums and exhibition halls. Cities to which they have traveled include Krasnoyarsk, Samara, Ulyanovsk, Perm, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, and Pyatigorsk, among others. The Museum has participated in joint exhibition projects in collaboration with other entities including the State Center for Modern Art, Krasnoyarsk Museum Center, Museum of Outsiders, Yaroslavl Art Museum, «Arc» Gallery, Memorial Society, Moscow Helsinki Group, and Movement For Human Rights. Exhibition projects since 1997 have been organized and supervised by noted artists, including Aleksandr Yermolaev, "Solidarity". Textbook. V.Rivanenok, L.Vasilovskaya. 2005 Nikolai Polissky, Konstantin Batynkov, and Aleksandr Ponomarev among others. exhibition hall page 31
People on the edge. A.Kuznetsov,L.Vasilovskaya. 2003 Faces of modern poetry. M.Malanova, N.Magidova. 2003 Direct speech. Yu.Reshetnikov. 2003 Caution: religion! A.Zulumyan. 2002 Farewell to GULAG? A.Kuznetsov. 2002 Family album. «The day of commemoration has no price». M.Ignatov, Yu.Reshetnikov. 2001 V.Vedeneyev. 2002 Letters from an abandoned house. I.Goletiani. 2002 Notebooks of Yevfrosinia Kersnovskaya. Journey from Moscow to St. Petersburg. V.Rivanenok, N.Magidova, L.Vasilovskaya. 2005 D.Kamensky, A.Volodin. 2002 Artists' works after GULAG. V.Tikhanova. 2002 Euro. I.Daniltsev, A.Zverolovlev. 2002 Smoke without a fire. A.Ponomarev. 2002 White list. L.Vasilovskaya, T.Gromova, N.Magidova. 2002 Illusion. B.Prudnikov, Yu.Fesenko. 2001 Enough! Yu.Samodurov, V.Rivanenok, N.Magidova. 2001 Capital punishment. S.Agroskin. 2001 Family album. M.Ignatov, Yu.Reshetnikov. 2001 Protoculture. masterskaya taf. 2001 Glory to thee, our free Fatherland? T.Lebedeva. 2001 Far away from socialist realism. Baltic way. V.Tikhanova. 2004 L.Vasilovskaya, masterskaya taf. 2001 Sakharov's era. Yu.Zlotnikov. 2001 Adaptation. K.Batynkov. 2001 Immunity against illusions. masterskaya taf. 2003 Wall paper. K.Batynkov. 2000 Against a crowbar. K.Mikhailov, A.Klimenko. 2000 What are we fighting for? Walls. Yu.Samodurov, masterskaya taf. 2004 L.Vasilovskaya, masterskaya taf. 2000 Chechnya. The right to culture. L.Ilyasov, A.Sorin, masterskaya taf. 1999 TOP SAMBO. L.Reznichenko, B.Mamonov.1998 «The USSR Museum» exhibition/laboratory. Yu.Zlotnikov. 1998 From charity to recognition. L.Reznichenko. 1998 Soviet zone. L.Berlin. 1998 Human rights as a personal document. N.Polissky. 1998 Refugees. N.Ivanova, V.Rivanenok. 1997 Freedom as seen by Yuri Rost. 1997 conferences/seminars/meetings page 33
The Inauguration of Wounded Pegasus monument. D.Mitlyansky, G.Shilina, G.Sayevich. 2004 Elena Bonner at the Press Conference 50 Years of the UNO Universal Declaration of human rights. Year 1998
Action handing of personal «Human rights» document. 1998
Z.Bagalova, V.Redgrave at the presentation of the film «Children's stories» documentary. 2000
The Concert in the Museum Square devoted to Andrey Sakharov birthday. 2005
Conferences, Seminars and Meetings More than 100 public events take place in the Museum and Public Center annually. These include scientific and political conferences, seminars, dis cussions and lectures, presentations of new books, concerts, movie screenings, and theatrical perform ances. More than half of these are coordinated by the Museum itself, while various public organizations organize the rest. Some of the most notable conferences, organized exclusively by the Museum and Public Center and dedicated to the issues that currently face Russian society, include: «Ukraine and Russia: Societies and States» (1997); «To the 30th Anniversary of Sakharov's «Considerations on Progress: Peaceful Co Existence and Intellectual Freedom» (1998); «Belarus and Russia: Societies and States» (1998); «Chechnya and Russia: Societies and States» (1999); «Electronic Sakharovian Congress Hall (2001); «Just and Unjust Social Disparities in Contemporary Russia» (2002); «Chechnya International Documentary Cinema Festival» (2003); «Russia Yesterday and Today» (conference in memory of Otto Latsis, 2006). Between 2000 and 2005 the Museum conducted a series of profes sional training seminars for school teachers entitled «The History of Political Repressions and Resistance to «Unfreedom» in the USSR», managed by I. Shekotova, Chief Librarian. For the last few years seminars on «Post Modernism and Contemporary Russia» have been conducted in the Museum, man aged by V. Khrustov and attended by noted Russian scientists. Since 2005 the Program The Roads which we didn't choose. "Pacifist School," managed by S. Sorokin, has arranged counseling sessions for army conscripts. A Performance (The «Comediant» Theatre). 2005 library page 35
During the visit of the President of the Republic Poland Mr. A.Kwasnievski and Poland ex president V.Jaruzielski. 2005
The Library The Library at the Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center specializes in his torical, social, and political publications on the USSR and post Soviet Russia. The library's collection includes over 13,000 titles. The major sections of the Library coincide with the themes of the Museum's permanent exhibits. The Totalitarian Past includes: Complete editions of the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin; A comprehensive set of stenographic records of the VKP(b) – CPSU Congresses and open political trials; Collections of documents on the history of political repressions in the USSR and resistance to the regime; Investigations on global issues of totalitarianism; Several classical exam ples of Soviet fiction; Albums of Soviet fine art and propaganda. Periodicals from the early years of the Soviet Union and special publications made by the VChK, OGPU, and KGB are of great biblio graphic value. The Library also possesses documents from the trial of the CPSU conducted by the Constitutional Court. Included are 450 copies of the protocol records of VKP(b) and the CPSU Central Committee Politburo meetings between 1919 and 1991. More than half of these have never been published. One unique collection contains the memoirs of political prisoners – ex con victs of the GULAG and Soviet dissidents. The documents are available in both printed and electronic form. The Library possesses one of the most comprehensive collections of «Martirology Books of political repressions victims» published in Russia and the former Soviet Republics. Conditions of freedom – issues that currently face Russia contains publications on issues of democracy and human rights in post Soviet society: wars in Chechnya, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and other conflicts, as well as the posi tion of refugees and the situation in the Army. The Life and activities of Andrei D.Sakharov con tains his scientific works, published articles, memoirs and diaries as well as biographies and other books written about him. The Reference Fund contains reference editions, dictionaries, glossaries and encyclopedias. The Library also possesses the only complete set of Nobel Committee Yearbooks for 1901 – 2000 in Russia. Video Library presents typical feature films and documentaries, mostly from the Soviet era. The Library operates as a reading hall. It provides free access to its collection and electronic catalogue, as well as a free of charge internet connection. common action page 37
The Protest Action against the court trial against the organizers of the exhibition «Caution: Religion!». 2004
The human rights activists – L.Ponomarev, Yu.Orlov, S.Kovalev. 2005
The Session of the Common Action Initiative Group. 2005
Common Action Initiative Group In 1997, Elena Bonner, Lev Ponomarev and Valery Abramkin initiated establishment of the informal Initiative Group for Amalgamation in Defense of Civil and Economic Rights in the Russian Federation or, briefly, the Common Action Initiative Group. The Group was comprised of representatives of several human rights organizations, former Soviet dissidents and political prisoners. As proclaimed by the Constituent Declaration of the Common Action Initiative Group: «We amalgamated in order to join efforts in exerting impact on the State and on all those who violate human rights… Only the realization of those rights can provide for a reliable founda tion of a lawful State and prevent the return to totalitarianism in Russia…» Meetings of the Group are held in the Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center. Between 1997 and 2005, the list of persons who have participated in the Common Action Initiative Group, or actively collaborated with it in certain periods, included: Valery Abramkin, Lyudmila Alekseeva, Boris Altschuller, Mikhail Arutyunov, Andrei Babushkin, Pavel Bashkirov, Vyacheslav Bakhmin, Larisa Bogoraz, Elena Bonner, Valery Borschev, Yuri and Sergei Brovchenko, Lyudmila Vakhnina, Svetlana Gannushkina, Valentin Gefter, Lidiya Grafova, Sergei Grigoryants, Elena Grishina, Evgeny Ikhlov, Anna Karetnikova, Maria Kirbasova, Sergei Kovalev, Tatyana Kasatkina, Malva Landa, Lev Levinson, Karinna Moskalenko, Viktoria Malikova, Vladimir Oyvin, Oleg Orlov, Grigory Pasko, Sergei Pashin, Mara Polyakova, Lev Ponomarev, Yuri Samodurov, Aleksei Simonov, Sergei Sorokin, Aleksandr Tkachenko, Ernst Cherny, Yuri Shadrin, Aleksei Yablokov, priest Gleb Yakunin. memories of lawlessness page 39
The Memorial to the Victims The Monument to the Victims Shot in 1921 26 of Political Repressions. on the territory of the Hospital # 23 in Moscow. Abakan city, A.Yermolaev. Khakassian Autonomous Republic Mr. V.Kuchenov, Mr. A.Sekunda, V.E.Abramov Mr. M.Semizorov. А.L.Zubov К.V.Eganova
D.N.Akelkin A.A.Arnold M.Aymukhomedov O.M.Frinovsky
The Monument to the Poles who had perished in the Norilsk camp (Norilsklag). Author Mr. S.Gerada
A.Т.Timofeev R.S.Bochlen D.O.Romanov N.I.Bukharin
The Mask of Grief. Magadan town. Mr. E.Neizvestny, Mr. K.Kazaev.
Memories of Lawlessness The primary objective of this ongoing program is to record and preserve historical awareness of tens of millions of political repression victims and crimes of the Soviet regime through the creation and permanent replenishment of electronic databases. List of Martyrs of political repressions, executed and buried in Moscow and the Moscow Region during the peri od 1921 – 1953. Catalog of monuments and memorial signs to victims of political repression within the territory of the former USSR. Database of authors of memoirs about the GULAG (biographical data and photographs of authors made before they were arrested and wrote memoirs). Electronic library of memoirs about the GULAG published in Russian. Database of repressed artists and art critics. The materials are available on Internet at http://www.sakharov center.ru/bases/bases _index.htm programs/projects page 41
Competition «A lesson on the topic: «History of political repressions and resistance to «unfreedom» in the USSR» The competition may be attended by teachers of history, social science and literature. Andrei Sakharov Museum and Public Center conducts the competition in col laboration with Moscow Institute of Open Education, Russian Academy for raising teachers' profes sional skills and retraining, Regional and City Departments of Education. The competition is held annually since 2002. Financial support has been provided by NED (United States) and Open Russia TOP SAMBO Program TOP SAMBO Club (the Russian acronym for «Taganka Society for Legal Foundation. The objective of the competition is to promote study of the history of political Self Defense Without Weapons») operates every year during the period October – May. Lectures, dis repression and resistance in the USSR in secondary/high schools, and to bring about discussions con cussions and training sessions are conducted weekly. Teenaged students meet and interact with histori cerning historical, legal and moral evaluation of the Soviet system. Plans and video materials ans, philosophers, sociologists, lawers, psychologists, public figures and former political prisoners. Role of conducted lessons are accepted for participation in the competition. Plans of best practice and docu playing games on social adaptation, conducted by skilled specialists, are extremely popular. ments of conferences dedicated to results of the competition are published in compilations "School Lectures and discussions enable students to develop comprehensive understanding and to form ideas Lessons on the History of Political Repressions and Resistance to Unfreedom" in the USSR." The edition about totalitarianism and democracy, civil society and human rights. Participation in role playing games is delivered to libraries of universities and pedagogical institutes and to regional libraries. Published and training help students learn to communicate, reach agreement, tolerate different points of view materials are also available at while defending their personal opinion in a civilized manner, and bear responsibility. Lessons http://www.sakharov сеnter.ru/publications/publications .htm are free of charge. editions/collections page 43
Museum Collections The various collec tions of the Museum are consistent with two of its main issues: «totalitarian past» and «conditions of Publications of the Andrei Sakharov Museum freedom – issues that currently face Russia». They are and Public Center Publications made by presented as follows: «Artists' works, before the Museum were dedicated to the issues of establish and after GULAG» – over 500 pieces of painting, ing democracy and civil society in contemporary graphics and sculpture including works by M.Rudakov, Russia. During the period 1997 – 2004, a B.Smirnov Rusetsky, N.Sychev, N.Maltseva, V.Timirev series of monographs were issued entitled «Russia and and others. The collection has been gathered by the Countries of the Former USSR: Societies and V.Tikhanova. «Forced labor and living» – States», edited by D.Furman. The series included: working tools, tableware, clothes and other personal Ukraine and Russia (1997), Belarus and Russia (1998), items. «GULAG files» – copies of investiga Chechnya and Russia (1999), Azerbajdzhan and Russia tions, letters from prisoners' camps, photos, and other (2001), Baltic Countries and Russia (2002), Kazakhstan documents. «Memory of lawlessness» – pho and Russia (2004). Another series concern tos of the authors of memoirs on the GULAG and mon ing theoretical problems of human rights, also edited uments to the victims of political repressions erected by D.Furman, included «On the Way to Islamic within the territory of the former USSR. Reformation: Civil Freedoms, Human Rights and «Resistance to «Unfreedom» – over 1,500 photos of International Law» by Abdullahi Akhmed An Naim Soviet dissidents, prisons, camps and mental hospitals (1999) and «Secession. The Right to Separation, from the collection of Professor Peter Reddway. Human Rights and Territorial Integrity of Nations» by «Samizdat and tamizdat» – slang terms for «self pub Alan Buchanan (2001). The same series also included lished» and «published abroad», illustrated by 500 «Just and Unjust Social Disparities in Contemporary copies of uncensored editions distributed in the USSR. Russia» compiled and edited by R.Ryvkina) (2003). «Newspaper collection» – urgent issue of ROSTA Individual projects resulted in the publication of «wall paper» with a list of persons shot under the «Local Self Government in the Context of sanction of VChK (1919), «News of Provisional Housing/Communal Reform» by F.Borodkin (2003) Revolutionary Committee of Sailors, Red Army Men and «Moscow Human Rights Committee» by E.Kline and Workers of Kronshtadt» (1921) and others. (2004). «The Book for Teachers. History of «Soviet agitation and propaganda» – posters, banners, Political Repressions and Resistance to «Unfreedom» pennants, diplomas, and badges. «Military in the USSR» (2002, ed. V.Shelokhaev) was designed conflicts and their consequences» – unique photo specifically for teachers. In 2003, 2004 and 2005, and video documentaries from current military con the compilations «School Lessons on the History of flict areas: Chechnya, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Political Repressions and Resistance to «Unfreedom» «Chernobyl disaster» – video interviews with people in the USSR» (ed. G.Klokova) were published. They involved in the elimination of the consequences of contain the best practices, selected in an annual pro the Chernobyl catastrophe, as recorded by Svetlana gram of competition conducted by the Museum and Aleksiyevich. «Elections» – documents and pro Public Center, in relevant lessons from throughout pagandistic matters of election campaigns between various regions of Russia. «You and the 1990 and 2005. Information about the state» (1999, ed. I.Shekotova) and «Values of the exhibits is stored in the electronic catalogue of the Civil Society» (2001, ed. A.Mikhailova, G.Apresyan) for museum collection (software developed by KAMIS JSC, high school students and teachers were prepared. St. Petersburg). Exposition materials presented by: A.D.Sakharov Archive Russian State Archive of Cinema and Photographic Documents (RGAFKD) State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) Archive of the President of the Russian Federation (APRF) Central Archive of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (CA FSB RF) Sponsors and Grantors Russian State Archive of Social and Political History (RGASPI) Organizations: "Memorial" International Historic Elucidative Charity and Human Rights Society Government of Moscow The Museum and Public Center express gratitude to US Agency for International Development /USAID those who enriched the collections of the museum and library National Endowment for Democracy /NED (United States) through mediation of the legal Valuable exhibits were donated by: The Board of Directors of the Andrei Consortium ARD/CHECCHI and Freedom House Zuleikhan Bagalova, Leonid Berlin, Elena Bonner, Sakharov Museum and Public Center (United States) Yuri Grimm, Valentina Ievleva, Edward Kline, Anatoly Shabad Vladimir Mashatin, Israel Mazus, Yuri Rost, Chairman of the Board of the Museum John D. & Catherine T.MacArthur Foundation Yekaterina Shikhanovich, Rudolf Vedeneyev, and Public Center (United States) Vladimir Vernikov, Vladimir Zherlitsyn, Yuri Yuri Samodurov Soros Foundation (United States) Zlotnikov, Tronin family, inheritors of Pavel Ozol, Director of the Museum and Public Center Henry M.Jackson Foundation (United States) Aleksandr Sobyanin, Leonard Ternovsky. Leonid Bazhanov Boris Bolotovsky Booklet Credits: Open Society Institute /Soros Fund (Russia) Rare books and valuable bibliographic col Elena Bonner Compiled by Lyudmila Vasilovskaya Andrei Sakharov Foundation (United States) lections were donated by: Svetlana Gannushkina Editor – Yuri Samodurov Open Russia Foundation (Russia) Elena Bonner, Nikolai Formozov, Edward Kline, Boris Dubin Translation – Konstantin Ananichev, UNICEF Representative Office in Russia Aleksei Levinson, Aleksandr Livergant, Yulia Vladimir Fainberg Edward Reddrop, David Reddrop Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway Malkova, Mikhail Mindlin, Viktor Sokirko, Lidia Leonid Keldysh Union of Right Forces /SPS (Russia) Tkachenko, Oleg Torchinsky, Vladimir Zaitsev. Edward Kline (United States)* The booklet was prepared with the help of Moscow News Sergei Kovalev Maria Kudyukina, Yuri Samodurov, Olga Baranova, «Memorial» International Historic Elucidative Aleksandr Lavut Bela Koval, Antonina Mikhailova, Inna Schekotova, Individuals: Charity and Human Rights Society Leonid Litinsky Tatyana Gromova, Aleksandr Goldin Embassy of the State of Israel Lev Ponomarev Elena Bonner (Russia) Vozvraschenie Publishers Aleksandr Pumpyansky Booklet design by «masterskaya taf»: Boris Bulochnik (Russia) Posev Publishers Yuli Rybakov Aleksandr Yermolaev, Elena Tarutina, Allan Wynn (United Kingdom) Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Yuri Ryzhov Konstantin Shulika, Natalia Chunakova Peter Vins (United States) Poklonnaya Gora .. Aleksei Semenov (United States)* Vladimir Gusinsky (Russia) Enquete – Kommission «Uberwindung der Folgen Victor Shenderovich This edition was sponsored by Henry M.Jackson Yuri Zapol (Russia) der SED Diktatur im Prozess der deutschen Einheit» Gennadi Zhavoronkov Foundation (United States) Edward Kline (United States) des Deutschen Bundestages .. Anatoly Novikov (Russia) Bubliothek der Hansestadt Lubeck *Members of the Board before entry into force of the Law on Non Commercial Organizations Printed by – «Groshev Design» Aleksandr Panikin (Russia) Simon Wiesenthal Center (17 April 2006).