Exhibitions on Soviet Repressions at the Moscow NGO Memorial (2011–2021): Transforming Family Memory into Cultural Memory
Résumé
The article analyses the curation of the history of Soviet repressions at the temporary exhibitions organized by the NGO known as International Memorial in Moscow from 2011 to 2021. Compared with other Russian museums presenting this topic, Memorial is unique in that it relies mainly on family archives and family memories. The repressions are treated as a collective experience that affected not only victims, those executed or imprisoned, but also their relatives and descendants. This approach has political implications because, seen from this perspective, the carceral past is directly linked to today’s population, its worldviews, fears, and life strategies. Other museums in Russia usually display repressions as historical episodes that belong to the Soviet past. Memorial’s museum work is closely related to their overall goals: the struggle for human rights, liberal political values, and a functioning democracy. The article explores the various ways in which Memorial draws on families’ memories of repression to create a museum statement. It also studies its innovative museum programs: outdoor exhibitions and virtual guided tours. Exhibition vernissages help to bring together a community of remembrance.