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⚠️ Urgent Alert: Protecting the History of Soviet Repression (The GULAG Archives)

The Crisis Facing GULAG Research

For decades, the International Memorial Society (Memorial International) has been the world's most vital resource for documenting the victims of Soviet political terror and the history of the GULAG system. Researchers worldwide, including those working on my family site's (https://many-roads.com) Senger family history, rely heavily on Memorial's painstakingly compiled databases and records.

However, Memorial International was formally ordered to close by the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in 2021/2022. This action is viewed globally as a severe blow to historical truth and freedom of research, placing the entire archive—including the millions of names of victims, and records for camps like Chelyabmetallurgstroy (Camp 507)—at risk of political suppression or permanent removal.

🛡️ How You Can Help Preserve This History

The collective strategy to save this information is digital redundancy and international support. Every historian and family researcher has a role to play.

1. Support the Successor Organizations

The work continues outside of Russia. Please consider supporting the organizations working to maintain the data and Memorial's mission:

  • International Memorial Association (Geneva): The official successor organization coordinating preservation efforts.
  • Memorial Deutschland (Germany): The largest non-Russian chapter, now central to the continued work.
  • Gulag.cz: A Czech organization that runs collaborative projects like "Memory of Repression," which mirrors and links GULAG databases, protecting them through geographical distribution.

2. Prioritize Data Archiving in Your Research

If you are using Memorial's databases for your family history (such as the database of victims of political terror):

  • Save Local Copies: Systematically save screenshots, print-to-PDFs, and text extractions of any relevant records and data snippets to your local hard drives and cloud storage. Do not rely on the online database remaining stable indefinitely.
  • Cite Relentlessly: When referencing any data originating from Memorial (e.g., specific dates, camp locations, biographical facts), include a precise citation. This publicly affirms the importance and validity of their research.

3. Share the Story

The stories of GULAG victims—like Frieda Senger (my oma) —are now more important than ever. By continuing to share these personal narratives on platforms like this one, you create a public, international demand for the preservation of the records that make stories like mine (below) possible.

Credits

Compiled by Mark Rabideau, Opa & Professional Genealogist.