In 2012, the new authorities of Perm Region, headed by the Governor newly appointed by Moscow, denied funding for repairs of the former camp’s buildings and constructions. During more than two years Perm-36 Memorial Center proceeded with certain crucial restorations and conservations from extrabudgetary funds, raised independently, but these activities were also discontinued in 2014, after the museum was taken over by the state.
The previous repairings allow to preserve the Memorial Center for some years, unless any contingencies occur. However, discontinuation of systematic monitoring at least of three objects, i.e. the former camp’s bath/laundry, the smithy and the manufactories, initially started by Perm-36 Memorial Center but stopped when the museum was taken over, is of serious concern. The intention of new regional authorities to defund the repairings of the Memorial will unevitably result in irreparable losses.
Most of the worry is that these incompletely repaired objects are in danger of fast degradation. The camp fences are also decaying.
Site “GULAG. History of one camp” is devoted to the history of Perm-36, the last political zone of the Soviet Union, and the Public Museum, which was created on the remains of this zone by a group of enthusiasts.
Nowadays the museum with all its collections, archives, expositions and exhibitions is seized by the officials from the Ministry of Culture of Perm region.
This project is an attempt to create a universal model of a museum, which exists only in the virtual space and enables almost all kinds of activities of a real museum: scientific, educational, expo-exhibition and excursion.
The initiator of the creation of this resource was the International Coalition of Museums of Conscience, created in 1999, one of the founders of which was the Public Museum “Perm 36”.
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