Gulag History Museum
A tour through this museum will help you get an understanding of that frightening phenomenon in Soviet history called the GULAG. Although it is paradoxical, this legacy is still disputed or denied by some in society. Nonetheless, the museum opened up in a new building in 2015.
The museum is about the history of Soviet-era labor camps and the terrible system of exploiting and destroying people’s lives from the 1930’s to the 1950’s.
The museum has collected documents, photos, testimonials, everyday items from camp life, and exhibits that show how prisoners lived: a solitary confinement cell, sentry tower, and barracks. On a large map, you will see the geographical distribution of the camps that made up the GULAG, see the population dynamics (more than 2.5 million people in 1952), and learn about the articles that landed people in prison, including those like “socially dangerous element” (i.e. a person with an unreliable background).
This museum will also let visitors see and feel the situation with the camps first-hand, through visual images, and not just from books. It is interesting that despite all the evidence of the crimes committed by the Soviet government, even now many Russians try not to acknowledge these monstrous crimes, often simply not knowing anything about them. In this sense, a visit to the GULAG History Museum would be beneficial for all Russian citizens.
We will show you the most varied facets of the city: history, artwork, architecture, and daily life. In only two days, you can become a genuine expert on the city.
Four days in Moscow is long enough to study the city from A to Z, from the famous must-see sights to the unusual and unique ones that tourists rarely visit.