Nobody plans to give up.
We believe unconditionally in values of human rights and democracy. We believe that Russia can be a peaceful neighbor to other countries. We believe that Russia can be a safe country for its own citizens. We believe that people in Russia want the truth about the past and the present. We believe that war criminals will be brought to justice.
We are Memorial.

CURRENT

Returning the Names

Returning the Names is an annual event held in many cities across the world. On October 29, thousands of people take turns to read aloud the names of people executed by the Soviet authorities.

Europe Needs Peace, Not a New “Munich Agreement”

Statement by the board of Memorial International Association

A Person in History

Applications now open for the program for young researchers

Trials against Ukrainian citizens in Rostov-on-Don

Many Ukrainian citizens have been forcibly moved to Russian territory and incarcerated.

upcoming events

exhibition

language

CS

organizer

exhibition

language

PL

organizer

13 March - 10 April 2025 12:00

Faces of Russian Resistance in Krakow

Krakow

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TEXTS

Memorials to the Victims of Political Repression in Crimea

The Ukrainian politics of memory and the Russian politics of amnesia

“People are the only good thing that the war gave me”

Ukrainian researcher Larysa Pylgun studies the self-organization and unification of Ukrainian civic society during the war.

The Dead Road: the prison history of the polar area where Navalny died

The history of Salekhard, Labytnangi and Kharp has long been inextricably linked to prisons and camps.

Memorial has a new design. How was it updated?

After International Memorial and Human Rights Defence Center Memorial were liquidated as legal entities under Russian jurisdiction between 2021 and 2022, many thought (and some hoped) that Memorial would stop its work. But it cannot be further from the truth: Memorials continue functioning in many countries and cities, and new Memorial organizations appear. And now, we have a new visual identity to reflect our history and the changes we have undergone.

People First International Campaign

International campaign for the release of captives held as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

European Parliament resolution on Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification

European Parliament resolution on Russia’s disinformation and historical falsification to justify its war of aggression against Ukraine

Program for Young Researchers "A Person in History: (Post-)Soviet Experience"

The focus of Memorial has always been on the person. It is through the stories of specific, often unknown, people that Memorial’s unique perspective on 20th-century history is revealed. The research competition that Memorial has been holding for high school students for the past 20 years is dedicated to such stories and destinies. This is not just a tradition for us — it is our philosophy. It combines the historian’s rigorous study of sources and facts with deep, human empathy.

Resistance by memory: what is memory activism

“Memory activism” is a recent term, and one that we are very fond of: the expression defines very neatly what we do at Memorial. We have put together a brief history of the term and what it represents.

International Memorial Association calls for support for the KARTA Center

On Monday, September 2, the KARTA Center in Poland issued a statement revealing that the center is on the verge of bankruptcy and about to cease its activities. Its board and staff notify that, since June 2024, it has been difficult for the organization to finance its projects and publications and to pay for maintaining its premises. The staff of KARTA Center have not received salaries for two months and yet continue to work, as they stay true to its main goal of documenting and popularizing history.

On the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II

This year, Europe – and not only Europe – will commemorate the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. In the aftermath of the war, it seemed that humanity would never forget this tragedy and would be able to learn from it. For Russians, the phrase "as long as there is no war" became a kind of proverbial incantation for several generations.