Gulag memories: the rediscovery and commemoration of Russia’s repressive past

Abstract

Gulag Memories: The Rediscovery and Commemoration of Russia’s Repressive Past is an enriched and updated version of Pamięć Gułagu, a book published in 2012 by sociologist and cultural anthropologist Zuzanna Bogumił (Universitas, Krakow). Translated from Polish by Philip Palmer, the book focuses on the Gulag, a system of forced labor camps operating in the USSR from the 1920s to the 1960s. In particular, it deals with the initial memorialization of the Gulag, to “unconventional histories” and “interpretations of history” as applied to monuments, cemeteries, museums, camps, and other markers.