For 30 years, the Russian association Memorial played an essential role in writing a history of political violence in the USSR, in defending human rights, in denouncing the Stalinist crimes and in making known this work of memory.
The decision to dissolve this association, confirmed on appeal on February 28 of this year, 4 days after the beginning of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, is a huge attack on the historical memory, the history of the USSR, of Stalinism. It is to confiscate the historical memory for their own benefit and to impose their historical narrative that the authorities put an end to the activities of an association that has left its mark on the past 30 years. It is also the culmination of a lengthy harassment process.
This round table will evoke the history of Memorial, from its creation during perestroika, to the consequences of this dissolution, the actions carried out towards the public in recent years, the «crimes against history».
Alexandra Polivanova, was a member of the management of this association, and carries out many actions aimed at various audiences, to make known the history of the Stalinist violence,
Nicolas Werth is president of the association Mémorial-France, director of research at the CNRS, historian of the Soviet Union, author of many books, his research focuses on Stalinist violence.
Alain Blum is vice-president of the association Mémorial-France, director of studies at the EHESS and director of research at the INED, historian and demographer, his research today focuses on Stalinist deportations.
Free, upon registration
The meeting will be broadcast on the website, the Facebook and YouTube pages of the Shoah Memorial
