"This is how we fight against darkness and gloom."
Organizers of memorial events for victims of state terror from across Russia discuss how and why they are holding "Return of Names" events in their cities.
On October 29, people will once again gather in cities around the world for the "Return of Names" memorial event for the victims of Soviet terror—to honor the memory and read aloud the names of the victims of the crimes of the Soviet state. Memorial and NeMoskva spoke with the organizers from Russia about why they decided to hold the events in their cities, how they went, and what advice they have for those who want to participate or organize one this year. The current climate dictates its own circumstances, so two of our interviewees remain anonymous.
On October 29, 2007, on the 70th anniversary of the Great Terror, the first "Return of the Names" memorial event for the victims of state terror took place at the Solovetsky Stone in Moscow. Since then, it has been held regularly, on the eve of October 30—the civil Day of Political Prisoners in the USSR, established by prisoners of Soviet political camps in 1974, and the national Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Terror, established in 1991. Last year, no fewer than 1850 names were read during the 12-hour broadcast, featuring memorials from 29 countries and 70 cities (more than 80 cities participated in total, but not all were included in the broadcast), and 26 cities were able to participate live.
"It was a joy to know that such cool people live in my city."
Tatyana, Irkutsk, head of the procurement department at a local enterprise:
On October 29, 2022, I saw the livestream of the reading of names and was fascinated by the event, as I'd read a lot about the repressed and was interested in the topic, and my university professor was a Memorial activist. I decided to definitely participate next year. When they started talking about "Return of the Names" in 2023, I didn't see Irkutsk on the list of participating cities, so I volunteered to be an organizer. Among other things, I wanted to remind people how terrible the lack of rights and freedoms is, how terrible dictatorship is.
I chose the location right away: next to Irkutsk there is a huge execution ground where the sentences of the repressed were carried out in 1937-38.
I created social media accounts for the event and contacted Memorial, and they posted information on their platforms. Only one friend of mine came; the rest of the participants learned about the event through Memorial's social media. They were a diverse group of people, mostly young people under 30: some were very creative and artistic, others, on the contrary, very reserved and intelligent, but they all shared a passion for the events, an extraordinary friendliness, and a culture of communication. I was happy to know that such wonderful people live in my city.
I remember most of all one eighteen-year-old boy who looked around the room and expressed surprise that there were no young people—well, of course, to him, we, people around 30, are already very grown-up. He then told us so indignantly that so few people had come, considering that he had come from a small village here, to a big city, to study, and had expected to see hundreds of people at such an important event! This criticism gave me hope, showing that very young people believe in us, and even after living their entire lives in the 21st century, they consider it important to remember the events of the early 20th century and talk about them.
We read the names for about an hour, then talked a little about the history of the event and about the people whose names were announced.
I was incredibly tense, afraid of doing something wrong, of letting down the people who had come and trusted me. I was worried they would be bored by my stories, that there were too few or too many names. I even worried that it was too cold outside! But in reality, I could have been completely calm, because the main thing was to prepare the names in advance, and once at the event itself, I found myself surrounded by like-minded, wonderful, caring people who were working with me on a common cause and would support me no matter what.
For those organizing the "Return of Names" campaign in Russia, I recommend, firstly, visiting the website october29.ru. There are instructions for organizers and contacts of people willing to help organize the event, discuss any questions or concerns, and collaborate on finding solutions. Secondly, be confident in yourself and in the justice of your cause. Self-censorship forces us to filter our words on the topic of 20th-century political repression, but this is the historical truth, and its expression cannot be restricted.
“This means they will remember this event and its significance.”
Vadim Ananyin, Kirov, janitor, chairman of the local branch of the People's Freedom Party:
— I wanted to hold the “Return of Names” campaign several years ago, as an additional event in memory of the victims of state terror in the USSR.
Since 2006, I've been participating in events commemorating the victims of Soviet terror on October 30th, the official date. On the centenary of the Red Terror in Russia, I attended commemorative events with Memorial in Krasny Bor and Sandarmokh, and then we spent three days on Solovki. These events are among the ten most important and moving moments of my life.
I also helped Mansur Magdeev, the chairman of the Vyatka organization of victims of political repression. All members of this organization are children of those repressed, and they are over 80 years old. Mansur's own father was repressed during the Great Terror. In 2008, with the help of Kirov residents, he erected a stone from the destroyed monument to Alexander II and a granite pedestal from the church named after him, blown up in the 1930s by the communists, in the center of Kirov, by the Vyatka River. The inscription on the stone memorial reads, "To the Victims of Political Repression."
A year ago, there wasn't even an event, just a solo event where I read the names. And before that, I I tried to get it through the courts and held a reading of the names on the main square of the city, near the Government of the Kirov Region, with columns, banners, candles and flowers.
For ten years, I've been organizing various events on October 30th, the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Political Repression. The "Return of Names" event takes place a day earlier, and I started organizing it solely to expand the scope of memory of the victims of Soviet terror for all generations of people in Kirov. I remember how, in the old days, passersby would walk by downtown late at night, turning around and reading the posters. Parents would come up with their children and read them. This means they will remember this event and its significance.
My advice: if your heart calls you, and you can’t help but organize such an event, then go ahead and do it.
"Repression has become a part of our lives again. 1937=2024"
Evgeniy, St. Petersburg, sales manager:
I've known about the "Return of the Names" campaign for many years. I've always wanted to participate, but I always found excuses for not doing it this year, and then maybe... someday. Then, in October 2022, I made up my mind. At the end of October, I started looking for information about the campaign in my hometown of St. Petersburg, but I found nothing. On October 29th, I went to the main monuments to the repressed in St. Petersburg—the Solovetsky Stone on Trinity Square and the "Sphinxes" opposite the "Crosses." And no one was there. On October 30th, my son and I went to the Solovetsky Stone in the morning, but no one read the names there. Even though we had prepared a list of people whose names we wanted to read.
That's how the idea came about—to try organizing "Return of the Names" myself. In September 2023, I saw on social media that I could fill out a form. And I filled it out with determination! I sincerely indicated that I would be happy to join other organizers of the event in St. Petersburg. But no one else showed up. So I became an organizer.
I took part in the event because I believe that the repressions that took place in Soviet Russia, and later in the USSR, should never be repeated. It's important to do everything possible to ensure the memory of those repressions isn't erased. "Returning the Names" is a simple, still safe, uncomplicated, and democratic way to remember that dramatic period of history at least once a year. Unfortunately, repressions have once again become a part of our lives. 1937 = 2024.
What's also important to me is that the repressed people were forgotten for years, their names were rigorously erased, their photographs were burned, their families sometimes disowned them... Many of the repressed were young, they didn't even have children. Consequently, there's no one left to remember them.
My son, a schoolboy, and a wonderful volunteer came to the event with me. We arrived at the Levashovskoye Cemetery, where earlier, stood until the summer of 2023 the monument to the repressed Poles still stands today wrapped in a garbage bag, a monument to repressed Ukrainians. We brought flowers and read the names of Poles and Ukrainians repressed in Leningrad. Their remains are most likely buried in this soil.
This is the most terrible and memorable thing: we remember the names of those who were killed for no reason under Stalin, then rehabilitated, then a common monument was erected to them in the 90s—and that monument was torn down in our own time. And we thought only of how we must do everything possible to ensure those terrible times never return, to ensure there will never be repressions or political prisoners. And that monuments will never be torn down again, and that Memorial will not be a fictitious foreign agent, but those who ordered the removal of monuments to the repressed and the "Last Address" plaques.
The "Return of Names" initiative is a very positive one, and it's specifically about life, although, of course, the deaths of innocent people on the orders of officials is terrible and should never happen again. By reading the names, we do the most important thing we can: we remember, we don't forget, we fight the darkness and the darkness.
This year, Memorial developed telegram bot, which will help organize the event or become a participant. They will tell you where and when "Return of the Names" will take place in 2024, help you fill out the organizer's form, and obtain names for the reading. More information is available on the website. october29.ru.
You can also support the campaign and its implementation in different cities. here:.
