A memorial park honoring the victims of Stalinist repression has been demolished in Tomsk
In Tomsk, Russia, law enforcement and municipal services have completely dismantled the Square of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression.
During the demolition, the key monument, the “Stone of Sorrow,” dedicated to the victims of Bolshevik terror, was torn down, along with a number of national memorials, sparking a wave of outrage among the few remaining activists.
The process of erasing this memory began on the morning of Sunday, April 19. The square was immediately cordoned off with a fence, after which heavy machinery began removing the monuments and dismantling the benches.
According to eyewitnesses, this involves the complete demolition of the entire site, not merely cosmetic repairs or restoration.
“They’re tearing down the entire park completely,” independent media report, quoting local residents, noting that police are on site guarding the perimeter against unwanted witnesses.
Russian security forces are behaving aggressively: they are prohibiting photography, forcing people to delete photos already taken, and recording the passport details of anyone approaching the park.
The authorities’ official explanations are constantly changing and seem downright absurd, which has become standard practice in modern Russia.
Initially, the Tomsk City Hall stated that the square was closed due to the risk of a nearby private garage collapsing. However, this statement was later deleted and replaced with a version citing “measures against landslides.”
Local activists emphasize that the garage is located 50 meters from the monuments and could in no way pose a threat to the memorial.
Ksenia Fadeeva, the former head of Alexei Navalny’s campaign office in Tomsk, suggested that the authorities deleted the first post after realizing the absurdity of the garage explanation.
At the same time, it is clear that the true goal of this campaign is to erase historical memory of the crimes of the Soviet regime, which in many ways echo the actions of the current Kremlin.
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