Victims of repression in southern Russia were remembered locally.

The Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression in most regions of southern Russia passed without mass events and wide coverage. In some regions, it was marked by actions involving officials at the municipal level and individual institutions.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", October 30 has been observed in Russia since 1991 as the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression. In recent years, events dedicated to this day have increasingly taken place online: for instance, the international action "Return of Names" in the Volgograd region was held online for safety reasons, as some activists are under criminal prosecution. In Rostov-on-Don, police today demanded explanations from activists who came to lay flowers at the monument to victims of political repression.

Actions for the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression took place today in various cities of Russia. For example, at the Butovo firing range, throughout the day from 11:00 to 19:30 Moscow time, the action "Voice of Memory" took place – activists took turns reading names of people executed at this site during the Great Terror. The gathering was observed by Rosgvardiya officers and security personnel in civilian clothes, notes SOTAvision*.

North Caucasus

In Chechnya, the regional branch of "United Russia" reported on a local event related to the memory of victims of political repression: a round table was held at the historical faculty of Chechen State University named after Akhmat Kadyrov, dedicated to this date.

"This date was chosen not by chance: on this day in 1974, prisoners of political camps declared a hunger strike in protest against human rights violations and inhumane treatment of prisoners in Soviet camps and prisons. The Day of Remembrance was first observed in 1989, and later this tradition became nationwide. For the Chechen Republic, this date has a special, deeply tragic significance. As part of political repression and the totalitarian machine of the Soviet state, in February 1944, the deportation of Chechens and Ingush took place," the party's website states.

Students, teachers, and activists discussed the study of archival documents, declassified materials, and personal testimonies of eyewitnesses in the context of "tragic events of the 20th century." In Chechnya, "great attention is paid to preserving the memory of these events," claim the organizers of the round table. At the same time, the head of the republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, and the chairman of the regional government, Magomed Daudov, did not mention the memory of the repressed in their Telegram channels today.

Victims of political repression in Ingushetia were remembered today alongside the victims of the conflict in the Prigorodny district, which began on this day in 1992. The head of the republic, Mahmud-Ali Kalimatov, dedicated a separate post in his Telegram channel to the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression, reminding about "one of the most tragic pages" in the history of the Ingush, the deportation of 1944.

The Ossetian-Ingush conflict, which became a distant consequence of Stalin's deportations, was also recalled in North Ossetia, but without a clear reference to repression. The head of the region, Sergey Menyaylo, did not mention the victims of political repression in his publications, although the Vladikavkaz and Alania diocese dedicated today's service at the Memorial of Glory in Vladikavkaz to them, alongside "fallen defenders of Ossetia."

The administration of the Uruppsky district of Karachay-Cherkessia published an announcement today about an event at the Monument to Victims of Political Repression in the village of Pregradnaya, which will take place on the morning of November 2. It is dedicated not to the nationwide day of remembrance for the repressed, but to the regional day of remembrance for the deportation of the Karachai people.

"On November 2, we remember those who went through this. And those who did not return. But along with the pain of loss, we remember the strength of spirit of those who endured, who were able to return to their homeland, preserving their language, customs, and dignity," the publication states.

Rostov and Volgograd Regions

The administration of the Belokalitvinsky district of Rostov region reported on a mourning rally at the chapel in the Maidan "To all fellow countrymen of Belokalitvinsk, who suffered during the years of repression and terror." "Participants of the event honored the memory of the deceased with a moment of silence and laid flowers at the memorial," the message states.

The administration of Novocherkassk, in turn, reported on a requiem service that took place at the Nikolayevskaya chapel in Levsky Square. "Today we bow our heads in memory of the victims of political repression. Among them are both residents of our city and the Don Cossacks, whose fates during those tragic years were particularly difficult," officials quote the words of the city head, Pavel Isakov.

The administration of the Proletarsky district of Rostov region did not report on memorial events, but published a message dedicated to the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression. "Millions of innocent citizens – representatives of different classes and religions – had to experience the horrors of social upheavals, undeserved political accusations, moral and physical suffering in exiles and camps," the publication states.

A local event dedicated to this date also took place in the Bykovsky municipal district of Volgograd region. "The librarian of the Lugo-Proley settlement library, Larisa Mikhailichenko, prepared informational brochures and conducted a street action "Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression." The brochures contain information about various types of political repression in the USSR, a historical overview of individual cases, as well as an analysis of the causes and consequences of these tragic events. The action is aimed at reminding about the difficult pages of the country's history and that such practices should not be repeated," the administration's message states.

"Celebration is not recommended"

Although the mourning date has not been officially canceled by anyone, in recent years in Russia, "it is not recommended to celebrate it": authorities consistently prohibit organizations engaged in preserving the memory of political repression, human rights defenders point out.

"Monuments to the repressed are disappearing, schools have stopped teaching about the 'Great Terror,' and 'Return of Names' is repeatedly banned, including under the pretext of COVID restrictions. The thought that the state can be criminal sounds too relevant," writes the project "Govorits NeMoskva"*.

Human rights defenders have calculated that since 2022, unknown individuals in 15 subjects of the Russian Federation have destroyed or damaged at least 25 objects dedicated to the memory of victims of political repression in the USSR. "In almost half of the cases, memorial signs were destroyed or completely dismantled," informs the publication "7x7"*.

Just in the last two years, similar cases of monument destruction have occurred in Karelia, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tomsk, and other cities, adds the publication "New Tab"*.

* included in the register of foreign agents by the Ministry of Justice of Russia.

** the activities of the company Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.