‘The end of a life cycle’ How the Russian authorities are ‘quietly dissolving’ the Gulag History Museum after its director refused to censor an exhibition on Soviet-era repressions
In mid-November, Moscow’s state-funded Gulag History Museum — the only major Russian institution dedicated to preserving the memory of Soviet-era repressions not yet targeted by the Putin regime — announced its closure, citing a failed fire inspection. Then, on January 13, its director was fired. Sources tell Meduza that the crackdown began after the director, Roman Romanov, refused to censor an exhibit on Soviet repressions, and now the museum is set to be folded into the Museum of Moscow. Here’s what we know about the events that led to the Gulag History Museum’s demise.
On January 13, Moscow’s Culture Department announced the dismissal of Roman Romanov as director of the state-funded Gulag History Museum, a position he had held since 2012. A source familiar with the matter told Meduza that Romanov was removed after refusing to alter an installation that his museum’s staff had helped prepare.
The controversy centers on a new permanent exhibition, The History of Moscow, which opened at the Museum of Moscow in late December 2024. According to the museum’s website, the exhibition traces the daily lives of Muscovites from the Iron Age — when the earliest settlements emerged along the Moskva River — to the Soviet Union’s entry into World War II.
Journalist Ksenia Basilashvili reported that the exhibition was originally intended to include a section on Soviet repressions, covering events such as the 1928 Shakhty Trial and the history of Moscow’s House on the Embankment, where hundreds were arrested and then exiled or executed during the Great Terror. Staff from the Gulag History Museum had prepared the accompanying texts, which were approved by the Museum of Moscow’s academic council.
“But then a directive came from above to revise the texts, and shortly after, an order was issued to remove not only the texts but the entire section on ‘Repressions,’” Basilashvili wrote. The Stalinist era is now represented solely by interiors of 1930s Moscow apartments, stripped of any explanatory text.
Pressure on Romanov reportedly began in November during the exhibition’s installation. A source familiar with the situation told Meduza that “people from up top” approached Romanov, strongly urging him to revise the exhibition to “align with the times.” Romanov reportedly flatly refused, “without even hearing them out.” Shortly afterward, on November 13, the Gulag History Museum was closed indefinitely due to “fire safety violations” allegedly discovered during an inspection.
The Gulag History Museum had passed previous fire safety inspections without issue, according to a source close to the museum, who said the reasons for the closure were “very obvious.” “Any media outlet would report that this was the last institution legally allowed to address the topic of repressions,” the source added.
A source close to the Memory Foundation, established under the museum, said that people within the foundation had tried to get Romanov reinstated, but their efforts were unsuccessful. Another source familiar with the situation confirmed that Romanov’s firing had “upset” some members of the foundation’s leadership.
Still, this source doubted that Romanov’s dismissal was solely due to his refusal to alter the exhibition. “In cases like this, they usually just say, ‘A decision has been made,’ and leave the reasons open to speculation,” the source explained. “Romanov had led the museum for quite some time, and there was an argument to be made for leadership rotation. But as for the real reasons, we can only guess.”
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Anna Trapkova, the current director of the Museum of Moscow, was later named as Romanov’s replacement. Trapkova expressed enthusiasm for the role, telling the Moscow News Agency, “Running this institution alongside the Museum of Moscow is a significant responsibility and a serious challenge. This is a very interesting space with enormous potential for development, and I’m eager to contribute to its history.”
According to a source close to the Memory Foundation, Trapkova’s appointment is no coincidence. “After Romanov refused to make changes to the exhibition, they decided to quietly dissolve the Gulag History Museum and merge it with the Museum of Moscow,” the source said. The future of the Memory Foundation remains uncertain, and it’s unclear whether Romanov will continue to play any role in its management.
“Staff at the [Gulag History Museum] are waiting for their new director,” said one source close to the museum. “They’ll likely know more next week when Anna [Trapkova] officially takes over.” Despite the museum’s closure, employees have continued their work: conducting fieldwork, recording interviews with survivors of political repressions, and preparing books on Gulag history for publication.
“Right now, everyone feels like they’re at the end of a life cycle,” the source said. “Whatever happens next, everyone is finding their own closure. No one is looking to the future. Everyone is grieving.”
Roman Romanov and Moscow’s Culture Department had not responded to Meduza’s inquiries by the time of publication. Anna Trapkova read Meduza’s message and then blocked the correspondent on Telegram.
Reporting by Kristina Safonova and Svetlana Reiter