Red Patriots in a Gentleman’s Hell: The Contested Memory of Mudyug Prison Camp Museum
Abstract
The article deepens our understanding of Russian memory politics of the 1917 Revolution and the Civil War (1917–1922) by studying the case of the Mudyug prison camp near Arkhangel’sk. By analysing the competing narratives and strategies of the mnemonic actors involved, it reveals a profound discursive struggle between actors from local, federal and international levels. It also questions the continuity between Soviet and post-Soviet commemorative practices, demonstrating a more complex relationship between the two. The study concludes that strategies conforming to the official historical narrative of the ‘thousand-year Russian state’ are most advantageous for local memory actors.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Memory
Trauma
and Commemoration
Soviet and Russian History
History
Identity
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Europe Asia Studies
- Volume
- 78
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 291–315
- Publication date
- 14 January 2026
- Language
- EN