Memorial (society)
570357
223951869
2008-07-06T17:46:07Z
Malick78
3604657
/* Activities */ spelling
[[Image:Monument to victim of political repression, Togliatty, Russia.JPG|350px|right|thumb|Monument to victims of [[Soviet political repressions]], in city of [[Tolyatti|Togliatti]], [[Russia]]]]
'''"Memorial"''' ([[Russian (language)|Russian]]: Мемориал) is an international historical and [[civil rights]] society that operates in a number of post-[[USSR]] states with the following missions stated in its [[charter]]:
*"To promote mature civil society and democracy based on the rule of law and thus to prevent a return to totalitarianism;
*To assist formation of public consciousness based on the values of democracy and law, to get rid of totalitarian patterns, and to establish firmly human rights in practical politics and in public life;
*To promote the revelation of the truth about the historical past and perpetuate the memory of the victims of [[political repression]] exercised by totalitarian regimes."
The society was officially founded by the founding conference held on [[April 19]], [[1992]], although it was organized in 1980s during the [[Glasnost]] period in the former [[Soviet Union]]. After the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] the society became international, with organizations in [[Russia]], [[Ukraine]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Latvia]], and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]].
Its full official name is the '''International Volunteer Public Organization “MEMORIAL Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society”'''.
In [[2004]] Memorial was among the four recipients of the [[Right Livelihood Award]], sometimes called the alternative [[Nobel Prize]], for its work in documenting violations of human rights in Russia and other former states in the USSR.<ref>[http://www.rightlivelihood.org/memorial.htm 2004 Right Livelihood Award: Memorial (Russia)]</ref> Quoting the RLA jury: "...for showing, under very difficult conditions, and with great personal courage, that history must be recorded and understood, and human rights respected everywhere, if sustainable solutions to the legacy of the past are to be achieved."
== Activities ==
Memorial organizes assistance, legal and financial for the victims of [[Gulag]].
Memorial does research in the history of political repression and publicizes the findings in books, articles, exhibitions, museums, and websites of its member organisations.
By the efforts of the society, [[October 30]], [[1990]], the Memorial to the Victims of the [[Gulag]] (a simple stone from [[Solovki]]) was erected at the [[Lubyanka Square]] in [[Moscow]], near the [[KGB]] headquarters beside the [[Iron Felix]] (the latter was removed in August, [[1991]]).
In 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR officially recognized the day of [[October 30]] as a [[Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repressions|Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Political Repression]].
Efforts of Memorial were behind the Law on Rehabilitation of Victims of Political Repression. It was passed in 1991.
Memorial also helps individuals to find documents, graves, etc., of politically persecuted relatives. [[As of 2005]], Memorial had a database of over 1,300,000 names of such people. <ref>[http://www.rightlivelihood.org/memorial_faq.html FAQ about Memorial]</ref>
Memorial also has an office in [[Chechnya]], to monitor Russian army activity there. It is frequently raided.
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[http://www.memo.ru/eng/ Memorial website]
*[http://www.memo.ru/eng/about/charter.htm Memorial Charter]
*[http://www.astrobl.ru/Memo/default.asp The Book of Memory of Victims of Political Represions of Astrakan Oblast (in Russian)], a list of 10,955 names repressed in [[Astrakhan Oblast]] in 1918-1986.
*[http://www.memorial-italia.it/frontend/?rr=chi_siamo Memorial-Italia], established on [[April 20]], [[2004]]
[[Category:Political repression in the Soviet Union]]
[[de:Memorial]]
[[fr:Mémorial (association)]]
[[nl:Memorial]]
[[no:Memorial]]
[[pl:Memoriał (stowarzyszenie)]]
[[ru:Международное общество «Мемориал»]]
[[tr:Memorial]]
[[uk:Товариство "Меморіал" імені Василя Стуса]]