Russians honored Stalin’s victims • The accusations: Trying to hide evidence of Stalin’s persecutions
The annual memorial ceremony has for years attracted people who want to honor those who fell victim to Josef Stalin’s persecutions in the Soviet Union.
But this year it was disrupted by Kremlin-loyal Cossacks – who drowned out the reading of the victims’ names with patriotic chants, reports The Moscow Times.
The ceremony was held in the northwestern Republic of Karelia on Monday to commemorate the victims of Stalin’s purges and attracted people from around the world. Including diplomats from France, Sweden, Germany, Poland and Norway.
But also “busloads” of Cossacks and other activists loyal to the Kremlin, write The Moscow Times.
Chanted songs from World War II
The activists are said to have interrupted the traditional reading of the names of those who fell victim to the purge. At least 6,000 of those killed in the Gulag camps are buried at the current memorial site, Sandarmokh.
Among other things, the activists are said to have chanted patriotic songs from the Second World War and shouted slogans such as “Jews sponsored Hitler”.
Tried to hide evidence
Security services are also said to have searched local media offices “a few days” before the annual gathering.
According to the human rights organization Memorial, several activists were arrested.
Russian authorities have previously been accused of trying to hide evidence of repression in Sandarmokh from Stalin’s time in power in the former Soviet Union, writes The Moscow Times.