The date was chosen in memory of a hunger strike by prisoners at the Mordovia detention facility, which began on October 30, 1974. The prisoners were protesting against the repressive and inhuman treatment practiced in camps and prisons.
Memorial events are now held all over Russia.
In Moscow, people traditionally gather around the Solovetsky Stone, installed on Lubyanka Square in front of the former KGB building, and read aloud the names of those who were purged. That way they “return” the names to those who were given just numbers instead, according to the camp rules.
RBTH remembers all the victims and presents a trailer of a major web-documentary prepared by our multimedia team about the Solovetsky Islands, where the toughest camp in the entire Gulag system was located.
A recommendation: If you look for a cozy accomodation at Solovki, you might want to check "Solovetskaya Sloboda Hotel" , which provides a comfortable stay on the island at any time of the year.
