In Tomsk, Russia, authorities have dismantled a memorial dedicated to victims of NKVD repression, among whom were Polish citizens, sparking concerns over historical memory.
Tomsk Memorial Demolished
Authorities in Tomsk, a city in the Asian part of Russia, have demolished a memorial to victims of political repression, dedicated to Poles, Lithuanians, Latvians, Estonians, and Kalmyks, according to the independent Russian portal Novaya Gazeta Europa.
The Square of Memory, located in the city center, was fenced off and then cleared by officials to remove the stones forming the memorial. Police reportedly prohibited photography of the work and checked the identification of those attempting to do so, according to Novaya Gazeta Europa.
Site’s History as NKVD Prison
Ksenia Fadiejeva, a former associate of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, stated on Telegram that the square was formerly the site of an NKVD prison. Archaeological work at the site revealed evidence of mass graves.
Memorial’s Establishment and Recent Targeting of Polish Sites
The Square of Memory in Tomsk was opened in 1992 with the initiative of the city administration and the Memorial Association. Aleksandra Poliwanowa of Memorial noted that Polish memorial sites in Russia have been among the most affected since 2022, the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine.
Poliwanowa reported that monuments have been practically removed or dismantled in several cities, including the removal of a Polish exile memorial in Buryatia, and Polish and Lithuanian monuments in Pivovarishy, Irkutsk Oblast. Other affected locations include Petrozavodsk, Vorkuta, St. Petersburg, Shlisselburg, Galashor, Yakutsk, Tomsk, and Belostok in Tomsk Oblast.
Removal of Polish Symbols in Katyn and Mednoe
In November 2025, bas-reliefs of the Order of Virtuti Militari and the September Campaign Cross were removed from the Polish War Cemetery in Katyn, and similar removals occurred in Mednoe several months prior.
About Memorial Association
Memorial, officially the International Historical, Educational, Charitable and Human Rights Society “Memorial,” was founded in the 1980s as an association of independent organizations. For over three decades, Memorial researched political repression in the USSR—including against Poles and the Katyn massacre. On April 9th, the Russian Supreme Court designated Memorial as an extremist organization. (PAP)