Search expedition “Along the rivers of memory”

Expedition is held in shape of a research regional scout. Its main topic is research and gathering of materials on political repressions history of the Soviet period in Perm region. The organizers chose to have an overland route through territories that have never been researched before.

Dates: July 3, 2014 – July 11, 2014, 9 days.

Location: Berezniki and Perm region (Usolie).

Work: Volunteers will make interviews with the locals and gather ‘oral history’, search for witness accounts of the history of political repressions in the USSR and the local area, erect temporary signs to commemorate the victims of political terror. The gathered interviews will be worked into an electronic historical archive and the most interesting ones will be published.

Number of participants: up to 20 people.

Leaders: Aleksander Chenyshov and Dmitry Okuntsev, researchers of the Youth Memorial “Unforgotten tragedy” project.

Contacts: alex_cher2003@mail.ru, dmitrii.okuntcev@gmail.com

We recommend to watch films ‘Along the rivers of memory’ «По рекам памяти» and ‘Chronicles of search expedition’«Хроника поисковой экспедиции»

Volunteer workcamp “Space of freedom”

The youth volunteer camp is held in the former Soviet prison camp "Perm-36", where in 1970's and 80's known dissidents and human rights activist were held. The former prison camp has been turned into a memorial museum of the history of political repression and totalitarianism in the USSR. Near the museum, on the banks of the river is the base camp of the Youth Volunteers of the Memorial.

Volunteers of Youth Memorial as well as activists of youth voluntary organizations of Perm Region and other Russian regions will attend this workcamp.

The accommodation of the participants might be organized in two ways – in the building of the asylum that is currently being rebuilt into a cultural centre of the museum or in tents in the camping place of Youth Memorial next to the museum and on the river (there is also a kitchen, a toilet and a shower in the camping).

Dates: 7 July – 21 July, 2014, 14 days.

Location: village Kuchino, Chusovskoy district of Perm region.

Work: working on the museum grounds as well as helping with the preparations for the International civil forum “Pilorama”, July 25 – July 27, 2014.

Number of participants: up to 25 people.

Leaders – Anna Malakhovskaya, Youth Memorial social volunteer service coordinator and Valery Tyutyunnik, Youth Memorial volunteer.

Contacts: anna-malahovskay@mail.ru и valeriytyutyunnikperm@gmail.com

Volunteer workcamp “Dialog of the generations”

International camp will be held at the Memorial museum “Perm-36” in coordination with our German partner Aktion Suehnezeichen Friedensdienste e.V. (ASF). The general idea of the camp – an open dialog between German and Russian participants, some of the participants might have been a part of this camp in previous years. We hope the workcamp to become a place for meeting new people and making friends. Participants will discuss the history and current events in Russia and Germany, “Memorial” and ASF, moreover they will be able to take part in international forum “Pilorama 2014”.

Dates: 21 July – 3 August 2014, 14 days

Location: village Kuchino, Chusovskoy district of Perm region.

Work: working on the museum grounds as well as helping with the preparations for the International civil forum “Pilorama”, July 25 – July 27, 2014.

Number of participants: up to 30 people.

Leaders: Marius Böltzig, Aktion Suehnezeichen Friedensdienste e.V. (ASF) volunteer, Fluyra Nabieva, Youth Memorial volunteer.

Languages: Russian, German.

Contacts:  MariusBoeltzig@aol.com и fly8758@yandex.ru

Volunteer workcamp “Apartment”

The camp is traditionally held in the city of Perm with the German organization Internationaler Bauorden («Construction Order"). It is aimed at carrying out minor repairs in the apartments of the victims of political repression living in Perm. In addition, volunteers will provide all possible assistance in the construction of the Museum of the former NKVD prison in Perm. It is assumed that half of the camp participants will be volunteers from Western Europe, and the other half the Russian volunteers.

The last days of the camp participants will go to the Memorial museum “Perm-36” and take part in the international forum “Pilorama 2014”.

Dates: 14 July – 27 July 2014, 14 days

Location: Perm city

Work: renovating the apartments of the victims of political repression.  Work will include painting of windows and doors, Wallpapering, plastering, whitewashing walls and ceilings. Experience in this kind of work is welcome.

Number of particiapnts: up to 20 people.

Languages: Russian, English and German.

Leaders: Aleksandra Domracheva, international exchange coordinator at Youth Memorial, Dmitrii Okuntsev, researcher of the Youth Memorial “Unforgotten tragedy” project.

Contacts: sasha.domracheva@gmail.com и dmitrii.okuntcev@gmail.com

Travelling workcamp «Present of the Past»

The project starts with an 3-day training course in Perm, where you will discuss the topics and learn to set up workshops using non-formal methods of history and human rights education. Following this, you will travel to 3 international workcamps in Perm Region to deliver self-designed one-day workshops on the topic. You will visit international workcamps «Apartment» in Perm, «Space of freedom» and «Dialog of the generations» in Memorial museum «Perm-36».

Dates: 15 July – 30 July 2014, 16 days

Location: Perm and other towns of the region

Work: creating training units and programs and giving workshops on the history of political repressions in USSR and Human Rights in modern Russia

Number of participants: up to 4.

Leader: Aleksander Chenyshov, researcher of the Youth Memorial “Unforgotten tragedy” project.

Contact: alex_cher2003@mail.ru

Volunteer workcamp «Surmounting»

The main topic of the project is overcoming the consequences of World War II and remember the victims of the event - Soviet soldiers and German prisoners. Volunteers from Germany (students of University of Hannover) and Russian volunteers will work together, make a tour of Perm and nearby territories, gather information about the history of the hospitals and GULAG camps existing in 1940s, improve cemeteries and install memorial signs. The project is organized together with Lower Saxony branch of the German War Graves Commission, University of Hannover and Perm state academy of culture and art.

Dates: 4 August – 16 August, 2014, 13 days.

Location: Perm and Perm region.

Work: gathering the oral history (recollections) of the events of 1940s, Soviet soldiers and German prisoners cemeteries improvement, memorial signs’ posting.

Number of participants: up to 26.

Leaders: Robert Latypov, co-chairman of Youth Memorial, Andrei Bushmakov, candidate of historical sciences, associate professor in the Culturology department of the Perm state academy of culture and art, Henrik Bertold (Deutsche Volksbund), Benedict Tondera and Frank Mende (University of Hannover).

Languages: Russian, German.

Contact: larobert@yandex.ru

Additional information

All camps will include an educational and cultural programme for volunteers: excursions, discussions, meetings with human rights workers and former political prisoners, films, creative tasks and simple relaxation!

All necessary equipment (catamarans, tents, sleeping-bags, etc.) will be provided by Youth Memorial. The organization will also cover expenses related to food, accommodation, educational and cultural events and local transport (from Perm city to the camp and back).

Participants travelling from abroad and from other parts of Russia are asked to cover their own transport costs as far as Perm.

 Applications will be accepted up to no later than two weeks before the start date of your chosen camp. It is possible to apply for more than one camp.

Extra costs: 15 Euro. The money will be included into the budget of the camp and will be spent on the needs of the chosen.

Applicants should be aged between 16 and 35 unless otherwise stated. Participants are selected on a competitive basis – applicants will be informed of the results no later than two weeks before the project’s start date.

Warning! The dates given are subject to slight change. 

For further information, please contact the project managers.

Contact details for applications:

614070, Perm, Ul. Krupskoi 40, Youth Memorial

Email: pmem@yandex.ru

Tel/fax: (342) 282-53-11, 282-54-42

We ask you to cc your application to our e-mail pmem@yandex.ru!