Memorial
Memorial (Мемориал) was founded in the late 1980s during the Glasnost era to document and preserve memory of Soviet political repression — labour camps, executions, and mass deportations. It became one of Russia's most prominent civil society organisations, documenting abuses in Chechnya and other conflict zones, maintaining databases of political prisoners, and providing legal support to victims of state violence.
The Russian Supreme Court ordered the liquidation of the International Memorial Society in December 2021, citing violations of foreign agent laws. Memorial continued operating internationally. In April 2026, a further escalation: the Russian Supreme Court designated Memorial an "extremist organisation," effectively criminalising any association with it inside Russia under threat of lengthy prison sentences.
Memorial won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 (jointly with Ukrainian and Belarusian human rights organisations).
Key people
- Oleg Orlov — co-chair of Memorial's human rights centre and one of Russia's most prominent human rights defenders. Convicted in Russia in April 2024 and sentenced to two and a half years in prison for publicly calling the war in Ukraine a crime — a widely followed case in international human rights circles.
- Natalia Estemirova — Memorial researcher who spent years documenting human rights abuses in Chechnya. Murdered in July 2009; her killing became one of the most prominent cases of violence against Russian civil society workers.
Current status
Memorial continues operating through its international chapters. The largest active chapter is Memorial Germany (memorial.de), based in Berlin. The Russian domestic organisation is formally liquidated and the extremist designation makes associated activity inside Russia a serious criminal risk.
Note on scope
Memorial's Russian domestic organisations have been formally liquidated and its work inside Russia criminalised. It is listed here under Russia because that was the origin and primary focus of its work. International chapters — particularly Memorial Germany — continue operating and are accessible via the link below.
Links
- Memorial Germany: memorial.de
- Wikipedia: Memorial