Novosibirsk Authorities Refused to Restore a Plaque Commemorating Victims of Political Repression

Novosibirsk authorities refused to restore a plaque commemorating victims of political repression. Officials did not like that it had been installed by Memorial

In Narymsky Square in Novosibirsk, unknown persons tore off the plaque from the foundation stone dedicated to victims of political repression. It disappeared on April 23. After that, local activist Roman Malozemov appealed to the mayor’s office with a request to restore the memorial marker. But the authorities refused to do so.

🟧 What the mayor’s office objected to

The officials’ reply says that the initiator of the installation of the foundation stone in the square was an organization declared “extremist” in Russia (the authorities are probably referring to Memorial). In addition, the authorities believe that the text on the plaque “does not meet the criteria of objectivity, neutrality, and historical accuracy.”

Because of this, they decided to remove the foundation stone from the city’s register of monuments and not restore the plaque.

🟧 This is not the first time something like this has happened

Cases of commemorative plaques disappearing in Russia happen regularly. For example, since the beginning of 2026, the plaque in memory of journalist Anna Politkovskaya has been torn down more than 20 times. In addition, plaques of the Last Address project, dedicated to victims of Soviet repression, regularly disappear in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

🟧 The memory of repression is increasingly becoming a target

In recent years, the authorities have not only failed to prevent the destruction of memorial markers, but have themselves removed commemorative sites from official registers. And researchers of repression, historians, and activists are facing growing pressure, from bans on working with archives to criminal cases.

🛟 Subscribe to OVD-Info to know how repression works in modern Russia.

Foundation stone to the victims of political repression / Photo from the Siberian Express Telegram channel