Investigators from the Internal Ministry's extremism center will conduct an inspection of Perm-36, a former gulag camp that now operates as a museum of political repression, the Kommersant newspaper reported Tuesday.
The inspection was sparked by a complaint from an unidentified TV viewer, the paper cited the museum's ex-director as saying. The viewer was reportedly left disgruntled after watching a program in which the museum was accused of vindicating Lithuanian and Ukrainian nationalists who fought against the Soviet Union, many of whom were imprisoned in the labor camp in the village of Kuchino in the Perm region.
The "Fifth Column" special report was aired by the NTV channel in June. The Gazprom-owned channel is known for its provocative reports that often accuse Russian opposition figures and movements of being financed by foreign governments.
The report made a direct link between the "pro-fascist Ukrainian nationalists" that fought against the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian army that is currently battling a pro-Russian insurgency in eastern Ukraine.
Perm-36, one of few gulag museums in Russia, has previously come under attack from official agencies. In July, local migration authorities conducted a check of its foreign visitors' visas, according to a statement posted on its website. The museum also said in July that it would halt its projects in the Perm region after being accused of misappropriating public funds.
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