An activist in the northern Russia city of Arkhangelsk is being prosecuted for installing a memorial plaque on the home of a victim of Soviet repression as part of the “Last Address” project.
Dmitry Kozlov is being tried by authorities on Wednesday for attaching a plaque to the former home of Ivan Bezsonov who was arrested by Soviet authorities in 1938, journalist Sergei Parkhomenko wrote on Facebook.
Kozlov is the regional coordinator for the “Last Address” project, co-founded by Parkhomenko, which commemorates gulag victims by installing small plaques at the place where they last lived.
The plaques feature the names, occupations, dates of birth and death of the gulag victims and the date on which they were rehabilitated.
Kozlov is now facing charges for damaging a cultural heritage site, which is punishable with a fine of up to 200,000 rubles ($3,300).
In his post, Parkhomenko criticised the charges against Kozlov, saying the house had been labeled as derelict by the authorities and there were plans to demolish it.
Parkhomenko said it was the first time a “Last Address” activist was being taken to court.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
![](["https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ZQDfsnyrvoM\/maxresdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ZQDfsnyrvoM\/hqdefault.jpg","https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/ZQDfsnyrvoM\/default.jpg","https:\/\/static.themoscowtimes.com\/img\/article_video.jpg"])