Don’t remember. Not proud.

Don’t remember. Not proud.

This is a virtual installation created specifically for the Sandormoh online exhibition in 2022. The online exhibition, “Sandormoh,” was created by “Memorial” and the Iofe Foundation (St. Petersburg), in collaboration with Gulag.cz, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the discovery of the firing range. It was at this site, between 1937 and 1938, that 5,130 residents of Karelia and prisoners of the White Sea-Baltic prison camp, as well as 1,111 prisoners of the Solovetsky camp, were killed.

The forest transforms into more than just an online gallery; it becomes an alternative space of remembrance. While physical grave monuments and crosses exist in the real forest, the virtual forest showcases artistic monuments, created or transformed into multimedia works. The exhibition features a total of 17 artists’ works. Additionally, within the forest, you will discover three narrative routes and two locations that provide insights into the past and present of Sandormoh. This includes the history of the mass shootings that occurred here in 1937-1938, the search for this place, the questions surrounding the perception of Sandormoh and political repression in Russian society today, and the stories of people who were killed here, found their fathers’ graves here, or for various reasons feel connected to this history.

The artists’ works and trail exits are scattered throughout the Sandormoh forest. As visitors wander among the pines, they will unexpectedly encounter objects and locations, each person walking their unique path through the exhibition.

We extend our gratitude to the curators and project creators for their hard work and the invitation to participate.

https://pines.mapofmemory.org/