Back to a Dark Future

Between 1930 and 1953, more than 18 million people were imprisoned in the camps. Over 2.7 million died. In 2024, the Kremlin closed the only Gulag museum in Moscow indefinitely on a pretext—coincidence?

On 8 July 2025, the Russian State Duma adopted a corresponding draft law. Approval by the Federation Council and the subsequent signature of Kremlin leader Putin are considered a mere formality. But this is only part of the reform. Further changes include the creation of a dedicated transport system enabling the FSB to transfer prisoners between facilities—by road, special train, ship, or aircraft.

According to investigative journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan, this clearly points to “preparations for repression on a scale that surpasses anything seen before.” Russian members of parliament, by contrast, justify the measure by citing the war in Ukraine.

So what lies behind the secret police’s prisons? And what consequences does this have for Russian society—and for every individual citizen?


PARTICIPANTS

• Gesine Dornblüth, Journalist, DLF
  
• Prof. Dr. Marc-Stephan Junge, Historian
  

MODERATED BY

• Dr. Gerhard Conrad, Former BND Official
  

IN GERMAN