On the eve of victory day vandals disfigured thememorial „Norilsk Golgotha“.
On Tuesday one of the employees of the municipal museum made an excursion to the place with students. They were the first to see what unknown persons had done to the memorial place erected in memory of the Jewish victims of the Norillag. Revetment and granite fundament were smashed, the memorial plate had been snatched off and insulting characters had been sprayed on both sides of thememorial stone, on the front and on the backside.
Those, who obviously are not willing to cherish this memorial which was erected
in memory of the victims of political repressions, painted a crossed-out Star of
David and “Perun’s battleaxe” on the stone – symbols which are used by nazi
extremists.
Streitaxt Peruns“ – Symbole, die von Extremisten nazistischer Prägung verwendet
werden.
The director of the museum, Svetlana Slesareva, points out that spalls of the damaged stone were covered by only a very thin layer of snow, which means that the vandals could not have left the place long ago. „A single person is not able to commit such a deed; they came here with a defined aim, acted in bad faith, elsewise they would not have come here all equipped with tools“, the director says.
The place in memory of the Jewish Norillag victims was built according to the plans of architect Aleksander Sobolev. „The Jews have the tradition to bring along little stones when they visit the graves of their deads and put them on top of the tomb slab, - he tells us. – The memorial symbolizes such a stone. The Jewish Minora symbol was engraved on it. The memorial was built by funds of James Wulfenson, president of the World Bank of Reconstruction and Development. Its inauguration took place on the 4 May 2005.
Due to the stated elements of a crime criminal proceedings were instituted in accordance with clause 1, section 214 of the criminal code – “vandalism”. This section stipulates either the imposition of a fine, or particular labour imposed on the guilty for a period up to 12 months, or detention in prison up to three months. The common citizens of the town, which was factically built on the bones of prsioners, however, do not consider such a sentence effectual.
“We are really shocked about what has happened. I am dealing with the preservation of our historic heritage since 1989. There have always been alements of crime, but they were just smaller disreputable, mean deeds, compared to what was done her …”, says the director of the museum in a bitter voice.
Olga TRUBNIKOVA.
Foto: Vladimir MAKUSHKIN
“Polar-Truth”, 07.05.2009