Denis Karagodin

The Stone of Sorrow, a memorial to victims of Soviet political repression, was dismantled at night under the official explanation that a former NKVD garage had to be protected — part of the infrastructure associated with the “black vans” of the Great Terror. The official version invites us to discuss the garage. But the way the dismantling was carried out forces a different discussion: the disappearance of public memory. The garage is the explanation...

The Stone of Sorrow, a memorial to victims of Soviet political repression, was dismantled at night under the official explanation that a former NKVD garage had to be protected — part of the infrastructure associated with the “black vans” of the Great Terror. Read more: https://karagodin.com/?p=16243 Support Denis Karagodin’s work...

I woke up to a city in which, overnight, the Stone of Sorrow — a memorial to the victims of political repression — had been dismantled. From that moment on, the task was not only to understand what had happened, but to document it as it unfolded. That is what I could do. And that is what I have done. Read more: https://karagodin.com/?p=16216 Support Denis...

Возможно, это совпадение. Но, в российской политической аналитике для таких совпадений существует вполне устойчивый термин — «чекистский юморок». Сигнал считан. A Chekist Wink on SMERSH’s Anniversary: The April 19, 2026 Demolition of the Stone of Sorrow The date of the demolition itself introduces an additional layer of possible interpretation. The removal of the Stone of Sorrow memorial — carried out in a controlled manner, with restricted access and indications of coordinated oversight — took place on April 19, coinciding with the anniversary of the establishment of SMERSH (April 19, 1943),...

The demolition of the Stone of Sorrow memorial in Tomsk marks another moment in the unfolding “memory wars” between Russia and Europe — a conflict in which struggles over monuments reflect deeper contestation over historical narratives, state identity, and the foundations upon which they are built. Read more: https://karagodin.com/?p=16149 Support Denis...

Он не будет восстановлен. Read more: https://karagodin.com/?p=16087 Support Denis Karagodin’s work with a donation — in ₽, $, €, or crypto — your support makes this work possible! Subscribe to Denis Karagodin’s channel for updates.

It will not be restored. Read more: https://karagodin.com/?p=16090 Support Denis Karagodin’s work with a donation — in ₽, $, €, or crypto — your support makes this work possible! Subscribe to Denis Karagodin’s channel for updates.

Думаю, что следующим закономерным шагом, после сноса мемориального камня жертвам политических репрессий в Томске, последует почти гарантированная попытка убрать Соловецкий камень с Лубянской площади в Москве. Я не вижу ни одной причины, чтобы этого не произошло. Нужно быть к этому готовым. В этом смысле, Томск сейчас — это испытательный полигон. Буду рад, если ошибусь; но, скорее всего, нет. Read more: https://karagodin...

After the demolition of the memorial stone to the victims of political repression in Tomsk, the next logical step is an almost inevitable attempt to remove the Solovetsky Stone from Lubyanka Square in Moscow. I see no reason why this wouldn’t happen. We should be prepared for it. In that sense, Tomsk is now a testing ground. I hope I’m wrong — but I probably won’t be. Read more: https://karagodin...

Черные воронки вернулись (The Black Vans Return) – фрагмент моего эссе о сносе памятника жертвам политических репрессий в Томске То, что сегодня подаётся как техническая необходимость, на деле является стратегией смещения. Демонтаж мемориала «Камень скорби» объясняется языком инфраструктуры — безопасностью, устойчивостью склона, близостью хозяйственных объектов и конечно же заботой о безопасности граждан. Тем самым вопрос памяти переводится в область инженерии, где ответственность растворяется: становится процедурной, обезличенной, как будто никому не принадлежащей. Инфраструктура здесь — это щит: нейтральный, административный, лишённый субъекта...

The Stone of Sorrow memorial in Tomsk — dedicated to the victims of political repression — was dismantled on April 19, 2026. The removal was carried out under the pretext of protecting a nearby garage operated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation — the same facility that served as the base for...

Alexander Solzhenitsyn at the Stone of Sorrow memorial in Tomsk, June 26, 1994, during his journey across Russia. The memorial was dismantled on April 19, 2026, under the pretext of protecting nearby garages operated by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation — the same garages that served as the base for...