Perm-36 Gulag Memorial
Пермь-36
The only Soviet political prison camp in Russia preserved in its original state, where wooden barracks, barbed-wire fences and cells can be explored on foot.
Perm-36 lies in Kuchino village about 100 km northeast of Perm. Built in 1946 as a labor camp, it held large numbers of political prisoners and dissidents in the 1970s and 1980s and closed in 1988. In the 1990s it was turned into a museum, preserving the barracks, watchtowers, barbed-wire perimeter and the cells of the special regime zone. It is the only fully preserved Gulag camp in Russia. Since 2015 it has been run by a state institution, and the exhibits have shifted somewhat in focus. Hiring a car is recommended; the one-way trip takes about 2 hours. Most signage is in Russian, so ask for a guide.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun approx. 10:00–17:00 (check website)
Nearby sights
- Kungur Ice Cave
- Kungur Old Town
- Khokhlovka Open-Air Museum
- PERMM Museum of Contemporary Art
- Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul
- Diaghilev House Museum
- Meshkov House – Perm Regional Museum
- Perm Tchaikovsky Opera and Ballet Theatre