Gulag Museum
Gulag history
GULAG is the acronym for the Russian translation of ‘Chief Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies’ but nowadays this word – Gulag – has come to mean the Soviet repressive system itself.
The museum display
The museum of the Gulag History visit will not leave anyone indifferent. The building’s inner space creates very uncomfortable and weird feelings. The absence of windows, dim illumination, dark and curved corridors make visitors feel immersed in the frightening atmosphere of the past.The museum focuses on the use of multimedia technology such as video footage, audio versions of memoirs, interactive consoles, VR helmets. Most of the information is translated into English.
The Gulag museum visit
If you're interested in Soviet history you should definitely include the Gulag museum in your Moscow tour itinerary.
The nearest metro station to the museum is Dostoevskaya, it'll take you around 10 min to walk. The address of the museum is 1-y Samotechny sidestreet, 9/1.
The museum is easy to navigate on your own. Most of the information is translated into English. In addition, you might also book an audio guide. However, we believe that a guided tour of the museum will make you even more emotionally involved. One of the museum local guide is a person who lived through the Soviet repression system and shares her personal stories during the tour.
The museum has a small cafe and a very good book store with some books translated into foreign languages.