The burial site of repressed individuals in Sandarmokh, Karelia, now bears a stele commemorating the 'victims of the Finnish occupation.' On December 25, local deputy Emilia Slabunova expressed in her Telegram channel that the authorities showed disrespect to the memory of those who suffered from the repressions.
A monument with the inscription 'To the victims of the repressions of 1937-1939 and those who suffered Finnish occupation during the Great Patriotic War' has emerged on the mass burial ground in Sandarmokh. Karelian Legislative Assembly deputy Emilia Slabunova contends that this inscription contradicts the burial site's registered status.
Photo from Emilia Slabunova's Telegram channel. Source: t.me
News of the stele's installation appeared on December 19. Emilia Slabunova has filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office regarding the violation of legislation protecting cultural heritage objects. The deputy asserts that the authorities have shown disrespect to the memory of the victims of repressions.
In 2016, Russian authorities began claiming that Sandarmokh was a burial site not only for repressed individuals but also for Red Army soldiers executed by the Finnish military. Subsequently, law enforcement initiated criminal proceedings against historian Yuri Dmitriev, who had discovered the mass grave. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of sexual assault against his adopted daughter.