Memorial closed the historical work competition for schoolchildren “Man in History” due to a court decision to liquidate

“International Memorial” announced on its website the termination of the historical work competition for high school students “Man in History. Russia - 20th century" due to a court decision to liquidate them.

“We thank you for the excellent works that we have received over 22 years, and we hope that you will continue your research,” the organizers addressed the competition participants.

Memorial has held a competition for schoolchildren aged 14 to 18 since 1999 and published collections of the best works. The head of Memorial’s educational programs, Irina Shcherbakova, in a conversation with Kommersant , noted that, despite the partnership with the European Union and foreign foundations, “two-thirds of [their] funding has always been government.”

Yesterday, Deputy Minister of Education Denis Gribov, commenting on the demand of “Veterans of Russia” to stop the participation of schoolchildren in the competition, said that schools “certainly must ensure that children do not fall under the influence of liquidated or banned organizations,” and suggested that they instead “ activities organized by the state."

The Memorial Human Rights Center was added to the register of NGOs as “foreign agents” in 2014, and Memorial International in 2016. At the end of December, the courts liquidated both organizations due to prosecutors' claims that their materials were labeled under the law on “foreign agents.” They appealed the decision.

In 2016 and 2017, schools in several regions received letters from officials saying that students and teachers were “not recommended” to participate in the competition. In 2016, NOD activists in tunics with posters “We won’t let history be rewritten” doused the participants in the award ceremony, including the writer Lyudmila Ulitskaya, with brilliant green and ammonia.