We, former political prisoners and participants in the democratic movement in the Soviet Union, consider the opening of a monument to the victims of political repression in Moscow untimely and cynical. The monument is a tribute to the past, and political repression in Russia not only continues, but is also increasing.

At the end of last week, the editor -in -chief of the Echo of Moskvy radio station Alexei Venediktov decided to “evacuate” from the country one of the main journalists of Radio, Ksenia Larina entrusted to him. The reason is simple - he believes that at the moment, Larina is unsafe to be in Russia.

Most Russians want to be away from politics. Like, we are small people, you arise less - you will live longer. They would have lived in ancient Athens, they would definitely be punished with atymia - public impasses, dishonor, contempt, deprivation of civil status rights. A person who has undergone atimia had no right to perform in a national assembly, occupy positions, serve in the army, participate in the Olympic Games. So harsh was punishment for non -participation in politics.

The eleventh year in a row in Moscow is held by the “Return of Names” campaign, when on the eve of the day of memory of the victims of political repressions, people all day, from 10 a.m. to 10 pm, read the names of the executed in Moscow - the name, age, profession and date of execution, two names each in the Lubyanskaya Square.