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Russia remembers victims of political repressions

Memorial ceremonies will be held in many Russian cities this Tuesday

MOSCOW, October 30 (Itar-Tass) — Memorial ceremonies will be held in many Russian cities this Tuesday, on Day of Memory of Victims of Political Repressions.

The terror began 75 years ago. The year 1937 is known as the beginning of the epoch of Bolsheviks’ large-scale repressions against so-called "people's enemies".

Memorial ceremonies, "the Voice of Memory", will take place at shooting grounds in Butovo and Kommunarka in Moscow's suburbs.

A memorial service will be held at the Butovo ground, where, according to the latest data, more than 20,000 people were executed by firing squads. Names from the Butovo Book of Memory will be read out during the service at the burial place. Everybody can participate in the ceremony, lay flowers and light candles at the memorial place, a source at the Butovo scientific and educational centre told Itar-Tass.

Priest Kirill Kaleda, who himself is from a family of a man who was shot on the ground, will lead the service in the Butovo Church of the New Martyrs.

The memorial event in Butovo is planned to last from 10:00 to 16:00.

A commemoration ceremony in the neighbouring site of Kommunarka will begin at 15:00. It is organized by the educational centre of Moscow's Communications University. Among the thousands of killed people there were communication commissars. "Plotters' leaders" were executed in Kommunarka. On the list of shot people were Soviet commissars, chairmen of people's councils, ministers and government members from Soviet republics and even foreigners. Legendary division commanders, commanders of fleets, chiefs of intelligence services, diplomats, police chiefs and rank-and-file security officers were shot dead and buried at the site. Some who formerly gave orders for execution were later themselves shot there.

The territory was transferred to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1999.

The Church of the New Russian Martyrs was built at the site. It belongs to the Novospassky Monastery, which was also an execution object during the first years of the Soviet rule. Monastery Vicar Bishop Savva will lead the religious service there.

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