Yuri Dmitriev exhumes what Russian leaders would rather forget. After years of searching the pine forests of Karelia in northwestern Russia, he discovers a mass grave containing thousands of people who were secretly executed during Stalin’s Great Terror of 1936-1938. It is not the Russian government but Dmitriev who tracks down their identities in the archives and organizes commemorations for their next of kin. Thanks to his efforts, they finally discover what happened to their lost relatives. Having been left at a maternity clinic as a baby, he is a man on a mission: "Every human being has the right to know where they came from and where their family lies buried."
While abroad there is increasing recognition for this “archaeologist of terror,” in Russia Dmitriev is discredited as someone collaborating with the West. Then he is arrested based on a fabricated charge. Tragically accurate, Dmitriev predicts his own future and that of his country.
Sponsorship
This event is co-sponsored by the Fletcher Russia and Eurasia Program at Tufts University.
Accessibility
The Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at 617-495-4037 or daviscenter@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit. Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance if possible. Please note that the Davis Center will make every effort to secure services but that services are subject to availability.
