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Kutchino, a small village 100 kms north-east of Perm, was
the site of the harshest imaginable Soviet prison (GULAG) camp during the long
period of communist ruling: "PERM-36". The 'reformatory' camp was build under
Joseph Stalin in 1946 initially functioned as a timber production camp - to
produce the timber that was needed to make the destruction of the World War
II undone. However, 1972 was the year in which the government converted the
camp into the primary place of imprisonment for people charged with political
crimes. The GULAG, that showed many simularities with former Nazi-camps, differed
from most other camps in Russia because of its extremely severe regime. Only
the most 'dangerous' otherwise-minded were kept in Perm-36: opponents of
the communist government, authors and distributors of anti-communist literature,
the USSR's most prominent dissidents, anti-national organisation's leaders,
advocates for human rights and other kinds of "enemies of the state".
Perm-36 was one of the last ones in the Soviet Union to keep political prisoners
as it only closed in December 1987.
Nowadays, the camp the only one of its kind that remained in Russia - other
camps were carefully destroyed with the fall of the communist regime. The site
and the facilities of the camp are now occupied by the Museum of the history
of political repression "Perm-36", which functions as a vivid reminder
of communist terror. All unique buildings at the camp (living huts, cells, the
punishment cell, the inner-camp prison and the remains of the fences) were either
preserved or have been restored.
Not far from "Perm-36" lies Ogonyok, the place of an entirely different
kind of museum: the open-air Museum of the Chusovaya River's History. The whole
museum was built up by one person, which probably is the reason why the museum
is organised in a rather strange way, very unlike museums in general. You could
say that the museum consists of multiple small museums, each telling something
about the Chusovaya area; about the lives of locals 300 years ago, about the
crusade of Ermak (who was from the Chusovaya area) and how he conquered Siberia,
about handicrafts of that time, etc. The site of the museum is very beautiful
as it has a number of ancient buildings (chapels, a wind- and watermill, a tiny
farm), all built in a valley surrounded by forest. Next to it lies ski camp
"Ogonyok", which brought forward several champions in freestyle skiing.
At "Perm-36", you will get a complete insight of the history and
the daily life of the political prisoners in the labour camp. In the museum,
there is an exhibition with a considerable amount of material (pictures, letters,
etc.) that displays the "strict regime sector". After the museum tour
you will be offered a lunch, upon which we will continue the excursion to the
Museum of the Chusovaya River's History (some 20 minutes by car from Perm-36).
The museum tour here will take around 1,5 hour.
Perm-36
& Museum of History of Chusovaya River
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Duration: 9.5 hours
|
430 |
224 |
186 |
144 |
118 |
100 |
Prices p.p. in
euro (€), subject to change
Lunch included
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It is also possible to combine two of the region's top attractions, "Perm-36" and
the Ice Caves of Kungur, in one
day:
GULAG Perm-36,
Kungur & the
Kungur Ice Caves
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Duration: 11
hours
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594 |
304 |
248 |
198 |
170 |
150 |
Prices p.p. in euro
(€), subject to change
Lunch included |
A separate excursion to Perm 36 is also possible.
GULAG
Perm-36
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Duration: 7
hours
|
336 |
176 |
148 |
114 |
94 |
80. |
Prices p.p. in euro
(€), subject to change
Lunch included
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Transfer to excursion objects (with English speaking driver):
Route |
Persons |
1-4 |
5-14 |
GULAG Perm-36 |
135 |
180 |
GULAG Perm-36, Kungur
Ice Caves |
220 |
290 |
Prices
per group in euro (€), subject to change |
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