Stories from Omsk · Russia

Memorial stones dedicated to Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia are being removed in Tomsk, according to reports. Similar removals of Ukrainian memorial stones occurred at the Levishov training ground near Saint Petersburg.

Sixteen homes were destroyed in the Tomsk region of southern Siberia due to high winds.

The Omsk hockey club has extended the contract of forward Klym Kostin. The new agreement is set to run until the summer of 2029. Kostin previously moved to the Moscow-based club Forward in January.

A woman identified as Valeria Belova sustained a traumatic brain injury and cerebral contusion during a dog attack in Omsk. A three-year-old dog owner allegedly struck the victim multiple times and set his Staffordshire Terrier on her.

A museum in Tomsk remains closed to the public despite continuing its institutional operations and paying staff. The closure followed reports of potential issues in early 2024. Officials cited fire safety concerns as the formal reason for the restriction on visits. The museum's projects and staff salaries have reportedly continued during the closure. The source stated the museum remains an active institution with ongoing projects and staff salaries being paid. The closure is described as a formal measure that could be applied to any building in Russia. Authorities in Tomsk are reportedly planning to close certain buildings, including the Gulag History Museum, to mitigate public outcry. The move is described as a way to redistribute memory sites, specifically regarding the genocide of the Lytsky people during the occupation of territories between 1941 and 1944.

The concept of 'Never Again' in memory museums regarding the Gulag and historical repression has faced devaluation since the 2022 full-scale invasion. While some projects were suspended, new expositions were opened in 2023 through a memory fund established by the Gulag Museum.

Russian authorities are removing memorial stones dedicated to Lithuanians, Poles, and Flakstons in the Tomsk region. The report notes previous instances where Ukrainian memorials were removed at the Levashovo cemetery near Saint Petersburg. There are concerns that Russian authorities may continue to dismantle other sites, including Polish crosses and memorials established during the Siberian exile periods. The Museum of Memory Regulation has been liquidated after being recognized as an extremist organization. The source noted that the memory association and fund no longer exist, and there is uncertainty regarding whether original museum contents will be repurposed. The director of the NKVD prison in Tomsk is reportedly a former FSB officer. Memorial stones dedicated to Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Estonia are being removed in Tomsk.

Omsk Avangard defeated Yaroslavl Lokomotiv 3-1 in the second match of the Kontinental Hockey League playoff series. Ekaterina Tarasova and Viktoria Anfinogenova won bronze medals. Lokomotiv Authors secured a victory over Zenit Saint Petersburg in the men's volleyball championship of Russia during the third-place series. Lokomotiv forward Alexander Radulov received a 20-minute disciplinary penalty following arguments with an official. Vasily Ponomarev and Konstantin Akulov scored the goals for Avangard. In the national championship standings after 27 rounds, Krasnodar leads by one point, followed by Zenit and Lokomotiv. Lokomotiv goalkeeper Daniil Saev recorded 27 saves and achieved his fifth shutout of the current Gagarin Cup tournament. The sixth match of the series is scheduled for May 4 in Omsk. The victory brings the series score to a 3-3 tie.

Andrei Lugovoy, a State Duma deputy and FSB officer, has called for an investigation into the 'Sel' Soviet stone for extremism. The monument was reportedly moved to a museum dedicated to the genocide of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War. This call suggests a potential return of Soviet-era symbolism in Russia. FSB speaker and deputy Andrey Lugovoy has called for an investigation into a monument dedicated to victims of Bolshevik terror in Tomsk. The monument has already been dismantled following the designation of the Memorial society as an extremist organization. The move follows political pressure regarding anti-communist sentiments in the region.