In 1932-1942, those shot in Syktyvkar before, during and after the Great Terror were buried in a forested area on the outskirts of the city, near the Nizhny Chov suburb (next to the Syktyvkar-Yezhva Highway). In the 1970s there was a gravel quarry there. Its workers testified that they repeatedly came across human remains when they were excavating there. Now the burial area is covered with bushes and young mixed forest. Because of the frequent road accidents nearby, the place has been nicknamed the “Valley of Death”, its fatal reputation popularly linked to the burials of those executed in the Soviet period.
In 2001, a wooden memorial cross was erected with a text on its headboard: “This cross, erected in a place of mass repression in the 1930s, is dedicated to the memory of the innocent slain”. The cross was consecrated by Bishop Pitirim of Syktyvkar and Vorkuta. In October 2011, a symbolic cupola was built over the cross. In 2013, a memorial to the Warriors of the Komi-Zyransk Region was placed next to the chapel.
Repentance: the Komi Republic Martyrology of the Victims of Mass Political Repression (11 vols. 1998-2016), includes biographical entries on about 60,000 shot or sent to the camps.
The Memorial online database (2021) lists 2,362 who were shot in Komi during the Great Terror; most were prisoners from Ukhtpechlag.
| Date | Nature of ceremonies | Organiser or responsible person | Participants | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
24-26 Aug.
|
Religious procession in memory of all priests, monks, nuns and parishioners, "Slain Innocents" who suffered for their belief in Christ
|
Father Alexander (Nikitenko), incumbent of the Church of the Nativity in Nizhny Chov
|
Priests and parishioners
|
Yearly since 2012
|
|
30 Oct.
|
Remembrance Day for the Victims of Political Repression
|
nk
|
Public, Association of Victims of Political Repression
|
From time to time
|
|
nk
|
Commemorative masses, Excursions
|
nk
|
nk
|
From time to time
|
| State of burials | Area | Boundaries |
|---|---|---|
|
Have not survived
|
not established
|
not delineated
|
[ original texts and hyperlinks ]
Rogachev, M.B., “Syktyvkar: Remembering the Terror” (manuscript), Syktyvkar, 2009
“A memorial chapel to those innocent victims, who perished during the years of repression”, website of the Syktyvkar / Yezhva diocese [retrieved on 26 May 2022]
“Believers honour memory of the victims of political repression in Syktyvkar’s Valley of Death”, BNK Information Agency, 30 October 2011 [retrieved on 26 May 2022]
*
Reply from the Komi Republic Ministry of Culture (No 06-17-1230 of 30 April 2014) to a formal enquiry by RIC Memorial (St Petersburg)
