The Moscow Times reported that about 50 people gathered in Amsterdam on Thursday for an annual reading of victims of Soviet political repression, an event organizers linked to repression in Russia today.
The official listing scheduled the reading at Frederiksplein from 1 to 3 p.m. ET (18:00-20:00 CET). Local organizers said participants could read prepared names in Russian, Dutch or English, and noted a nearby memorial to Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny.
The Moscow Times reported that attendees took cards from volunteers and read names into a microphone. Nikolai Epple, a writer and historical-memory researcher who has organized the Amsterdam event since 2022, told the outlet that reluctance among Russians to attend public events contributed to the turnout.
Polina, a 37-year-old psychologist whose surname The Moscow Times withheld, said reading a victim’s name restored recognition to that person. She said it gave them back “the right to be named.”
The initiative’s history page says its first reading was held in Moscow in 2007, as the 70th anniversary of the Great Terror approached. Organizers chose Oct. 29 because it falls on the eve of Russia’s Oct. 30 day of remembrance for victims of political repression.
The Amsterdam venue also carries a Dutch history. The Dutch Resistance Museum describes Walraven van Hall as a resistance leader executed by German occupiers in 1945.
The reading is no longer formally affiliated with Memorial, The Moscow Times reported. On April 9, 2026, Russia’s Supreme Court said it had designated the international public movement Memorial an extremist organization and banned its activities in Russia.
The initiative’s livestream page said readings were planned in more than 100 cities this year, and Novaya Gazeta Europe reported that the event took place in more than 100 cities. The initiative’s website says 150 cities took part in 2025.
