Communist Party officials from Sverdlovsk and Moscow—Viktor Tsarikhin and Alexander Ivachev—have formally requested an investigation into the Yeltsin Center in Yekaterinburg by submitting an appeal to Russia’s Investigative Committee, as reported by 7x7 journalists.
The CPRF representatives cited "numerous" public complaints alleging that the museum’s exhibits "severely misrepresent historical legacy." They argue that the displays contain "inaccurate and biased information" designed to tarnish the Soviet Union and its leaders.
Among the most contentious claims, Tsarikhin and Ivachev highlighted the museum’s assertion that "roughly 20 million people were processed through the Gulag system between 1929 and 1953." The Communists insist this figure lacks archival or scholarly support and serves to "vilify the USSR."
Additionally, they accuse the exhibition of potentially violating Article 354.1 of Russia’s Criminal Code ("Rehabilitation of Nazism") by drawing comparisons between the USSR and Nazi Germany, including labeling the Gulag a "killing machine."
The complainants also took issue with displays attributing mass repression, brutality, and a "Jesuitical sense of humor" to Joseph Stalin, arguing such descriptions violate museum ethics and amount to political agitation.
This marks the latest in a series of controversies surrounding the Yeltsin Center in 2024. In late May, State Duma member Mikhail Delyagin called for an inspection of the institution. Earlier this year, multiple events were canceled following objections from pro-war activists. In June, presidential envoy Artem Zhoga announced plans to host a "Patriots of the Urals" volunteer forum at the center to promote a "more patriotic" agenda.