Solovetsky Forced Labour Camps & Prison 1920–1939

Inside former gulag barracks, this excellent exposition (in Russian) takes you through the different stages of the Solovetsky gulag – from punishing "counter-revoluntionary elements" and providing a slave labor force to build the infamous Belomorsky Canal, to the summary mass executions during the Great Terror of 1937–38. Bold displays are interspersed with gulag prisoner testimonies. A tour by the knowledgeable local archivist (R550) makes the visit particularly worthwhile; book at the tourist office.