R 281331Z JUL 09
FM AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1310
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 
AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 
AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 
AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG

UNCLAS YEKATERINBURG 000046 
 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/RUS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SCUL RS
SUBJECT: PILORAMA ROCKS THE GHOSTS OF THE GULAG 
 
REF: YEKATERINBURG 42 
 
Sensitive.  Not for Internet Distribution. 
 
        ¶1.  (U) Summary:  Frequent showers during the weekend of 
July 25-27 did not dampen the spirits of an estimated crowd of 
6,000 to 9,000 people who attended the 5th annual Pilorama Civic 
Forum held on the site of the Perm-36 Memorial Museum, located 
90 kilometers from Perm.  From Friday evening through Sunday, 
the former GULag camp, which held political prisoners until 
1988, was the site of discussions that delved into the history 
of political repression, the future of civil society in Russia, 
and the role of human rights in the world today.  A wide variety 
of theatrical and musical performances made the event culturally 
relevant for the majority of young attendees.  International 
participants came from UNHCR's Moscow office, Poland, Germany, 
Hungary, Finland, and the U.S.  CG participated in the opening 
ceremony and contributed a performance of American music on the 
main stage.  End summary. 
 
        History, Human Rights, and Rock and Roll 
        --------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
        ¶2.  (SBU) The wonder of Pilorama - named for the former 
saw mill where inmates worked in the "industrial zone" of the 
camp - derives from the incongruity of hosting a celebration of 
human rights on territory that had been built to punish those 
who deviated from Soviet political conformity. Perhaps even more 
remarkable is that every year, the festival draws former "zeks" 
to participate, including former Soviet dissident Sergey 
Kovalev, who did time in Perm-36.  Yuliy Kim, one of the great 
bards of the dissident era and Adam Michnik, a leader in the 
Polish student/worker protest movement of the late sixties and 
seventies and later a key "Solidarity" figure, were also present 
to lend first hand credibility to the discussions.  Stars such 
as Russian rock legend Yuriy Shevchuk and 
singer-songwriter-journalist Natella Boltyanska, who hosts a 
program on Ekho Moskvy, brought the house down with their 
bravura performances on the outdoor stage. 
 
        Pilorama Comes of Age 
        ------------------------------ 
 
        ¶3.  (SBU) Modest in its origins in 2005 as a gathering of 
activists and veterans of the human rights movement, Pilorama 
can no longer be described as a small underground "happening." 
With Russian Federation Ombudsman Vladimir Lukin lending his 
prestige and Perm Kray governor Oleg Chirkunov dropping by on 
Saturday afternoon, the festival is on the verge of becoming a 
bona fide event of major cultural and political significance. 
That said, there was no federal news coverage of the festival 
and local coverage was low-key and not particularly positive. 
Flamboyant Perm Kray Minister of Culture Boris Milgram and the 
region's dedicated human rights Ombudswoman Tatyana Margolina 
both took time from their busy organizational duties for lengthy 
one-on-one conversations with the CG. 
 
        Russia's Woodstock in Miniature 
        ----------------------------------------- 
 
        ¶4.  (SBU) The crowd far exceeded estimates of expected 
attendance.  Rain turned an extensive tent city with a couple of 
thousand mostly young campers into a muddy, beer-fueled but 
generally well-behaved mass party that resembled a mini Russian 
Woodstock.  Festival goers gave no clear answer to the question 
of whether Russian youth knows or cares about the history of the 
GULag.  A great many people just came for the music and the 
camping.  But young people participated in the discussions, 
showed avid interest in the exhibits and gave the impression 
that some segments of Russian youth are aware of this history 
and are interested in exploring the meaning of democracy and 
asserting their rights.  Anna Pastukhova, leader of 
Yekaterinburg's Memorial affiliate, commented that the beauty of 
Pilorama is its cumulative educational effect.  Even those who 
came just for the party atmosphere were bound to have absorbed 
something of the political and social context of the event. 
 
        Only in Perm? 
        ----------------- 
 
        ¶5.  (SBU) Much has been written about the atmosphere of 
tolerance that differentiates Perm Kray from its neighbors (see 
reftel).  Minister Milgram's ambitious and controversial 
"cultural revolution" is in the process of transforming the city 
into a contemporary bearer of its rich cultural legacy. 
Meanwhile, Ms. Margolina claimed success in implementing 
programs that protect the disadvantaged by influence and 
cooperation instead of confrontation, solidifying Perm's 
reputation as a region where people know how to compromise, a 
skill that is often lacking elsewhere in the Russian political 
scene.  Pilorama is emblematic of this atmosphere and stands as 
a rare example of Russians openly attempting to come to grips 
with this tragic aspect of their history. 
 
        International participation 
        -------------------------------- 
 
        ¶6.  (SBU) International displays included an exhibit on 
Auschwitz-Birkenau and a retrospective of the films of Andrej 
Wajda.  The Moscow-based UNHCR representative participated in 
the discussions and an aging Hungarian rocker got the crowd 
moving.   Accompanying himself on guitar, CG performed a 
warmly-received 20 minute program of American music that 
included a rendition of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," complete 
with audience participation.  As the German CG said as she 
opened a photo exhibit commemorating the 20th anniversary of the 
fall of the Berlin Wall, "Twenty years ago, who would have 
expected that an American diplomat would be singing "Route 66" 
on a stage in a former GULag camp?"  Post plans to follow up on 
the suggestion of Perm-36 deputy director Tatyana Kurzina to 
invite a U.S. human rights expert or an American musical group 
to participate in next year's event. 
 
 
SANDUSKY