Hello curious people!

A visit to the City Museum this morning brought us closer to the history, flora and fauna of Vologda and its surroundings. Anatoli was a knowledgeable guide and I was impressed by the knowledge of both men!

During a break in the garden of the Vologda Kremlin, we learned something about how historians are treated in the region and how they work to uncover the truth about Stalinism. Anatoli told us about the repression of a scientist who researched the fate of people who were imprisoned for various reasons. His work was disrupted by the secret service, his archive and computer were confiscated, and he was sued. Through effective collaboration between foreign journalists and local support, the professor was at least released from a three-year prison sentence...

This showed us how difficult it is to work on history and memory in this country. And at the same time, individual family stories also play a significant role in the context of memory. As my dad says, without addressing and confronting history, we won't know where we come from or what we can build on as a society. Without conversation and mutual forgiveness, societies cannot establish a foundation for neutral encounters and honest exchanges.

After such a deep exploration, we went for lunch. The afternoon was very quiet and relaxed. We took care of the things necessary for our charity campaign. Anatoli contacted the principal of a school in Jawenga, the neighboring village of Voshega, and the school authority in Voshega. Next Tuesday, we will visit both places. After that, our paths initially separated - Anatoli went home and we went to the supermarket. We had a picnic in our hotel room. We ended the day with an evening walk.