Lecture by anthropologist and gender researcher Heurodis: “The Issue of Repression and Rehabilitation of Queer Community Members in the Soviet Era”

More than 38,000 people — that’s the number of individuals convicted under Article 121 of the USSR Criminal Code during the period of criminal prosecution for “sodomy.” Unfortunately, archival data does not allow us to know how many of those convicted were punished for consensual sexual contacts and how many for sexualized violence. But fortunately, our knowledge and memory can help us engage with this past to reflect on and understand it.

Why is it important for us to remember that queer persons were also victims of the Soviet regime? What can their stories tell us and what can they teach us? And why do their names still remain unknown?

These are the questions we invite you to consider and discuss as part of the preparation for the “Return of Names” event in 2025, which will take place on October 29.