Participants of "Memorial" contest report pressure

The participants of the contest for high school pupils "The Man in History; Russia – the 20^th Century", which is annually held by the International "Memorial", faced pressure in the form of intimidation and suspicious questions, said the participants and organizers of the contest.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that since 1990 the International "Memorial" is holding its above annual contest of research works for senior school pupils. This year, the contest received 1993 works from 78 regions of Russia. The jury selected 43 best works, whose authors were invited to Moscow with their teachers. Today, the winners received their awards.

A member of the Astrakhan delegation has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on condition of anonymity that one of the contestants was asked "strange questions" by the teacher. The delegation believes that "they made conclusions, and someone telephoned to the school."

The teachers, engaged in the contest, are "very frightened," Oksana Mikhailova, a member of the International “Memorial”, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"I’ve just spoken to our teacher, she is our coordinator; she is afraid; and they did not send their contest participants; there was a terrible scandal, and it’s unclear what the end will be there," Ms Mikhailova has concluded.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.