The Museum of Death as an Institution of Memory: The Museumified Past and Modern Memorial Practices

Abstract

The article attempts to explore and interpret the Museum of World Funeral Culture in Novosibirsk, Russia, as an institution of memory and particular space that is instrumental in shaping new memorial practices. The social mission of the museum’s administration and staff, as they see it, is restoring the traditions of funeral culture in Russia and helping to develop a new culture of commemoration. What exactly is the past that the museum wishes to invoke, and how does it appear reified in the museum’s display halls? How do personal memories and the memory as part of the country’s cultural heritage manage to go along within the museum walls? Finally, what memorial and commemorative practices are being shaped and developed within these walls? These are the questions the article tries to address.