The Museum Visitor Book as a Means of Public Dialogue about the Gulag Past: The Case of the Solovki Museum

Abstract

There is common agreement that history museums are deeply engaged in transforming history into identity, because they create a public space where “personal, private or autobiographical narratives come into contact with larger-scale, collective or national narratives in mutually inter-animating ways.”1 It is thus very important to establish how museums affect the visitor’s memory and perception of the past on display. Visitor books in museums, where visitors can share their feedback and impressions of exhibitions, offer a space to present their views on the issues discussed in the exhibition.2 Moreover, they confirm that visitors are not mute observers but active participants in a public dialogue.3 As a specific source, visitor books do not offer