Seeking 500, 000 rubles from the government so their group can open an office and assist fellow-survivors, three elderly men said they are part of the "brotherhood of the gulag" who face acute needs this winter.
"We survived the terror during the years of Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev", said Nikolai Numerov, president of the International Association of Victims of Repression.
Last winter, the organization received 310, 000 rubles for the 43, 000 gulag survivors in the Moscow area and eight tons of foodstuffs from church groups in the Canada and the United States. "This year we have nothing", Numerov said.
Numerov, a deputy in the Supreme Soviet, said he has appealed to the president's staff and the Supreme Soviet for funding for the association.
He said he sought aid through several Western embassies in Moscow and wrote to charities in Germany, Japan and France, with no response.
Yakov Konstantinovsky, a member of the association, said the group decided reluctantly to appeal to the media after realizing "we can no longer hide behind the shield of non-politics. Unfortunately, also, we are now in the habit of holding out our hand for aid".
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.