Here we have covered the most frequently asked questions. For your convenience, they are divided into several categories: you can choose the one you need or open them all one by one.
NAMES TO READ
Please go to our online databases of political terror victims ru.openlist.wiki или base.memo.ru. Here you can download as many names as you need, including names from specific categories: people from a certain geographic area or region, involved in a particular profession or religion, and so on. You can set the desired criteria in the advanced search of any of these databases.
На ru.openlist.wiki или base.memo.ru. Please go to ru.openlist.wiki or base.memo.ru. These are online databases of political terror victims with an advanced search option. Set the desired criteria in the advanced search box/section/bar/query area of the database and download the required number of names. These may be names of people from a certain geographic area or region, of a specific nationality, involved in a particular profession or religion, etc.
It is easier to recite the names in a consistent format. We recommend compiling all name cards in the following way:
- first name, patronymic and surname of the person (it is better to put the surname at the end),
- age at the time of the persecution,
- place of birth, occupation (place of study or work),
- occupation (place of study or work),
- date and place of execution.
E.g.:
Lidiya Dmitrievna Apreleva
17 years old
Born in Harbin
Nursery-school teacher
Executed in 1937 in the Smolensk Region
Sure. You can make cards with the names of your executed relatives and read them at the event along with (or instead of) other names. You can mention some additional details if you find it appropriate.
We recommend specifying details in all name cards in the following order:
- first name, patronymic and surname of the person (it is better to put the surname at the end),
- age at the time of the persecution,
- place of birth, occupation (place of study or work),
- occupation (place of study or work),
- date and place of execution.
E.g.:
Lidiya Dmitrievna Apreleva
17 years old
Born in Harbin
Nursery-school teacher
Executed in 1937 in the Smolensk Region
Typically, each participant reads out between 2 and 4 names. This number can be adjusted depending on how many people are attending the event and how long it is planned to be.
If you are organizing this event, make sure to prepare name cards and have some extra cards for those who may come unexpectedly: often more people join street events than have signed up.
If you are a participant, you can prepare the names of people who are important to you: relatives and family friends, people involved in a particular profession or religion, etc.
CITIES AND VENUES
Please check the Cities 2023 section: we are constantly updating the list of cities where the campaign is taking place. Just look for your city and join the event at the time specified.
Go to the Become an organizer section for detailed instructions and tips. Organizing an event is not that difficult, and it doesn’t have to be huge: a few people reading out the names of victims of political persecutions at a place associated with the history of terror or resistance is exactly about Returning the Names.
The action can be held at any symbolic or historical place in your city. It can be a monument to victims of political terror or a memorial place of resistance to a totalitarian regime, a mass grave or an execution site, a “Last Address” plaque, or any other memorial landmark.
After filming, be sure to email us at [email protected] with the location and name of the memorial landmark. We will include it in the credits of our October 29 broadcast.
Whether to formalize the action is up to you. In most cases it is not necessary, but it is better to check out the legislation of the country, region or city where you are planning the reading.
In Russia, for instance, the Constitution recognizes the right of citizens to hold peaceful assemblies, rallies, and demonstrations. But the federal law still requires you to notify the authorities of the planned action.
There are many ways to take part in the action in a less public way.
You can place candles, flowers or cards with the names of the executed at some memorial site in your city on October 29. You can take a photo of this place and send it to us via social media. We will post them anonymously or tag your account if you don’t mind to be mentioned.
You can record your own video of your reading and only post it on your page on any social media. You can also publish a text-only post with the names of the executed or share a family story.
Share your post with us by using the hashtag #returningthenames and tagging Memorial’s page. You can find links to all our social media in the website’s header. We will see your postings and would be happy to repost them on October 29.
You can also make a donation to support the campaign at donate.memo.ru. It is still safe to donate to Memorial even if you are in Russia. There are also options for non-Russian contributions: Memorial France account, cryptocurrencies, via PayPal.
And of course you can watch Returning the Names broadcast on October 29: it will be accessible on our website and on YouTube.
FILMING AND BROADCASTING
- The key is to shoot horizontally. Otherwise it will be very difficult for us to upload the clip for broadcast.
- Put your camera, tablet or phone on a tripod, if possible, to avoid camera shake while shooting.
- Try to set up the picture so that there are no irrelevant elements above or behind the people reading.
- The background may include a monument or city landscape, flowers and candles, or other participants in the action
- When the reading begins, please focus the camera on the face of the person who is reciting the names.
- Vertically, the person’s face should always be above the center of the frame. If you are shooting a close-up, place the face slightly up above the center of the frame. If you are taking a wide shot, position the center of the frame at waist level
- It is important to record sound well so that names can be heard on the broadcast. Please ask participants to speak clearly and loudly enough. When filming, do not move further than two meters away from the person who is reading. Use a buttonhole microphone if possible.
- Before or after the reading, you can take a follow-up shot. Capture the location of the event, participants, flowers, candles, name cards, posters, etc.
Shoot a variety of zoom plans: general shots to show the location, middle and close-ups to show faces and details.
Before-and-after shots should last at least 10 seconds. Avoid excessive panning, zooming in or out.
Please send it to [email protected]. Be sure to let us know your location and the memorial site you have chosen for the action, and we will mention it in the credits.
If you are holding your event ahead of time, please send your recording before October 25, if possible. This way we will have time to prepare your video for broadcast. If you are planning a live event on October 29 please check the next paragraph.
Going live requires some technical preparation. We have detailed recommendations for going live on October 29.
If you are planning to go live, make sure to inform us via Become an Organizer online form. We will send you all the technical guides and help you organize the process. If in doubt, email us at [email protected], and we will help you to sort it out.
It’s still very much appreciated. Every year a lot of people participate in the action without being part of our broadcast. You can post your Returning the Names video on social media.
If you don’t have time to record the reading in advance, can’t go live, prefer a different format of filming, or just want to only publish the clip on your page, share your post with us by using the hashtag #returningthenames and tagging Memorial’s account on any social media. We will see your postings and would be happy to repost them on October 29.
You can find links to all our social media in the website’s header.
And of course, you can watch the broadcast of Returnig the Names on October 29: it will be available here, on the website, and on YouTube.
That’s okay. A good solution is to post your Returning the Names video on social media. You can do it anytime on October 29.
Share your post with us by using the hashtag #returningthenames and tagging Memorial’s account on any social media. We will see your postings and would be happy to repost them on October 29.
You can find links to all our social media in the website’s header.
INFORMATION AND MEDIA
In order to spread the word about your event to as many potential participants as possible, you need to announce it well in advance. Here’s what you can do.
Create a social media page for the event. For example, a Facebook event where you can conveniently gather all interested and quickly publish updates. We have prepared several templates for you to download and adapt to your specific activity (language, date, place and time).
Cover for facebook event page | Social media cards
- Tag Memorial in a post or add us as the Event Co-Organizer so we can invite more people to join you.
- Add hashtag #returningthenames to all relevant posts to make it easier for organizers and participants from different cities and countries to follow “Returning the Names” on social media.
- Advertise the campaign in other friendly groups on social media or even in your local press.
- Print posters, postcards, or stickers for distribution. We have prepared several templates that can be downloaded and adapted to your specific event (language, date, venue and time).
Poster for printing | Stickers and postcards
Yes. This year we have prepared several templates that can be downloaded and adapted to your specific event (language, date, venue and time). Click on the desired template to download it.
Poster | Stickers and postcards | Facebook event page | Social media cards
If you need any other support with the campaign’s setup (design, translation, etc.), email us at [email protected] and we’ll try to help.
On this website and on our social media. We are doing our best to update information, e.g. in the Cities 2023 section, as quickly as possible. We regularly post guides, news, backstages, compilations and much more about Returning the Names action across our social media platforms. Please follow the hashtag #returningthenames. You can find links to all our social media in the website’s header.
Make a donation at donate.memo.ru. It is still safe to donate to Memorial even from Russia. There are also options for non-Russian contributions: Memorial France account, cryptocurrencies, via PayPal.
“Returning the Names” is a huge teamwork that involves organizing, coordinating, designing, filming, recording, and broadcasting from different locations across the world. We really need your support and any amount of contribution will be greatly appreciated.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you.