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The main buildings of the first camp area ITK-6 under Molotov administration of reformatory camps and labor settlements (since 1972 – ITK-389/36, or Perm-36) were constructed in Kutchino village of the Tchusovskoy region in 1940s during the era of Stalin’s GULAG. In 1946 among the buildings there were 4 barracks, a bath-house, an infirmary, and a punishment detention ward. In 1948-1951 a garage, several repair shops, a forge, and an administrative building were added in order to maintain the camp equipment: motor vehicles and tractors. In 1950s these buildings became a part of the camp work area which adjoined the residential area (constructed back in 1946). In 1950 a woodworking shop was erected on the territory of the camp lower storehouse located half a kilometer (0.3 miles) away from the main area. The shop was rebuilt several times. In 1979 it was refurbished into a special treatment detention block for keeping dangerous recidivists of “the highly dangerous State criminals”. All the buildings were made of wood, so thoroughly soon they became unfit for use. The camp head’s report of 1952 stated that the deterioration of most buildings reached 30-40%. GULAG camps were mostly made up of temporary buildings aimed for certain work tasks, either for constructing industrial plants, railroads and motorways, or for logging. After the construction or the chopping down was finished, the camp was closed down or relocated. For this reason, camp buildings were wearing out quickly since they were made of cheap off-test wood. Wooden constructions of Perm-36 camp are close to 60 years old. They were restored several times, but as time went by they became so ramshackle that in 70-80 two of four barracks had to be destroyed. The camp was closed down in 1988, and after that the neglected buildings were gradually demolished. The camp restoration and conservation works began in 1994. Today they are carried out by the camp’s own construction team. The materials used for this purpose - logs, beams, and planks – are all of original production, which includes logging and sawing. Since 1994, the following camp buildings have been restored and reconstructed for museum purposes: a barrack and the duty checkpoint of the special treatment area; the infirmary, the administration quarters, a barrack and the lavatory in the residential area of the high security camp area; the garage and the diesel electric power plant in the high security work area, as well as fragments of the security and barbed-wire entanglements. Special treatment detention block The building of the detention block was constructed in 1956 as a wood-working shop with a power-saw bench and wood-working machines inside. In 1979, the shop was reconstructed into a special treatment barrack. In 1988-1994 the building was desolate. Restoration works began in 1994-1995. Due to the lack of funds, the barrack was restored only partially, which included the floor, the windows and the doors. The interior of residential and work cells was restored as well. Reconstruction works continued in 2003: the roofing, the ceiling, and rotten fragments of the walls were changed. During the works a fire hit the building, so reconstruction is still going on.
High security detention block It is the only remaining barrack of the four built in 1946. Actually, it is the only remaining in The barrack was restored in 1999-2001. Today the barrack serves as the place for expositions and exhibitions on the history of political repression and GULAG. Administrative building of the high security area (the quarters) This brick building was erected in the place of an old barrack (constructed in 1946) in 1972 when the camp was turned into a place for keeping political prisoners. After the camp’s close down, the building was greatly destroyed. Its reconstruction took place in 1999-2000. Now the building serves as the museum office premises and a show-room.
Camp entanglements After the camp’s close down, its security and barbed-wire entanglements were completely destroyed in the special treatment area, and partially destroyed in the high security area. By now special treatment area entanglements have been mostly reconstructed. As for high security area, reconstruction works are still taking place.
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