WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, a nonprofit authorized by Congress in 1993, announced the opening of its new “Victims of Communism Museum” Monday.
The group said the museum will be used to memorialize “the more than 100 million people murdered by communist regimes.”
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“The Victims of Communism Museum is a place to remember the global crimes of communism, past and present,” said foundation Chairman Edwin Feulner. “Through our efforts, we will strive to bring about a world free from the false hope of communism and to reinforce and promote the values of individual liberty, a free economy, the rule of law, democratic self-government and human rights.”
The foundation stated the museum will be the first of its kind globally to discuss the history of communism and its current influence across Europe, Asia and South America.
According to the foundation, the museum stretches more than 9,000 square feet, with its first floor hosting three main galleries about communist history that visitors can walk through.
“Beginning with the collapse of the Soviet Union in December of 1991, people began to quickly forget the legacy of communism and the sway it held over millions of people around the world,” said foundation co-founder Lee Edwards. “Communist ruling parties still control a fifth of the world’s population, and we opened this museum to serve as both a memorial to those who died from it and a beacon of hope for those who resist it.”
The museum opened its doors to the general public at McPherson Square in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit the organization’s website here.