Exploring ALZHIR Through Dark Tourism Lenses: Representations, Commemoration and Emotions

Aigerim Assylkhanova (), Gyula Nagy and Lajos Boros ()
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Aigerim Assylkhanova: Department of Human Geography, University of Szeged, Egyetem u. 2, 6722 Szeged, Hungary
Gyula Nagy: Department of Human Geography, University of Szeged, Egyetem u. 2, 6722 Szeged, Hungary
Lajos Boros: Department of Human Geography, University of Szeged, Egyetem u. 2, 6722 Szeged, Hungary

Tourism and Hospitality, 2025, vol. 6, issue 4, 1-20

Abstract: Dark tourism sites serve as powerful spaces where history, memory, and emotion intersect, shaping both individual experiences and collective narratives. The aim of this paper is to investigate how dark tourism narratives are constructed around post-Soviet memory and gendered suffering. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including content analysis of media sources (2013–2023), semiotic analysis of brochures and promotional materials, and survey data with Likert and open-ended questions ( n = 250) collected via QR codes in 2023. ALZHIR (Akmolinski Lager Zhen Izmennikov Rodiny) is predominantly portrayed as a symbol of Soviet repression and gendered trauma. Media visibility remains limited due to geographic isolation, while museum narratives emphasize resilience and national unity. ALZHIR functions both as a commemorative and political space, blending authentic storytelling with state narratives. This study contributes to the international dark tourism literature by highlighting the transformative role of emotion, the politicization of memory in post-Soviet states, and the underexplored dimension of gendered suffering.

Keywords: ALZHIR; dark tourism; Soviet repression; gendered suffering; Kazakhstan; emotional engagement; post-socialist memory; visitor perception; historical justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Z3 Z30 Z31 Z32 Z33 Z38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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