The Serbsky State Scientific Center for Social and Forensic Psychiatry, which was founded in 1921 in Moscow for purposes of diagnosing convicts and studying specific psychiatric disorders and remains operational to this day, has had a long and rocky past. It become a sinister symbol of authoritarianism during the Soviet period, when the state used it as a means to control opposition: for example, many dissidents were declared mentally ill, sent to the Serbsky Center for diagnosis, and then involuntary sent to hospitals for treatment. The most common diagnosis was of "sluggish schizophrenia", so-named by Center director Andrei Snezhnevsky. Supposedly, victims would suffer schizophrenia but only such that it affected their social ability. Thus, radical ideas about truth and justice were explained as a consequence of disorder-related paranoia, and dissidents were neatly wiped from the government's plate.
In the modern era, there has been no acknowledgement nor apology for the way these cases were handled. Even worse, it is still used as an instrument of power by the state, although more covertly. Throughout the 2000s, many people "inconvenient" for the Russian state were diagnosed at the Serbsky Center and then sent to psychiatric hospitals. In 2006, the Serbsky Center made an evaluation of the then-recent alleged mass-poisoning of Chechen school children, and declared that the disease was caused by "psycho-emotional tension."
The Serbsky Center's continued relevance in Russia is evident based on the creative endeavors of Petr Pavlensky, well-known protest artist. He made a deliberate reference to political abuse of psychiatry in a performance titled Segregation, in which he cut off his earlobe while sitting naked on the roof of the Serbsky Center. Following a recent performance in which he set the doors of the FSB HQ on fire, he was sent to the Serbsky Center himself for a 21-day examination during the pretrial period. Though he was declared sane, the continued presence of the Serbsky Center in Russia's political horizon represents a haunting vestige of authoritarian control, and it should be paid due attention.
Here is some more information on Petr Pavlensky and the Serbsky Center:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbsky_Center
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petr_Pavlensky
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/world/europe/pyotr-pavlensky-is-said-to-be-sent-for-psychiatric-evaluation.html
http://observer.com/2016/01/soviet-throwback-dissident-russian-artist-sent-for-psychiatric-treatment/
https://www.hrw.org/tet/node/286840
No comments:
Post a Comment