The statue was unveiled on June 12 , 1996 with the help of the Russian government and financial contributions from seven Russian cities , including Magadan . The design was created by the sculptor Ernst Neizvestny , whose parents fell victim to the Stalinist purges of the 1930s ; the monument was constructed by Kamil Kazaev . The mask stands 15 metres high and takes up 56 cubic metres of space
Stalinist purges
Great Purge
Mask of Sorrow