International Memorial was founded in 1992 in Moscow. Its predecessor, Moscow initiative group Memorial, emerged in 1987 and gave rise to a number of regional organisations and groups. In 1989 they all united under the name of All-Union Voluntary History and Education Society Memorial (registered in 1990). Andrey Sakharov was one of the organisers and the first honored chair of Memorial Society.

International Memorial is a non-governmental association, it does not aim at profit generation and does not distribute gained profit between its members.