Kresty Prison - Saint Petersburg

12/01/20 • 22 min

Over the last century, Saint Petersburg's Kresty Prison has been home to some of Russia’s most famous political activists, authors, poets, and scientists. The red brick walls on the banks of the Neva house 200 years of stories of oppression, brutality, and torture. However, more recent stories reveal an institution, with an already bleak reputation, only worsening in the last two decades under an increasingly authoritarian Russia.

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Butyrka Prison - Moscow

In the center of Moscow lies a prison infamous for the inhumane treatment of inmates. Since its first incarnation 250 years ago, Butyrka Prison has been home to a long history of harsh living conditions, human rights violations, and spectacular escape attempts. While long notorious within Russia, in 2009, the death of Sergei Magnitsky brought global attention to Butyrka and became a focal point of rising international tensions between Russia and the West.

Russian Limbo - Kresty Prison - Saint Petersburg

Transcript

Matthew Orr 0:00
Have you ever been to a detention facility? I haven't. But I have an idea of what to expect three meals a day books exercise in the fresh air and conversations with cellmates. It's like an indoor summer camp. But the people and living conditions are far harsher. And you don't necessarily get to go home at the end of summer.
Hello, everyone. This is Russian Limbo, a podcast about some of Russia's most notorious pretrial detention facilities, or more simply jails. These i