In Russia there are several high-security and special-security prisons that terrify prisoners.
One of the most famous is the Black Dolphin colony, which is located in Sol-Iletsk, Orenburg region.
There is an assumption that there is another prison in Siberia with a similar name - the Black Hills prison.
Where is it located and does a correctional colony with that name even exist in Russia?
general information
- Official name: FKU IK-6 Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia for the Orenburg region.
- Telephone:
- Opening hours: daily from 09:00 to 21:00, break from 13:00 to 15:00.
- Management: chief - Sergei Nikolaevich Baldin, deputy chiefs - medical director - Yuri Viktorovich Pavlov, head of the security department - Igor Nikolaevich Duvanov, head of the center - Pyotr Nikolaevich Startsev.
- How many people are in prison: 700 prisoners.
- Address: Orenburg region, Sol-Iletsk, st. Sovetskaya, 6.
Prison on the map:
History of the prison
The object appeared in the middle of the 18th century. At this time, exiled convicts were sent here for hard work. In particular, they were engaged in salt fishing. Only from the beginning of the 20th century did the institution become a transit prison. During the Revolution it was changed to a concentration camp.
Afterwards, it was first in the possession of the NKVD, and then the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since 1965, prisoners with tuberculosis were brought to the colonies.
And only at the beginning of the 21st century the prison was repurposed for life-sentenced prisoners. A global reconstruction was carried out:
- new cameras appeared;
- tracking systems have been installed;
- Several additional checkpoints were erected.
Why is the prison called "Black Dolphin"?
IMPORTANT! The prison was named that way because there is a black dolphin statue in the courtyard. What is curious is that none of the convicts can see her, since the walk takes place blindfolded.
The last monastery for life-sentenced prisoners
"Black Dolphin" is a special regime correctional colony for life-sentenced criminals. The main name of the correctional institution is IK No. 6 of the Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service of the Russian Federation for the Orenburg Region.
In what city does the Black Dolphin exist? This abode of evil is located in a very beautiful place - the city of Sol-Iletsk. This is a city in the Orenburg region, surrounded by steppes, on the border with the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Near the colony there is the healing lake Razval, known throughout Russia for its beneficial properties. Recently, local authorities have even created medical and health complexes there for numerous tourists.
But if some people go to Sol-Iletsk to improve their health and breathe clean air, others go there on a convict basis - to serve a sentence for the most terrible crimes in history.
Among the special regime colonies for life prisoners, “Black Dolphin” is the most numerous. It houses about 900 prisoners.
Approximately the same number of citizens work in a correctional institution to maintain safety there.
After all, the convicts of the “Black Dolphin” are the most dangerous criminals, ready to escape or attack the guards at any time.
History: from Emelyan Pugachev to the present day
The decision to create a prison in the Orenburg region was made by Tsarina Catherine II, who in 1773 successfully overcame the peasant uprisings led by Emelyan Pugachev.
Quite a few robbers were caught, and the prisons were sorely insufficient to contain them. And Orenburg at that time was a young city, which was not located at a very convenient territorial distance and which no one was in a hurry to develop.
Afterwards, a transit prison was created in Sol-Iletsk, in which those convicts who were sent to prison were kept for a short time.
During the Soviet regime, since 1965, there was a “hospital” there for convicts suffering from tuberculosis. They spent their last days in it before their death.
Until 2007, the “Black Dolphin” was called YUK-25/6 . Today the prison is designed for 1,600 people and almost half of it is empty. On average, there are 4-5 corpses for each convict.
Dolphin analogy
Why is IK-6 called that? The zone acquired its name thanks to a small, neat sculpture located in the courtyard of the prison.
This is a black dolphin, surrounded in a circle with decorative stones, and functionally plays the role of a fountain. The fountain sculpture with a black dolphin was installed in 1996.
Moreover, the prison acquired its special status only 4 years later. The name “Black Dolphin” does not have any special meaning, perhaps only a hidden subtext.
Photo
See below for photos of the Black Dolphin prison in Sol-Iletsk:
White Swan Prison
In the White Swan prison, people convicted of especially serious crimes - murderers, rapists, members of gangsters, leaders of organized crime groups - serve their sentences. A special regime zone has been created for those sentenced to life imprisonment. Murderers and maniacs are sitting in two buildings and in the premises of the same EPKT where they used to “press” thieves in law. According to statistics, for every person sentenced to life, on average, there are three ruined souls.
Photo of the White Swan prison
In the cells of the “White Swan”, convicts for life are imprisoned in groups of one, two or three. Each block with two cameras has dossier cards: photos, articles, a short “biography”. The administration, having studied the “state of mind” of the prisoners, resettles them based on psychological compatibility. An opinion on this matter is given by a professional psychologist. On Fridays, prisoners take a shower, and if they wish, they are taken out for a walk every day, which lasts one hour. The exercise yard is the same chambers, only located one floor higher, on the roof. It's light, cool and fresh there. “Lifers” are not allowed to work; they are constantly in the field of view of the institution’s staff. They cannot study by correspondence in educational institutions. With the permission of the administration, they can only engage in self-education.
The regime on the “White Swan” is one of the toughest. So, if a security department employee lifts the “inspection valve” on a heavy iron door, then the inmates in striped uniforms jump out of their seats - they stand facing the wall, their legs apart, their hands pressed to the wall with their palms outward, and they will stand like this until the “valve” will not go down.
Colony "White Swan"
When a lifer dies, a telegraphic notification is sent to his relatives on the same day. If within three days they do not take the body or do not confirm by telephone message that they will bury the prisoner themselves, then the deceased is buried in the city cemetery. After a “official” burial, relatives can rebury the body in their homeland.
For the entire time the colony has existed, not a single case of successful escape has happened here. It is believed that today it is simply impossible to escape from the White Swan. There are powerful barriers, fences, and barbed wire all around. The zone security has more than 50 well-trained dogs and special equipment. Monitoring cameras for living and inanimate objects are located along the entire perimeter of the colony. Modern television equipment allows you to easily observe the entire territory.
Features of the prison
All contacts between convicts are excluded. Each cell can accommodate from one to four people.
Particularly dangerous prisoners are kept in solitary confinement for their entire lives.
The lights are on 24/7 and there is video surveillance every minute.
If a prisoner leaves his cell, he is searched by a staff member with a dog.
Rise is at 6 am, lights out at 10 pm. It is prohibited to sit or lie down on the bed. When a prisoner is transferred to another building, he is blindfolded. This is done so that the layout of the colony cannot be remembered.
In the most terrible prison in the world, “Black Dolphin,” there are sewing and shoe workshops. No one here will be able to live according to thieves’ laws right away. Those who try to boycott any demands are placed in isolation wards. For entertainment, listen to the radio for 30 minutes every day.
Life in a special regime colony
The colony contains especially dangerous criminals who have killed a large number of victims, rapists of children and women, cannibals and leaders of criminal gangs. Conditions in prison are, of course, particularly harsh.
Convicts are housed in cells for 2-4 people, and some of them are strictly in solitary confinement. Each of them has a space of 4.5 square meters.
Before convicts are moved to their cells, psychologists work with them. This is necessary so that the cellmates fit each other as well as possible and do not show aggression. By the way, the most famous cannibal Nikolaev is sitting in a cell all alone.
In addition, the Black Dolphin colony has a number of other features:
- The lights are on in the cells day and night;
- Video filming is carried out around the clock;
- Every 15 minutes the guards make their rounds;
- Each chamber is surrounded on the inside by bars;
- One convict is escorted by three guards and one dog handler with a dog;
- When convicts move within the colony, their eyes are tightly covered with bandages or bags;
- Walks are carried out in special boxes;
- Complete smoking ban.
For the first 10 years, convicts are subject to a special regime. They are only entitled to 2 short-term visits. If during this time no violations of order were recorded on the part of the convicted person, he receives the right to long-term visits.
Only after 15 years of serving his sentence can he be transferred from special to strict regime.
Theoretically, a high-security criminal has the right to be released on parole after his request is granted. However, in fact, in 2022 this is only an illusory hope.
The judges have an unequivocal conviction on this matter - to reject all petitions. But according to statistics, most of those held in the “Black Dolphin” still hope to be released on parole.
Severe daily routine
Every day spent in a colony for lifers is a test. The prison staff does not show any respect, concessions or sympathy for them.
After all, these people should have been shot if a moratorium on the death penalty had not been imposed in the country.
Every day in the colony we wake up at 6 am. No one has the right to sit or lie down after 6 a.m. until lights out. You have to spend the whole day on your feet.
The daily routine of a particularly dangerous criminal looks something like this:
- 6.00 – rise and wash;
- 6.30 – tomorrow, radio;
- 7.15 – providing access to sockets for shaving or boiling water;
- 9.00 – examination by a doctor;
- 10.00 – walk;
- 13.00 – lunch;
- 18.00 – dinner;
- 22.00 – lights out.
The rest of the time, convicts work. On the territory of the prison there are several workshops for sewing, carpentry and cinder block production.
Convicts can receive a TV from relatives, but the number of channels they can watch is strictly limited. Advertising is cut out, leaving only news, movies and sports TV shows.
Who is sitting in the "Black Dolphin"?
“Black Dolphin” is a prison for life sentences and more . In addition to them, convicts held under general regime are serving their sentences within the prison walls.
Those who behave well are transferred to a strict regime . Their daily routine and conditions of detention change slightly. By the way, one of the convicts once took advantage of this relief and escaped.
When did the prisoner escape?
In 2016, news leaked to the media about how an escape was made from the harshest prison.
The story achieved resonance due to the fact that all citizens are aware of the special conditions of detention in this prison, and it is clear how it was necessary to contrive in order to escape from the “Black Dolphin”.
Everything turned out to be much simpler. A certain convict, Aleksandrov, was serving a 5.5-year sentence in a colony for robbery. He was kept under lenient conditions of detention.
While working in a cinder block workshop, he escaped, although at that time he only had a few months left to sit.
Aleksandrov was quickly caught free and returned to serving his sentence, but under stricter conditions of detention.
The most dangerous criminals of the Black Dolphin
In this prison, if he is not convicted, he is a particularly dangerous criminal. The number of victims of these people sometimes amounts to tens of people.
Here is a list of those who ended up in custody in this correctional institution for the atrocities they committed:
- Vladimir Nikolaev is the same famous cannibal who killed and ate 2 people;
- Akhmed Ismailov - terrorist who blew up the government house in Chechnya, killing 83 people;
- Oleg Rylkov is a rapist and murderer who took the lives of 4 people and committed 37 rapes;
- Radik Galiakberov – head of the organized crime group “Hadi Taktash”;
- Vladimir Mukhankin – killer of 8 people;
- Sergei Shipilov – killer of 12 women.
In addition, several thieves in law were imprisoned in the Black Dolphin. Among them are Gorgidze, Oniani, Shurik Marimukha and Kommunyai.
What is "Black Dolphin"? “Black Dolphin” is the most terrible prison in Russia. Dangerous criminals, bloodthirsty killers and maniacs serve their sentences there. Among them there is even a man who raped and killed his six-month-old daughter.
The history of each crime of a convicted person in this colony instills fear and horror in the heads and souls of even seasoned investigators and judges.
These people pose a huge danger to society and should be isolated forever in a place where only a sculpture of a dolphin can please their eyes.
Video: Black Dolphin Prison
How can I send a letter to this prison?
All letters are sent to the address: 461505 Orenburg region, Sol-Iletsk, st. Sovetskaya, 6, FKU IK-6. The recipient's full name must be indicated.
It is worth understanding that all correspondence is subject to strict censorship, therefore it is not allowed to write anything prohibited, as well as obscenities. We talked in more detail about what you can write in letters and what you can’t in this article.
Where is Black Hills Prison located?
The film, of course, does not indicate the exact address of the Black Hills prison, since it does not exist at all.
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The real IC “Black Dolphin” is located in the city of Sol-Iletsk, Orenburg region of the Russian Federation. The documentary film “Journey to a Model Prison” tells in detail about the conditions of detention there. Also, the life of this prison is reflected in the series “Game. Revenge".
The similarities between “Black Dolphin” and the “Black Hills” prison, fictional by American screenwriters, are minimal. The colony shown in the movie does not correspond at all to any Russian prison regime and is a collective fictional image.
The key difference between the “Black Dolphin” is the total subordination of the prisoners and the absence of any connections between them and the administration of the colony. Therefore, holding sporting events like those shown in the film is generally impossible in this prison.
