Sculpture in the courtyard of the prison - a black golden eagle holds a snake's head in its claws
Six hundred kilometers from Yekaterinburg is one of the most terrible prisons in Russia, officially called IK-56 GUFSIN of Russia for the Sverdlovsk region, and popularly called the Black Golden Eagle prison .
Those sentenced to long terms live not in cells but in barracks (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
Common criminals don't go here. All prisoners of the Black Golden Eagle have a whole “baggage” of especially serious crimes behind them. It is impossible to meet here a person sentenced to less than 20 years. The entire contingent is serving long or life sentences. Because of this, the territory of the special regime colony is divided into two parts. One contains those sentenced to long prison terms for serious crimes, the other houses those sentenced to life imprisonment.
Kidnapper and murderer of children, sentenced to a long term in the Black Golden Eagle (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
In the mid-2000s, many prisoners lived here who were sentenced back in Soviet times to execution, which was later canceled and replaced with a term of 20 years in prison.
Serial killer in the Black Golden Eagle prison (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
It is worth noting that the colony began functioning back in 1935, when the first stage of prisoners arrived here and were sentenced to death. Later during the war there were many such stages, and the special regime colony acquired a bad reputation during the Gulag.
Where is the Black Berkut prison located?
General information:
- phones, +7 (34386) 2-12-67;
- Opening hours: applications, letters and parcels are accepted on certain days of the month until 16:00;
- official website : no;
- Chief : Colonel of the Internal Service Dadashov Subkhan Dadashbala ogly;
- official name : FKU IK-56 OUHD GUFSIN of Russia for the Sverdlovsk region;
- how many people are in the colony : 260 people are being held;
- address : 24579, Sverdlovsk region, Ivdel, Lozvinsky village, st. Truda, 7.
Colony in the Sverdlovsk region
In the vast expanses of the Ural taiga there is one of the most terrible penitentiary institutions in the Russian Federation - FKU IK - 56 , popularly called the “Black Golden Eagle”, a prison institution for criminals convicted of especially serious acts for life and for a term of 25 years.
Brief history and location
The prison was founded back in 1935 in the village of Lozvinsky, Sverdlovsk region, and originally belonged to the GULAG camp system. The distance from the capital of the Urals, Yekaterinburg, is approximately 600 km.
The correctional facility is designed for 499 places, of which 40 are for a colony-settlement. The climate is harsh: long winters with cold temperatures and short, humid summers with an abundance of mosquitoes and other insects.
During Soviet rule, this place served as the final refuge for prisoners sentenced to death - the only capital punishment in the entire country.
A concrete statue of a black golden eagle holding in its paws the head of a snake it defeated is a symbol of the colony, located near the administrative building. The idea of creation belongs to a prisoner who was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of his wife's mother .
The location conditions are such that it is practically impossible to escape .
The prison premises are built on rocks; it is impossible to dig under them.
The only attempt to escape prisoners in 1989 was suppressed by the operational work of special forces.
Official information
- Colony address: Sverdlovsk region, Ivdel city district, Lozvinsky village, index 24579. Phone: +7, +7 (34386) 2-12-67.
- The head of the institution is Dadashov Subkhan, colonel of the internal service.
- The name of the colony is FKU IK-56 OUCD GUFSIN of Russia for the Sverdlovsk region.
- official website .
- On the first Wednesday of every month, from 10 to 12 o'clock, the head of the colony receives relatives , and from 14 to 16 o'clock on the second Tuesday of the month - by the deputy of the colony.
- Parcels and letters are accepted at certain times until 16:00.
You will find interesting facts about the White Swan prison in our article.
Conditions of detention
In the Black Golden Eagle, people who have committed crimes with particular cruelty serve their sentences: serial killers, maniacs, terrorists, pedophiles, cold-blooded killers of children, and therefore the conditions of detention here are special.
Many criminals have been imprisoned since the times of the USSR . The moratorium on the death penalty, adopted by Yeltsin in 1996, replaced capital punishment with a 25-year term, with the sentence being served in a special regime colony.
Many convicts, after the death sentence was overturned, committed suicide.
Prisoners are divided into two groups: those serving life sentences and those whose capital punishment was commuted to 25 years .
A narrow six-square cell for 1 or 2 people, a bucket instead of a toilet, and a 23-hour stay in a cell are the main differences between life prisoners.
An hour-long walk in closed mode with the opportunity to look at the gray sky through a metal grate and a sauna once a week - that’s all the variety .
Watching TV is prohibited, only reading fiction and spiritual literature is allowed . During the day it is forbidden to lie on the bed, you can only sit. The cell has a small table and bench.
The day begins at 6 o’clock with getting up, making the bed, breakfast, morning check, lunch, walk, and ends at 22 o’clock with the “lights out” command. The opportunity to work is excluded.
The unofficial statistics of the colony are as follows: every third person in a special regime block either dies or goes crazy after 10 years. According to the law, after 25 years, those sentenced to life can ask for a pardon if they survive.
pity for the prisoners. The sign hanging on the door of each cell with the name of the convicted person, the article and the number of victims does not evoke sympathy.
Prisoners for life are allowed one parcel per year and two visits of 4 hours each.
Those serving sentences of up to 25 years are luckier. Prisoners in the general-security block live together, eat together, work on the farm, and play sports. Prisoners work in the carpentry workshop, in the garage, and at the sawmill.
You are allowed to watch TV, use the telephone, receive parcels and parcels (three per year).
The food is varied . Prisoners keep pigs in a farmstead. In summer, vegetables are grown: tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, and herbs.
Of all the institutions of this type, the Black Golden Eagle prison for life sentences near Nizhny Tagil is the most successful in Russia in terms of improvement. Medical care is provided within the framework of the law.
In 2006, prisoners erected a temple on the territory of the colony in honor of the holy righteous Nonna. The services are conducted by Father Vladimir, who comes from Severouralsk.
Almost everyone comes to confession - serial killers, terrorists, maniacs. Many believed in God. There is an Orthodox community at the temple, the head of which is the prisoner Andrei Iosifov.
Famous inmates
Famous prisoners of the Black Golden Eagle:
- organizer of the terrorist attack on the Cherkizovsky market Ilya Tikhomirov . Responsible for the deaths of 14 people;
- “Khovrinsky maniac” Belov Vladimir . Convicted of murdering 6 people. According to Belov himself, there are at least 80 victims on his account;
- gang leader Eduard Chudinov , killed 15 women;
- “Lipetsk maniac” Anatoly Sedykh , killed 12 girls;
- serial killer and rapist of women Krishtopa Vladimir ;
- "Shimanovsky pedophile" Chigrin Roman , raped and killed two girls;
- leader of the criminal group Mikhail Prokofiev ;
- rapist and murderer of 16 people, Mirgorod Vladimir .
Other information
- Supervision on the towers is carried out by women . For them it is considered a safe job.
- The prison had its own rock band , “Euthanaizer,” organized by serial killer Vladimir Krishtopa.
- In the fall of 2012, under the leadership of Mark Franchetti, an Italian journalist and documentarian, a documentary film about prisoners was filmed in the colony.
According to unofficial information, they want to close the Black Golden Eagle, since the colony is currently about 15% full. This has not yet been documented.
As explained to the Znak.com portal. Member of the Public Monitoring Committee O. Vekovshinina, 499 prisoners are supposed to be kept in this colony, but now, in fact, about 70 are kept, and their number is decreasing every year .
Recently, a new colony for those sentenced to life was opened in the Khabarovsk Territory - correctional colony No. 6 “Snezhinka” , where they plan to transfer prisoners from Berkut.
The living conditions there meet all standards and requirements, and convicts will have the opportunity to use a toilet rather than a bucket. Every year the number of colonies in the country is decreasing.
Video about correctional colony No. 56 “Black Golden Eagle” (Lozvinsky village), Sverdlovsk region:
Story
The prison began to be called “Black Golden Eagle” in honor of the installed pedestal in the form of this bird. Moreover, she holds the head of a defeated snake in her paws. What is most surprising is that the sculpture was made not by a famous person, but by an ordinary prisoner.
The colony appeared during the USSR in 1935.
Initially, prisoners who were sentenced to capital punishment by the court were kept here.
However, at the last moment, the execution of each of them was replaced by long-term imprisonment. Some of these people are serving life sentences.
Prison in Kazakhstan
“Black Golden Eagle” is not the only colony with this name. On the territory of Kazakhstan, near Mount Zhitikara, on the highest point of the Kustanai region , its “Black Golden Eagle” is located - UK - 161/3.
Basic information
By order of the Kustanai Regional Executive Committee, a general regime colony was built in 1961 .
Subsequently, it was repurposed as a special regime colony.
After the ban on the death penalty in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a local precinct for prisoners sentenced to life was established here. In May 2004, the first convoys were accepted .
There are 230 prisoners in the colony: 98 repeat offenders and about 130 sentenced to life imprisonment.
UK - 161/3 is located in the Kustanai region, near the town of Zhitikara . The colony received its unofficial name by analogy with a Russian prison. The symbol of the Kazakh “Black Golden Eagle” is carved from wood.
Official information:
- address : Republic of Kazakhstan, Kustanai region, Zhitikara;
- telephone — 8-714-35-2-41-63;
- The head of the colony is Lieutenant Colonel of Justice Aset Seitovich Sheripov.
Features of serving a sentence
Conditions of detention:
- Convicts serve their sentences for life in cells with an area of 25 square meters of three or four people.
Great attention is paid to the psychological compatibility of cellmates. - For security purposes, cameras are installed - cages with additional bars on the side of the window and door.
- The daily routine is almost no different from the Russian “Black Golden Eagle”. The only difference is that the rise here is at 7 o’clock, and the end time is at 21 o’clock.
- Prisoners are closely monitored by guards.
The first ten years are spent under the strictest conditions.
Transfer to normal conditions of detention is possible if no violations of the regime have been identified over the years.
In Kazakhstan, imprisoned for life (with the exception of those whose death sentences were commuted to pardon) can also receive parole, provided that they have proven themselves positively for 25 years.
Allowed:
- three visits with family per year,
- one parcel and parcel for the same period,
- use of personal hygiene items and necessary medications,
- receiving professional medical care,
- walk in the fresh air (in a narrow enclosed space),
- bath once a week,
- watching TV shows at certain hours,
- using an electric kettle.
Controllers carefully monitor order in the cells; if controversial situations arise, a psychologist, detectives and the head of the detachment talk to the prisoners.
Repeat offenders are another contingent of the inhabitants of Krolonia. The following modes of serving the sentence apply to them:
- ordinary,
- strict,
- lightweight.
The mesh fence is the separator of the three territories.
There is a provision for transfer for exemplary behavior from a regular block to a light one and vice versa, for bad behavior - to a strict one.
Movement of convicts is permissible only within their territory.
In light conditions, much attention is paid to the socialization of the criminal so that he quickly forgets prison life and takes confident steps towards correction.
Such prisoners have more opportunities and free time. They can work for the benefit of the institution. There is the possibility of transfer to a settlement colony and early parole.
There is a club for special officers on the territory of the prison. Administrative workers encourage and welcome the creative activities of prisoners who organize concerts and competitions. The food is good, there are sausages and cheese on the tables.
UK No. 161/3 is a high-security place with towers located throughout the area. The colony has a control strip, and at night an electric current runs through the barbed wire. There is no chance of escape.
Peculiarities
The correctional facility is located on the rocks, which eliminates the possibility of underground digging into the building.
Each prisoner has a sign on his door that states:
- Full name of the convicted person;
- article of service;
- the number of victims, their age and the nature of the crime.
This is done so that the guards do not have an ounce of sympathy for such people.
In 2006, the convicts independently built the Temple of Righteous Nonna .
It is not prohibited to visit it at any convenient time.
Opportunities for escape
Considering what kind of criminals are kept in the Black Golden Eagle colony, the security measures here are special. Even the very location of the prison buildings reduces the possibility of escape to zero. The zone is located on rocks, which makes it impossible to dig under its walls.
Also, so that prisoners cannot remember the location of buildings on the prison grounds, they are transferred blindfolded.
The only escape attempt was made in 1989, but was stopped by colony staff.
How to write a letter?
All letters are sent to the address 24579, Sverdlovsk region, Ivdel, Lozvinsky village, st. Truda, 7.
It is prohibited to write obscene expressions and describe any political opinions.
In the best case, the censorship will cross out this information, in the worst case, the letter will not be given to the addressee.
Conditions of detention
Life-sentence prisoners are usually huddled together in a narrow six-metre cell. There is no sewage system, so a bucket serves as a toilet. Bathhouse is allowed once a week. For any offense, management deprives you of this opportunity.
Once a day, prisoners are taken out for a walk, the remaining 23 hours they are in their cells . Two dates and one parcel are allowed per 365 days.
Prisoners with prison terms of up to 20 years can sometimes talk on the phone, work and see family. Otherwise, the conditions of detention are practically the same.
Conditions for long-term prisoners
Those who ended up in the Black Golden Eagle for 20 or 25 years have different conditions of detention in a special regime colony. They live under normal conditions in a common block, and even have the right to use the telephone an unlimited number of times. They go to the common dining room to eat, and in their cells they have the right to watch TV.
Black Golden Eagle prisoners sentenced to long terms (Photo: Viktor Vakhrushev)
Regular regime prisoners at roll call (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
As usual, convicts work at the sawmill, in the carpentry shop and in the garage, where the cars that are on the balance sheet of the colony are located. There is also a vegetable garden and a farmstead where pigs are raised. Prisoners are also brought here to work. Some prisoners play sports.
Some of those serving sentences go in for sports (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
Black Golden Eagle prisoners sentenced to long terms (Photo: Viktor Vakhrushev)
Sawmill in “Black Golden Eagle” (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
No one has ever managed to escape from the special regime colony IK-56 (Photo: Dmitry Belyakov)
Those sentenced to long terms have the right to receive three parcels and three parcels per year. They can also get 3 dates per year, which can be doubled based on behavior.
