RT’s Konstantin Rozhkov tours Kresty — one of Russia’s most famous prisons with a long and sinister history — and explores how this notorious correctional facility has changed over the years.

For more than a century, the largest prison facility in Europe has held Russia’s most notorious and violent criminals. For decades, the Kresty prison’s darkest parts have been hidden from the public eye. Yet, the whole ambience of the place sends shivers down your spine.

The Kresty prison was built at the end of the 19th century. It was the most advanced facility in Russia because of its iconic architecture. The cross-shape of the two main buildings gave the prison its unofficial name — Kresty (or the Crosses) — and made it easy for guards to monitor and access every corner of the jail before CCTV cameras were invented.

The Kresty prison served as a pre-detention facility for most of its history. However, in Soviet times, there was also a dedicated wing for those found guilty of the most violent crimes like multiple murders and rapes.

Old solitary confinement cells widely used during Stalin’s rule in the 1930s and ’40s are a third the size of a normal cell. Moreover, it’s impossible to fully stretch your arms or lean back because the walls are cold and sharp. Spending days or even weeks in a cell, just standing or sitting — lying down during the daytime is forbidden — could drive even a stable person crazy.

The modern building of the Kresty looks nothing like the old one and can easily be mistaken for a hostel or a student dorm. So what does an inmate’s life look like today?RT Documentary offers you in-depth documentary films on topics that will leave no one indifferent. It’s not just front-page stories and global events, but issues that extend beyond the headlines. Social and environmental issues, shocking traditions, intriguing personalities, history, sports and so much more – we have documentaries to suit every taste. RT Documentary’s film crews travel far and wide to bring you diverse and compelling stories. Discover the world with us!

00:00 – intro
1:44 – the largest incarceration facility in Europe
4:05 – the collapse of the Soviet Union and the crisis saw the crime rate skyrocket
5:43 – some inmates used to sleep on the floor
6:58 – Vladimir Putin visited the prison in 1999
8:24 – a typical cell in the new building
10:19 – only well-behaved inmates are allowed to work in the kitchen
12:26 – in the 1990s, jail guards risked being attacked by prisoners
14:23 – the prison has alarm buttons every 10 metres
16:56 – many inmates regret what they did

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