SIZO Lefortovo. Pre-trial detention center in Moscow

Perhaps there is no such person in Russia who would not have known that the famous Lefortovo prison is located in Moscow (or, as everyone is called, the Lefortovo prison). The insulator was also known for its former existence (since 1881), and for individuals who at different times were and continue to be kept in this jail.

A bit of history

As already mentioned, the building of the Lefortovo prison was built by the architect PN Kozlov in 1881. Initially, the remand prison contained military men who committed crimes of small gravity.

In 1917, Lefortovo passed to the NKVD and for many years was used for the terrible torture of repressed citizens.

From 1954 to 1991, this remand facility was in full possession of the KGB. And after 4 years, the Lefortovo detention center was taken over by the FSB of Russia.

From 2005 to the present, the Lefortovo Prison is at the disposal of the Ministry of Justice.

The mode object

Despite the fact that there are a large number of closed-type regime facilities in Russia (this is the well-known Butyrka, Matrosskaya Tishina), the Lefortovo detention facility is the most closed and inaccessible place.

It is impossible to get to the territory of the isolator (well, unless, of course, you are an employee of an institution, an investigator, a lawyer and not a convict). In 1993, the only exception was made: this year, journalists were allowed to enter the Lefortovo detention center (at a press conference). This was the only case when strangers appeared in the walls of the isolator.

Features of architecture

The building of the isolator is located almost in the center of the capital. However, not even all the residents of the neighboring houses of Lefortovo know about this "dangerous" neighborhood. In many respects this is connected with the architecture of the SIZO building.

The isolator is located directly among the usual Stalinist high-rise buildings. Noteworthy is the fact that the walls of the SIZO No. 2 building are painted in the same color as the walls of neighboring buildings. All this allows the insulator to dissolve in a residential area.

The only difference from apartment houses is the presence of a high stone fence along the perimeter, but in our time, high fences no longer surprise anyone.

For 130 years of its existence, the building of the insulator has been modified many times: it was rebuilt, re-planned, built new buildings and connected them to the main building). But the appearance of the insulator remained unchanged: pale yellow walls, silvery roofs, surrounded by a high stone wall with heavy gates, through which prisoners are brought to the pre-trial detention center.

And what's inside?

Since the pre-trial detention center No. 2 is a regime facility, it is impossible to visit ordinary citizens. Photo and video shooting in the walls of Lefortovo is also prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to find out only what is the insulator inside, from the memories of former sitters.

According to former prisoners, in Lefortovo there are so-called psychic chambers: the walls in them are painted black, the lights are lit round the clock. Ostensibly in a similar situation, a normal person can not stay for a long time. Therefore, placing a person in such conditions is always connected with the commission of any misconduct.

There is a famous and terrible "soft" corridor in Lefortovo: a soft floor, the walls and doors of which were seen how executions were executed.

Of course, no one is being shot in the walls of the isolation ward: prisoners and convicts are sitting in stone chambers, in which, besides the so-called beds, a table and a small window, there is nothing more.

But the "mixing" of prisoners exists to this day: almost every month they are transplanted from one chamber to another, changing the situation and neighbors.

Corridors "confuse the tracks"

The interior of the building is rather unusual. Stairways are designed for only one person, so climb them, for example, together, you can only goose. There are practically no direct corridors and passages in the building: all the corridors, stairs and openings are looped, as if confusing the tracks.

The person who was in this building for the first time, get out of it independently is almost impossible. This is a kind of labyrinth.

Since the building itself was rebuilt and rebuilt several times, many "surprises" appeared in it. So, with a three-story appearance, it inside turns out to be four-story.

The walls of the insulator are painted in light colors: blue, beige, white; Absolutely the whole territory of the SIZO is under round-the-clock supervision. Camcorders are everywhere. Several of the isolator's employees in real time monitor everything that happens on the territory of the SIZO.

Special mode

The regime in the remand prison "Lefortovo" can be called strict. This is practically the only prison in Russia, in which it is simply impossible to carry drugs and other prohibited items. In addition, it is absolutely impossible to communicate prisoners who are in different cells (there is no so-called rope telegraph).

Protection in the "Lefortovo" is carried out only by the FSB, which it is simply impossible to negotiate with prisoners.

Most of the prisoners are kept in double rooms, the area of which is about 10 meters. There are also three-chamber cameras, but they are much smaller. Also there is a chance to get into a single camera.

At the present time, absolutely all the SIZOs of Russia are guided by the general standards of stay in them. The "Lefortovo" isolator is not an exception: for example, it also prohibits the use of electric kettles, all food is served in one dish. In addition, the toilet (contrary to international standards) is located directly in the cell and is separated from the general premises by a low partition.

Despite this, the conditions of being in this isolator are considered by many to be good enough.

How to get there?

As it was said above, it's very difficult to get into SIZO No. 2. Naturally, only employees of the detention center, as well as those who committed serious crimes (prisoners), can get to the isolator without difficulty. For all others, including lawyers, the entrance to Lefortovo is very problematic and long.

The fact is that, despite the large number of detainees held in the detention center, the cells in which they can communicate with their lawyers, only 6. Therefore, many defenders can not go on weeks to so-called visits to their clients for weeks.

Surprisingly, lawyers have to draw lots: around the insulator building there is a person on duty around the clock who keeps a list of lawyers. Defenders make their data on the list, after which draw lots: who got the "lucky ticket", he goes.

It was always difficult to get into an isolator, because it contained citizens accused of committing the most resonant crimes. Therefore, many lawyers have to take turns from the night and stand all day near the checkpoint in the hope that it will turn to him.

Memories of experienced: Moscow, Lefortovo

A lot of well-known, influential and high-ranking citizens visited the detention center. Thus, in different years in the dungeons of this jail, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Vasily Stalin (the son of Stalin himself), Viktor Abakumov (Minister of State Security), Inessa Armand, Salman Raduyev, Valeria Novodvorskaya, Eugene Ginsburg, Eduard Limonov and other public people were kept in the jails of this detention center.

It is thanks to their memories that you can plunge into the atmosphere of the isolator. For example, Ginsburg in one of his books tells about the basement of the prison, in which prisoners were shot. He writes that the execution of executions was carried out under the loud noise of tractor engines. The corridor leading to the basement, according to Ginsburg's memoirs, was trimmed with a soft cloth, the upholstery of doors and walls - everything was soft, noiseless and specially prepared for execution.

The visitors to the dungeon and the maddening constant buzz and vibration that come from the CIAM laboratory, located next to the isolator, note the visitors of the torture chamber.

In their essays, the former "visitors" Lefortovo write about the peculiarities of the regime. For example, if two people are walking along the corridor at the same time, dark bags are put on their head (so that they do not see who exactly came to meet them).

Some prisoners remembered that in the corridors of the isolator there were special employees of the SIZO, the so-called bailiffs. They planted prisoners in different corridors so that they did not meet each other.

Interesting Facts

Investigative isolators and prisons in Moscow, as a rule, were built in the last century. Lefortovo is no exception. It is this insulator that is enveloped in a lot of legends, myths and interesting stories.

For example, when building an insulator in 1881, the church of St. Nicholas was built above the entrance. It housed single small booths, in which were worshiping prisoners. At the same time, everything was arranged in such a way that prisoners could not communicate with each other.

During the Soviet era, the church began to serve as a place for brutal torture and the shooting of people.

Another interesting fact is that the walking yards in this isolator are not located in the courtyard, but on the roof of the building. In total there are 15 such courts. Inmates walk in turn: first walks start at 8 am.

Special pride

Strangely enough, it is the pre-trial detention center No. 2 that owns one of the oldest and largest prison libraries. It began to be collected as early as the beginning of the 19th century, and today it includes more than 2 thousand unique books. For example, among them is Pushkin's lifetime edition and the complete collection of Leskov's works for 1897.

But there are no articles and books on the history of the prison itself, in the prison library. As there are no them anywhere. Historical essays about this SIZO were not made for several reasons: firstly, Lefortovo even in Soviet times was an active prison and prison. And secondly, it was always under the control of such departments that did not allow the disclosure of any information about this facility.

The head of the SIZO Victor Makov, who is very interested in the history of the detention center, found out that some historical essays on Lefortovo are in the museum of the FSB. However, access to them is strictly limited.

Summarizing

Investigative isolators of Moscow are special regime facilities. However, it is Lefortovo that can be called the most strict and secret. This is due to the fact that it contains criminals who committed the most resonant and serious crimes. Quite often, within the precincts of this isolator, one can see formerly high-ranking and influential persons.

It is famous for Lefortovo and its history: the insulator built 130 years ago did not stop working for the whole day even for one day. In many respects due to the fact that it was always an active object, there are practically no historical essays and articles about it.

Lefortovo (or detention facility No. 2) is located in the very center of the capital and is located at: Moscow, Lefortovskiy Val, 5.