Why were prisoners in the USSR afraid to sit in the Tobolsk “krytka”? Why prisoners in the USSR were afraid to go to the Tobolsk “cover” History of the Zlatoust prison

The small Ural town of Zlatoust is known as the birthplace of the storyteller Pavel Bazhov and for its ancient iron ore and weapons factories. The third attraction of the city can be considered old, which has almost three centuries of history.

If the writer Bazhov had been more insightful, he would definitely have composed a fairy tale about a prison that already existed in his time, but he did not pay attention to it. But in vain. When Russian merchants began to develop the riches of the Urals, a settlement was built near each factory or mine where artisans lived. This is how Chrysostom himself was born.

The problem of labor discipline in the 18th century was solved very simply. Truants, drunkards and rowdy people were sent to prison for correction, which was available at each plant. The “factory” prison existed happily until 1874, when it was decided to abolish private prisons. She was betrayed to the city authorities of Zlatoust and she became a prison for ordinary swindlers.

During the Civil War, prison cells were readily used by both “whites” and “reds.” Both sides added horror to the history of the Zlatoust prison with frequent executions of their political opponents. The Bolshevik victory did not immediately change the profile of the institution. Faithful Leninists, declaring the destruction of all the foundations of the old world, did not think of closing the institution.

At the end of January 1938, at the height of Stalin’s mass repressions, the NKVD assigned the status of “special” to the Zlatoust prison. This meant that it should contain especially dangerous criminal and political criminals.

The prison immediately sharply increased the staff of guards recruited from socially reliable sections of the population, and they began to be paid increased salaries. More famous Soviet correctional institutions ─, were transferred to the same status.

People began to call the prison the Zlatoust “lid”. During the new stage of its history, the contingent of prisoners changed. Instead of the usual local swindlers, figures of world science and culture were brought to Zlatoust by rail in Stolypins.

Prisoners of Zlatoust prison

Academician-physiologist Vasily Parin, playwright and writer from Kyiv Alexander Klein served time in the “krytka”. In the early 50s, the deputy resident of Soviet intelligence in the United States, Colonel Nikolai Zabotin, who recruited the Rosenbergs, was brought to the Southern Urals.

For obtaining important secrets used to create the atomic bomb, his homeland awarded him a ticket to the casemates of Zlatoust.

Under Khrushchev, in 1956, all “politicians” were released. The prison was under the control of the criminal public. Criminals sentenced to long terms of imprisonment were sent there, the first 5 years of which they had to spend in conditions of strict isolation.

Despite all the efforts of the administration, Zlatoust has always been considered a “black” prison or a “thieves’ kitsch”. "" have always ruled the show here.

For many of them, prison turned out to be a place of coronation. Thieves' gatherings were regularly held there. The famous thieves (Babushkin) and (Kochev) spent more than one year in it.

The diamond is still revered by the entire criminal world, and the most talented businessman and writer Vadim Tumanov colorfully told about the fate of Korzh.

Cannibalism in Chrysostom Prison

From the times of the NKVD and Lavrentiy Beria, extremely strict rules remained in the prison. Not only was it always cold, dark and gloomy in the cells, but the guards, on their own initiative, always tried to add more purely Russian trash to the lives of the “prisoners.” They set dogs on the prisoners, beat them with batons and even hammers, they deliberately damaged things during “shmonas,” they mercilessly took away their “dachas,” and reduced food standards for the slightest offense. As a rule, the prisoners were content with 450 grams of bread and a bowl of empty gruel.

Even at the end of the 20th century, Zlatoust prison had the reputation of being the hungriest in the USSR. Not everyone endured hunger. The domestic cannibal trend was born in the stone bags of Chrysostom. Prisoners often played not for money or tobacco, but for “blood.” The loser was forced to bleed from a vein into a mug. Then a fire was made from old newspapers, on which the blood was fried and then eaten with gusto by the winners of the card battle.

However, thieves in law, who live according to their principles, have always condemned this type of cannibalism and used all their power to stop this shameful phenomenon. Many lovers of delicacies made from fried human blood were “let down.”

Thieves in Zlatoust prison

In late Soviet times, Zlatoust's most famous prisoner was (Tsikhelashvili). The incorrigible Georgian, at the request of the leadership of the Transcaucasian republic, was specially sent to Zlatoust. Nothing good came of the communist authorities' idea. Dato added even more black to the prison symbol.

On the left are thieves in law: Vladimir “Vachikos Six-fingered” Oganov and Datiko “Dato Tashkentsky” Tsikhelashvili

A little earlier, a Georgian in ST-2 Zlatoust whiled away his years (Oganov), 10 years later he challenged himself (Usoyan) and lost in a life-and-death struggle. Among the living famous thieves in law, the memory of Chrysostom is preserved by (Severov) and Abkhazian Borya Apakela (Apakiya).

In total, more than 6 dozen crowned heads visited the prison, half of whom were Russians. Some of those imprisoned in stone casemates met their death in Zlatoust. In 1993, Sasha Stalingradsky (Barakhmansky) was stabbed to death in a prison cell. Before him, Badri Zugdidsky (Dzadzamia) and Aladin (Mekhtiev) introduced themselves by death, unable to withstand the tests of the harsh prison regime.

Deceased thieves, as a rule, were buried by relatives and friends in their homeland. At the Chrysostom cemetery there is a monument to only one “thief in law” ─ Ersh (Ershov).

At the end of the 80s, the most famous prisoner of Chrysostom turned out to be Pavel Yakshiyants. Few Soviet criminals became the protagonists of films. Yakshiyants was the first. After him, a feature film was made about Chervonets ─. He was the last to be sentenced to extreme punishment for banditry and several corpses.

Sergey Maduev - Chervonets

Maduev became famous for two daring attempts to escape from. He was helped by a female investigator who had fallen madly in love with the bandit.

Pavel Yakshiyants turned out to be cooler than Chervonets. He and his friends tried to hijack a plane with hostages from Vladikavkaz. A group led by Yakshiyants, who was repeatedly convicted, chose as hostages the schoolchildren they captured on the ground on the bus along with their class teacher.

When preparing a terrorist act, the criminal should have carefully read newspapers and watched TV. At the end of the 90s, the political situation in the world changed greatly. Former enemies sought to become friends. Pavel Yakshiyants did not take into account the realities of life. However, he did not forget about his common-law wife, who was taken to the airport at his request.

The Soviet authorities were smart enough to abandon the assault. The hijacked plane from Vladikavkaz headed for Tel Aviv. The Israelis immediately arrested the entire group of terrorists at the airport and returned them back to the Union in a matter of days.

“Krytki” is a designation in thieves’ slang that existed in the Soviet Union in the 70-80s. 20th century special prisons, the atmosphere in which was especially harsh. There were 10 of them in total, but two - the Zlatoust and Tobolsk indoor prisons - stood out for their special morals even among these dozen.

Those who were imprisoned in such a prison either completely “broke down” - mentally, morally and physically. Or, on the contrary, they hardened themselves and no longer succumbed to any of life’s difficulties.

Peculiarities of life and work in the Tobolsk “krytka”

It was located in three 2-story buildings, of which one was working, the other two were non-working. The first accommodated 300, the second - 400 people. Non-working (special building No. 2) is a place where thieves in law and malicious violators are housed, as well as those who categorically refused to work.
The conditions in this building were the most terrible. It had single, double and five-person cells. There were approximately 50 of them each. Singles and doubles were located opposite 5-bed common cells on both sides of the corridor. The only rights that those kept here had were a short walk once a day and a bath once every 10 days (it was organized in a special cell where there were basins and hot water).

The conditions of the working building are “improved”. There were also “good” and “bad” cameras. The latter were called “scabies”; prisoners from them were taken to work one at a time. From the “good” ones - all together, through a common exit leading to an underground tunnel, combined with the cells of the working building, where the prisoners worked locked up all day.

"Press Hut" and punishment cell

“Press Hut” is a special place where, with the help of physical and mental pressure from people (other prisoners), prisoners were deprived of their will, intimidated and even deprived of their lives. Moreover, even for one careless word. The wardens had virtually unlimited power (so much so that any murder could be written off as a “heart attack”).
It was practiced as a punishment to send a prisoner stripped naked to a punishment cell, where the conditions of detention were the most terrible. Low ceilings, ankle-deep water on the floor, rats walking around.

Memoirs of former prisoners

Human rights activist V. Podataev (former criminal authority) recalled how those suspected of bringing money from the stage were tortured. They searched me, forced me to recover under supervision in order to examine the contents of my stomach (where valuables were smuggled), and pulled out gold crowns.
Pastor L. Semikolenov (also a former crime boss), who was suspected of bringing a baby for thieves, was beaten and practically sentenced to death. Miraculously, with the help of another prisoner, he managed to escape her, killing his tormentors and ending up in a punishment cell for this.

I gathered my thoughts and decided to write the sixth part.
Dedicated to the areas "Vetluga" and "Railway Station". Nowadays, both of these areas are called “Railway Station”.
You can understand what belongs to what from the district graphics in the last part.
And so - the so-called de facto station area begins immediately after the dam of the city pond, it’s funny, but it’s true. Initially, the area began with the village of Vetluga, which in the form of houses was also located on Kosotur. They built houses right on the mountain. I can’t imagine how the residents of such houses used to maintain the fertile layer in their gardens, because... the slope is very strong. But somehow they still live.)))
A lot of photos!!!

The beginning of it all is the old dam, it is to the right of the high voltage (just a reminder)

Now we will show how the houses are located. In reality, it is very interesting to move from street to street, it feels like you are climbing Taganay)))




The road used to lie on the site of a modern highway; there was a pond in the same place where the tram rails lie. I don’t know where the land and houses began.
I'll show you a couple of photos from the side, from across the pond.

And so the beginning of modern Anosova Street in different years

1907
This place (slope) still exists, but I don't have a photo.

1930
The same place as in the last photo... it seems))) Because the slope is the same.
Modern times are not much different)))

I have too few photographs of Vetluga, because there are, that is.
Go ahead.


1909 Prokudin-Gorsky. Chapel in the name of St. Nicholas, 1866. Probably located in the district of a modern driving school.
Next is the Church of John the Baptist.


1909, Prokudin-Gorsky. A couple of photos from the archive from Tesma’s side.




Now on the site of the church there is a stunted store, located diagonally opposite school 17 (Anosova, 129). Tram stop "Forging and Press Plant".
Another photo of Vetluga near Tesma.

And so, let's move on. A modern photograph as an example of a building on the mountains.


The five-story building and the blue house belong to Anosova Street. This is also Vetluga.
The next stop will be the village of railway workers and the railway station area itself.
I don’t have any overview pictures of the village. There is an old one, from a book when the village didn’t exist yet)))


A couple of barracks and a couple of roads, that’s the whole village))) But you can see the station and the moving tracks and warehouses (in their place there are now rolling stock repair shops)
The station area is separated from the village by a railway bridge, which I will show a little later.
Zlatoust station and the road through it were opened on September 8, 1890.
First, a photo of the station.
From the side of the tracks

And on the other hand.

Status for 1981.




As you can see, little has changed in almost 100 years.)))
Construction of the new station began in November 1981. Built in 1986 on December 29th.
1986




Also a photo of the station square


Distortion due to improper assembly. There are no photos of mine yet.

Now about the station itself.
The most famous photo of Prokudin-Gorsky and a comparative photo from the book “250 Years of Chrysostom” are from approximately the same angle.




Although in fact the modern photo has much greater coverage, look at the Taganay Ridge in both photographs.
Also in Prokudin-Gorsky’s photograph you can see a water tower (its top), which is still alive, but somewhat “disfigured” by modernity.
I have a photo before “improving my appearance”)))

Much attention was also paid to excavating soil for laying the railway. This was probably of great importance, because... There are enough pictures.
Postcard.


The photos were taken before 1909, because... on them there is a wooden bridge and one track, but in the photo of Prokudin-Gorsky there is a stone bridge and two tracks are laid.




And a photo of Prokudin-Gorsky


In the distance you see the notorious bridge dividing the areas: on the right is the village of railway workers; on the left is the station area.
Here is a photo of the current state of the same place.


Turn your gaze 90 degrees clockwise...


and we see the railway village from the station area. Of course, the division is conditional.)))
Turn your head another 90...


and we see the paths leading towards the metallurgical plant.
As you can see, everything has changed a lot since pre-revolutionary times.
There are a couple of pictures of the depot. or rather steam locomotives in the depot)))

A few contemporary photos. Photo from the pedestrian bridge at the Locomotive Depot.








We drove further, to the exit, towards the Tesminsky railway bridge.
1890


Exit from the station to the bridge towards the station. Urzhumka. Gorka Lousy is covered with forest, now she is bald)))
To the left of the bridge is now the lower station area.
In the distance is the unchanged Taganay)))




Taken just from the Lousy Hill.

There are no old photographs of the residential sector of the station area.
There are many buildings from different times, from pre-revolutionary times to modern houses.
For example, the Palace of Culture of Zheleznodorozhnikov.


Modernity

In the Tobolsk special prison there were three residential two-story buildings: two for workers and one for non-workers. The working buildings accommodated 400 people each, and the non-working special building No. 2 – about 300. The special building contained malicious violators and those who categorically refused to work. Thieves in law were also sitting there.
It contained about 50 general (five-bed) cells and about the same number of “double” and “single” cells, which housed those who, for one reason or another, could not sit in general cells. Common cells were located on both floors on one side of the corridor, and “doubles” and “singles” were located on the other. Apart from a short daily walk in a small courtyard, prisoners in the special building had no right to anything else, except to go to the bathhouse once every ten days - in the same cell where there was hot water and several basins.
In the work buildings, conditions were better: the cells were more spacious, there were more opportunities for communication. From the “bad” cells - they were called “scabies” - the prisoners were taken to work separately. The “good” cells had a common conclusion: ten cells were opened and about a hundred people were taken out simultaneously through an underground tunnel into the work building. There, people went to their working cells and were kept under lock and key until the end of their shift.
“Press Hut” for a careless word
Tobolsk prison, like any other, had a depressing effect on a person’s mental health. Human life was worth nothing there. Any warden could, with one careless word, put a prisoner in a press cell, where he could be mutilated, violated or killed, and then present it as a heart attack.
And in order to deprive him of the opportunity to defend himself, they put him in a punishment cell where the prisoner was stripped naked. There was no point in resisting.
Imprisonment in a punishment cell was widely practiced. This is a special room in which prisoners convicted of violating prison order were kept. In the punishment cell, prisoners were kept under a stricter regime than in ordinary cells. There were rats in some punishment cells, there was ankle-deep water in the rooms, and the ceilings were low.
In the press cells - they were also called “press huts” - the prison authorities dealt with unwanted prisoners at the hands of other prisoners. Press cells were formed and staffed from among angry, physically strong, but morally broken prisoners.
Each building was assigned a separate operational worker, who distributed prisoners into cells and monitored the situation in the building entrusted to him.

In the 70-80s of the last century in the USSR there were ten places of detention, called “krytki” in criminal jargon. The Zlatoust and Tobolsk indoor prisons were considered especially harsh.

Everyone who had to go through the Tobolsk hell came out either morally broken or, conversely, spiritually hardened. It was a serious school of survival, and not everyone survived the trials that befell them.

Life and work under lock and key

In the Tobolsk special prison there were three residential two-story buildings: two for workers and one for non-workers. The working buildings accommodated 400 people each, and the non-working special building No. 2 – about 300. The special building contained malicious violators and those who categorically refused to work. Thieves in law were also sitting there.
It contained about 50 general (five-bed) cells and about the same number of “double” and “single” cells, which housed those who, for one reason or another, could not sit in general cells. Common cells were located on both floors on one side of the corridor, and “doubles” and “singles” were located on the other. Apart from a short daily walk in a small courtyard, prisoners in the special building had no right to anything else, except to go to the bathhouse once every ten days - in the same cell where there was hot water and several basins.
In the work buildings, conditions were better: the cells were more spacious, there were more opportunities for communication. From the “bad” cells - they were called “scabies” - the prisoners were taken to work separately. The “good” cells had a common conclusion: ten cells were opened and about a hundred people were taken out simultaneously through an underground tunnel into the work building. There, people went to their working cells and were kept under lock and key until the end of their shift.
“Press Hut” for a careless word
Tobolsk prison, like any other, had a depressing effect on a person’s mental health. Human life was worth nothing there. Any warden could, with one careless word, put a prisoner in a press cell, where he could be mutilated, violated or killed, and then present it as a heart attack.
And in order to deprive him of the opportunity to defend himself, they put him in a punishment cell where the prisoner was stripped naked. There was no point in resisting.
Imprisonment in a punishment cell was widely practiced. This is a special room in which prisoners convicted of violating prison order were kept. In the punishment cell, prisoners were kept under a stricter regime than in ordinary cells. There were rats in some punishment cells, there was ankle-deep water in the rooms, and the ceilings were low.
In the press cells - they were also called “press huts” - the prison authorities dealt with unwanted prisoners at the hands of other prisoners. Press cells were formed and staffed from among angry, physically strong, but morally broken prisoners.
Each building was assigned a separate operational worker, who distributed prisoners into cells and monitored the situation in the building entrusted to him.

Memoirs of prisoners

According to the memoirs of Vladimir Podatev, a former crime boss and now a human rights activist, “people from the prison, suspected of bringing money or other valuables to prison, were thrown “for unloading” into one of the press cells, where they were beaten and robbed.” . Money was usually carried in the stomach: it was sealed in cellophane and swallowed. The press chambers knew about this, so those who ended up there were often tied to a radiator and forced to stare at a newspaper under supervision until they were finally convinced that all the contents of their stomach had come out. Gold crowns and teeth were pulled out of the mouth or knocked out.
And here’s what another former crime boss, and now pastor Leonid Semikolenov, recalls: “Upon arriving once again at a closed prison, after a two-week stay in quarantine, they searched me and threw me into the press hut of the special corps. The operas were of the opinion that I had brought the little one for thieves. It was completely by chance that during the search they did not find a razor on me. Five press workers led by Cheese were sitting in the press chamber where they threw me. Cheese and I had an unpleasant dialogue, he tried to convince me to admit that I have a little one for thieves. Fifteen minutes later, another person was thrown into the cell; it was Sergei Boytsov. Sergei, immediately getting his bearings in the situation, gave me a sign. He, having chosen a good position for himself, hit the light bulb with his fist and stabbed the scissors into Cheese’s neck. I also cut another greyhound presser in the face with the blade. The other three rushed to the door and started knocking on it. The squad dragged Sergei and me out, beat us and put us in a punishment cell.”

How a prison became a museum

The Tobolsk prison witnessed not only the breakdown of criminal leaders, but also a real conflict between thieves in law of the old and new formations. In the Tobolsk special prison, the status of thief in law Ded Khasan was restored, and there the future “master” of the Far East, Evgeny Vasin (Jem), was accepted as a thief in law. Almost all thieves in law and authorities went through the Tobolsk prison.
In 1989, a decision was made to close the prison. The prisoners were transferred to other prisons. Corps No. 2 went to the Tobolsk diocese. Instead of the building where the prison workshops were located, an archive building was built. The headquarters building, the prison hospital building and buildings No. 1 and No. 3 belong to the Tobolsk Museum-Reserve, some of them are objects of museum heritage.