Fiery Island is located in Belozersky district. On its territory is a colony - the last refuge of criminals sentenced to life imprisonment.
Shadows of the past
The prison building in the past was maleMonastery, which was founded in 1517. There is such a legend: The Mother of God appeared in a dream to the Monk Kirill and told that his place on this earth should become the Fiery Island. The priest left the Tikhvin monastery and bought this island. The territory is not large - you can look around. Many did not like the idea of the Monk Cyril about erecting the monastery. The priest repeatedly robbed, urged to leave the Fiery Island. Once the thieves with their prey got lost on the lake. Rev. Cyril, meeting them, warned that the punishment for the atrocities will be sent down by the Lord himself. Coincidence or not, but it is in this place today that the most brutal bandits are imprisoned.
Re-profiling
After the revolution of 1917, thewas used for its intended purpose. Convicted prisoners began to serve in the monastery in different articles. At first it was a correctional-labor colony of the general regime. Since 1994, only sentenced to life imprisonment has been sent to this institution. The choice to this place fell not casually: the impressive thickness of the monastery's wall is reliably guarded by cruel criminals from the outside world.
Fiery Island today is the place of servingpunishment of two hundred murderers. Many of them have ruined more than one life, and with particular rigidity. Visiting journalists are always impressed with the cards on the doors of the cameras: one can learn about all the crimes of prisoners. At this point, it is difficult not to succumb to a comprehensive fear, because it is psychologically difficult to be among such cruel people.
In each cell there are three criminals.During infrequent walks these people are necessarily handcuffed, they move, raising their hands behind their back, in a bent position. Sometimes they leave their cells in order to undergo a medical examination. Prisoners work every day for an hour and a half - they sew mittens.
There is a psychologist in the colony staff.He helps criminals to overcome difficult moments. Many prisoners came to God. It is noteworthy that all the icons in the local chapel for confessions are made by the hands of convicts.
Daily routine
The Island of Fiery, where there is a prison for"Lifelong", exists by its own laws. Every day the staff of the colony passes under a certain plan. In the morning workers pass through all the cells and ask if everything is in order. In response, they hear: "Everything is fine, there are no questions, the camera is in a normal state". This peculiar communication ends until the next morning. According to this scenario, days, years pass ... Psychologists found that after seven years of such a life the person begins to rapidly deteriorate. The only thing that supports prisoners is the letters of relatives.
На соседнем острове живут люди, которые работают in this colony. All around despondency, devastation, impassability. The Island of Fire, whose photos even on a sunny day turn out to be gloomy, for many people became the edge of the world ...
