Fiery Island. The end of the world

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 building of the prison in the past was a monastery, 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 , the monastery was no longer used for its intended purpose. The convicts began to serve their sentence in various ways in the monastery. 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 walls of the monastery is reliably guarded by cruel criminals from the outside world.

The fiery island today is the place of serving the punishment of two hundred murderers. Many of them have ruined more than one life, and with particular rigidity. Visiting journalists are always impressed by 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 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 the prison for "lifers" is located, exists according to its laws. Every day the staff of the colony passes according to 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.

On the neighboring island there live people who work 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 ...