“Arctic wolf”, “black dolphin”, “white swan”: terrorists of the Moscow attack could find themselves in the worst prisons in the world

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Polar wolf, carp

The high-security prison is located in Karp, 1,900 kilometers beyond the Arctic Circle, about 1,900 kilometers from Moscow. In December, there are only two hours of daylight. Polar Wolf is one of the penal institutions with the harshest conditions in Russia. The temperature drops to -20°C and sometimes -30°C. The prison was established in 1961 on the remains of a Soviet gulag set up by Joseph Stalin. During the Soviet era, several thousand Russian prisoners lost their lives during the construction of the Salekhart-Ikarka railway line, known as the “Road of Death”.

Currently, physical and psychological violence against prisoners is frequent. Also, basic living conditions are not fully ensured. The Russian judiciary has already criticized deficiencies in terms of hygiene standards and the basic needs of prisoners in these centers.

Polar Wolf has been at the center of news since it recently presented Alexei Navalny. The Russian dissident was to serve 19 years in prison there, but ultimately lost his life under still mysterious circumstances.

Black Dolphin, Sol-Iletsk

Black Dolphin Prison is located in Sol-Iletsk, in the southern part of Russia, not far from Kazakhstan. This is again a high security system. This prison is the oldest in Russia. Created by an inmate, it takes its name from the black dolphin sculpture placed at the entrance of the institution. Nearly 700 of Russia's most dangerous prisoners are held there.

“Prisoners move only in a restrained position to render them harmless. They are folded in half, with their heads to the floor, handcuffed. They are blindfolded when moving from one building to another. This position allows the dangerous prisoners to be completely neutralized and prevents them from understanding the layout of the complex,” National Geographic Television said. The channel elaborated in a statement. Arriving prisoners are initially held in solitary confinement for ten years. No contact with them is allowed. Once inside the facility, inmates are not allowed to visit during the day. They leave their cell only for an hour a day and go to another cell in the prison which is completely empty.

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White Swan, Solikamsk

The White Swan prison, located in the city of Solikamsk, could house terrorists from the Crocus City Hall attack. If it was originally intended for thieves, this prison now houses murderers, rapists, maniacs and terrorists. The first convicts who were sentenced at this place are said to have gone to the extent of burning their feet to escape punishment.

The prison center housed famous prisoners such as Salman Raduyev, the organizer of the 1996 attacks on Kislyar and Pervomysko.