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00:00Terrorists, assassins, mafia bosses, serial killers, the Russian courts have
00:10given them the maximum penalty, life imprisonment. Here that really means
00:18until the end of their lives. They are all imprisoned on Fire Island, the island
00:25of the damned. For centuries, during the time of the Tsars, the prison was a
00:31monastery. Now it houses 200 dangerous criminals. No one has ever managed to escape.
00:39Our walls are between 80 and 150 centimeters thick. You can't dig a hole through them
00:54overnight without being noticed. The island is surrounded by water and swampland.
01:03In the summer, temperatures reach 35 degrees Celsius. In winter, they can fall
01:09to minus 30. There are inmates in this northern Russian maximum security prison
01:18who would prefer the death penalty to continuing their incarceration here.
01:27At the moment, I'd prefer the firing squad. What have I got to live for anyway?
01:35A paid job in the prison sewing shop is a privilege. Those who conform are allowed to work here.
01:42Those who don't can only escape the boredom of their cells during yard time, pacing round
01:48and round in tiny, inhuman cages for the rest of their lives.
01:53Fire Island is reserved for those men who committed their crimes with particularly lower motives
02:19and extreme cruelty.
02:473.05 p.m., cell number 8, wing 4. Captain Dimitiu, open up.
02:54Prisoner, hands behind your back.
02:56Prisoner, hands behind your back.
03:07Yuriy Levanov, convicted under Section 2 of Articles 105-103.
03:13Sentence was passed on March 24, 2016. In cell 8, there are 8 inmates. 3 are at work.
03:20Turn to face me. Good morning.
03:29We'll now search your cell for forbidden items. No forbidden items here.
03:36Turn your back to me. We're putting the handcuffs on.
03:42Sharp and pointed items are forbidden. They could be used as weapons or tools for escaping.
03:56Come out here. Face the wall.
04:01Other side.
04:04Any prohibited items on you?
04:07No.
04:08No.
04:09No.
04:10No.
04:11No.
04:12No.
04:13No.
04:14No.
04:15No.
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04:20No.
04:21No.
04:22No.
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04:27No.
04:28No.
04:29No.
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04:33No.
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04:35No.
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04:37No.
04:38No.
04:39They're looking for anything that could be used as a weapon or a means of escape.
04:47All larger objects are fixed into place to prevent them from being used in a riot situation, says the deputy prisoner governor.
04:57All secured. The beds are welded to the floor.
05:00Thales like these always accommodate three or four inmates.
05:23The only place with any privacy is the toilet.
05:27That's bolted to the floor, too.
05:28The lights, plumbing system, it all works.
05:36The ventilator gets rid of the smoke very quickly.
05:45We can also see everything the men do in their cells through the security cameras.
05:49And we can maintain contact with the prisoners through an intercom system, without any risk to ourselves.
06:00Move it.
06:09Go in here.
06:29Then face me.
06:30Take the handcuffs off.
06:43In this cell, psychologists and profilers normally work with the prisoners.
06:47They compile offender profiles for crime prevention purposes.
06:55I've committed rape and murder in a very cruel way.
07:00What do you mean by very cruel?
07:02I abused my girlfriend.
07:07Don't know what to say.
07:09I injured her internal organs as well.
07:24What does that mean?
07:25I'm ashamed to speak about it.
07:36What did you do?
07:41I tore her internal organs out with my bare hands.
07:44Leivanov committed his first sex offense at the age of 17.
07:58As a juvenile, Leivanov was convicted of abusing a nine-year-old girl.
08:04He tried to rape her.
08:05She was the daughter of his brother's partner.
08:14Pictures from Russian television.
08:17Leivanov had to serve a four-year term in prison for child abuse.
08:21Back outside, he murdered Alina Asorkina in a garage yard in the central Russian city of Suransk.
08:29Leivanov had met the 21-year-old on the Internet.
08:32Then, as he told the police, he lured the woman here to carry out sexual experiments with her.
08:44Then, suddenly, he completely lost control.
08:49Leivanov shows the officers where and how he committed the murder.
08:54At first, I hit her in the face a few times.
08:57Why, asks one of the officers.
09:05So she wouldn't put up any resistance.
09:08This police video is admissible as evidence in court.
09:12We had a psychiatric assessment done in a clinic.
09:28And the doctors concluded he was of completely sound mind when he committed the crime.
09:35And that is still the case today.
09:37For this murder, for particularly lower motives,
09:47Leivanov was sentenced to 23 years in a prison camp.
09:52The state prosecutors appealed, demanding life imprisonment instead.
09:57And they were successful.
10:00In Russia, life imprisonment literally means detention until the day you die.
10:07Theoretically, after 25 years, there's a chance to be released for good behavior or mitigating circumstances.
10:26And that's what Leivanov is hoping for.
10:28He claims that at the time of the offense, he was not responsible for his actions because he was under the influence of drugs.
10:42I smoked Spice during my first prison term.
10:48And after I was released, I used it more often.
10:53It's so easy to get.
10:54The dealers just leave it in a prearranged place.
11:02One dose costs 1,500 or 2,000 rubles.
11:08This synthetic stuff changes you, makes you aggressive.
11:12And time just starts racing.
11:132,000 rubles are about 28 euros.
11:23Reduced responsibility, remorse, good behavior.
11:27That's the strategy Leivanov hopes may enable him to leave Fire Island after 25 years.
11:33Up to now, no one who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Russia has ever been released.
11:41When the time comes, much will depend on the assessments of psychologists.
11:46The fire island is Russia's oldest maximum security prison.
12:00Surrounded by sparsely populated marshlands, the once orthodox monastery looms above Lake Novozaro.
12:07Similar to Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay.
12:13The penitentiary IK-5 lies around 600 kilometers north of Moscow.
12:19Surrounded by the 12 square kilometer lake.
12:24The neighboring island of Sladky, which means sweet, is mainly home to prison guards.
12:30Many of them still live in run-down wooden huts from Soviet days.
12:45In some places on Lake Novozaro, time seems to have stood still.
12:54The monastery was founded on the island by Saint Cyril in the 16th century.
12:59And because torches burned there at night,
13:01the people in the surrounding villages came up with the name Island of Fire.
13:07The October Revolution in 1917 swept the largely atheist Bolsheviks to power.
13:14They drove out the monks and converted the monastery into a gulag for enemies of the state.
13:20In 1994, Fire Island became a maximum security prison for dangerous criminals.
13:26A place of no return.
13:29Igor Daszkovsky is the deputy prison governor.
13:38He's been working on Fire Island for 11 years and knows it like the back of his hand.
13:44Security rounds.
14:04Several times a day, prison guards check the walls and fences.
14:07Exclusion zone.
14:27No admission.
14:29We are here at the entrance to the prison.
14:37Detained behind these walls, there are 189 men.
14:41Each of them has been sentenced to life.
14:44Terrorists, serial killers, sex offenders, gang bosses, and murderers.
14:49They've committed a variety of crimes.
14:51Come with me.
14:52We're here at the lodge and are admitted to the community.
15:22administration. The administration and the prisoner's wing are right next to each other
15:29because we are on a small island. When the building was a monastery, there used to be
15:35water here. Boats went through the north gate directly to the Church of the Resurrection
15:42of Christ. Now we're going into the living quarters.
15:47By living quarters, Daszkovsky means the maximum security cells in the former Church of the Resurrection.
16:00Checkpoint 2. Prisoner's wing.
16:17The living area is relatively compact with four buildings.
16:36Wing 4 was renovated two years ago. Foundations and walls are historic.
16:45This is the former monastery church of the Resurrection of Christ.
16:51Here on the right is Wing 1. It's currently being renovated. All the buildings, meanwhile,
17:02have running water and are connected to the sewerage system. There are new security cameras
17:10everywhere. And we recently installed a ventilation system.
17:19Come with me.
17:25The ventilation system means that during the warmer seasons,
17:28at least some of the windows can be kept closed.
17:31Because once the snow is gone, clouds of mosquitoes from the neighboring marshes plague the entire island.
17:43In the summer, temperatures can reach 35 degrees Celsius.
17:46In winter, they can fall to minus 30.
18:07Comrade, Lieutenant Colonel, nothing to report.
18:09In this wing, there are 88 prisoners.
18:1321 present the risk of escape.
18:19We're in Wing 4, which, as I said, underwent a complete refurbishment two years ago.
18:29During the building work, we discovered historic frescoes and had them restored.
18:39This one is Methodius.
18:41And there's also a cyril fresco that's been preserved.
18:51Why was a monastery like this converted into a prison?
19:00It was an obvious choice because of its location on an island.
19:06Water is the perfect escape barrier.
19:10Up to now, there hasn't been one serious attempt to escape.
19:15That's because beyond the lake, there are only swamps and forests.
19:19And so no one knows which direction to take.
19:26Our monastery walls are between 80 and 150 centimeters thick.
19:32There's no way anyone can dig a hole through them overnight without being noticed.
19:36It's not realistic.
19:37It's not realistic.
19:39In each wing, there is at least one bathroom.
19:42The inmates of each cell all go to the showers together.
19:45That's three or four men at a time.
19:46When they've finished, the next one goes in, one cell after the other.
19:47It's for security reasons.
19:49The hot water comes from the boilers.
19:50There are 45 lifers in this building.
19:51Each of them takes a shower twice a week.
19:52The hot water comes from the boilers.
19:53There are 45 lifers in this building.
19:54Each of them takes a shower twice a week.
19:55Are there security cameras here as well?
19:56Are there security cameras here as well?
19:57There are 45 people in this building.
19:58The hot water comes from the boilers.
19:59There are 45 lifers in this building.
20:00Each of them takes a shower twice a week.
20:01Are there security cameras here as well?
20:02No, they have their privacy here.
20:03time when they finished the next one goes in one cell after the other it's for security reasons
20:15the hot water comes from the boilers there are 45 lifers in this building
20:19each of them takes a shower twice a week are there security cameras here as well
20:25no they have their privacy here the guard locks this door and checks everything through this window
20:40video surveillance in the bathroom is against the law
20:50this is our medical wing
20:58that's viktor seghevich he's in charge on the left and right are the treatment rooms
21:06this is the isolation room if an inmate catches something infectious he's put in this cell
21:14so he won't pass it on to anyone else
21:16we can treat dental problems as well
21:23the doctor comes once a month or more often if it's needed
21:33and if any inmates need an injection or an intravenous drip that all happens in this room
21:46the island of fire an almost self-sufficient maximum security prison in the middle of nowhere
21:55only food supplies need to be delivered
22:00there's even a sewing shop it stands on the site of old russian orthodox graves
22:06in the monastery there was a graveyard of course
22:20when we built the sewing shop we found this gravestone
22:26lieutenant colonel dimitri timoshin died 10th december 1858
22:36in the church of the resurrection of christ
22:51frescoes in the prison computer room
22:54the founder of the monastery cyril of navazzaro
22:58many former atheist inmates have meanwhile found solace in the russian orthodox faith
23:12the murderer mikhail bukharov has documented his path to religion in tattoos
23:20he stabbed an acquaintance 48 times more or less dismembering him
23:25he was afraid the acquaintance would press charges against him after committing a robbery
23:41can you see who's holding this being in his hand the devil yes the devil or evil
23:48what's this tattoo got to do with god nothing i did it before i'd found god
24:00and when did you find your faith three years after the tattoo on my back
24:10is that prisoner you yes above me is god who forgives our sins
24:15and you really are religious today yes so you found your way to god in prison
24:29yes after the sentence of death by firing squad
24:35when was that 1994
24:38why wasn't the sentence carried out because there was a moratorium on death penalties when
24:51i think it was 1994
24:56so the death penalty converted you yes
25:08the moratorium on the death penalty has been in force in russia since 1996
25:21bukharov meanwhile is in favor of it ending
25:24at the moment i would prefer to be shot what am i supposed to do here what have i got to live for
25:46there's always the chance of parole after 25 years
25:49what chance it's all just theory
25:56some have been here for 30 years nobody gets out alive
26:03bukharov believes the only way he'll leave fire island is in a coffin
26:08because he committed a particularly brutal murder
26:12for him the 48 stab wounds are a death penalty in installments
26:19in the prison sewing shop
26:22seven o'clock in the morning
26:25the early shift takes over
26:28more patrols
26:30walls and fences are checked again
26:32in the prison sewing shop too the working day begins
26:51the prisoners here are volunteers the job is a privilege
26:55anyone hoping to get out after 25 years does his best to get his hands on one of the few sewing machines
27:05to earn money for a life and freedom
27:12sex offender and killer levanov firmly believes he will leave the island alive one day
27:18he stoically endures all the strict security measures
27:33the men make life jackets souvenirs and working clothes for a private company in moscow
27:49about 100 euros a month is the top salary on the prison island
28:07these are things we make here
28:11souvenirs life jackets for children too
28:15working clothes for medical staff building workers security staff and welders
28:21with a lining for winter
28:25and rucksacks
28:28what do the prisoners do with the money
28:33they're paid based on performance
28:37they can save the money or use it to buy food in our shop
28:39or they can send it to relatives
28:53some inmates like levanov also make so-called compensation payments to the relatives of their victims
29:00i have to pay compensation because i was sued for damages
29:14who sued you
29:18the victim's mother
29:21how much did you have to pay
29:24two to three thousand depending on what i earn
29:27rubles
29:30yes
29:32every month
29:33yes
29:34for how long
29:3810 to 15 years
29:40how much is that all together
29:42two million rubles
29:44two million rubles is the equivalent of about 28 600 euros
29:49after work they go out to the exercise yard
29:57two hours are allowed each day
30:00but only a few of them take full advantage of this opportunity
30:05in winter there's usually an icy wind blowing off lake navazaro
30:11and in summer the inmates are plagued by countless mosquitoes
30:15their yard time takes place in these small rusty cages
30:23that's the extent of their freedom of movement
30:27in human conditions
30:29one prisoner to each cage
30:45that's the extent of their freedom of movement
30:51move it up against the wall
30:56so now go in
31:08most guards know roughly what crimes the prisoners have committed
31:12but don't really bother with the details
31:15a matter of self-protection
31:17so they don't become emotionally brutalized themselves
31:24analyzing crimes is a psychologist's job
31:28it's for them to say whether a lifer is
31:30theoretically mature enough to be allowed out on parole after 25 years
31:35i keep out of it most of the time
31:38otherwise all this filth would drive me crazy
31:40lots of the murders are simply just barbaric
31:54daylight
31:55a few steps without handcuffs and no cellmates to disturb him
32:01sex offender and killer levanov tries to keep himself alive mentally
32:06through the power of positive thinking
32:17life imprisonment has nothing to do with the end of your life
32:21every human being lives learns works and despite all the adversities tries to start a new chapter in their lives
32:29wouldn't the death penalty spare you a lot
32:42no
32:43not everyone would want to die
32:46not even in a situation like this
32:48i love my life
32:49and don't want to lose it
32:50with the brutality of their crimes murderers like levanov have clearly crossed a line
33:01that's the main criticism of the deputy prison governor
33:04that's a human being
33:18i'm in favor of him being executed for the brutal murder of his girlfriend
33:25as a prison officer i'm against the death penalty
33:28because as a lifer he's confronted with his crime every day every minute of his life
33:38and in line with current practice that will continue until the day he dies
33:42with the death penalty of the death penalty of the death penalty of the death penalty of the death
33:51come out now any prohibited items on you
33:56no
33:58many prison officers consider life imprisonment to be harder punishment than death
34:04these men don't believe that levanov will ever be released
34:07they think his remorse and admission of guilt are just an act
34:11with every action and reaction geared precisely to securing his release in 25 years
34:18thus escaping his responsibility
34:29the sex offender and killer's relatives obviously take a similar view
34:34of them want anything to do with levanov some contact would certainly be possible even personal
34:42meetings between offender and family are possible on fire island
34:47the only condition is that the prison authorities must have no security concerns
34:53only those showing good behavior can expect permission to receive visitors
34:59there are even special small apartments for these visits in the former monastery
35:04in the first ten years of imprisonment it's once a year for three days
35:26after that for good behavior two such visits can be arranged per year
35:34this is the children's room
35:41a maximum of two adults and one child are allowed to visit
35:48they have to present documents showing that they're close relatives
35:55here's the kitchen
35:56and back here are the toilet and shower
36:14how can you guarantee that a prisoner on a life sentence won't do any harm to his wife or his parents
36:19we can't guarantee anything that's why every inmate is screened thoroughly before any kind of meeting takes place
36:31if we think there won't be any problems we give the green light
36:36has anything ever happened
36:38no the prisoners have enough brains not to do anything
36:41after all it's their wives parents and children visiting them
36:48during the approval process we check through all their letters
36:53we make sure there are no insults going back and forth we check everything
37:01besides fire island there are five other maximum security prisons in russia
37:07in these institutions almost 2 000 men are serving life sentences
37:15maximum security prisons are very different from the widespread prison camps
37:21this one lies about 1 000 kilometers southeast of fire island in the town of javas in the republic of mordovia
37:29we are now entering a camp where only former state officials are detained
37:44prison commander shaliev takes us through the prison camp
37:51open the doors
37:51the criminals in prison camps are slightly less dangerous than those in maximum security prisons
38:02freedom of movement is significantly greater and the men live in so-called barracks rather than cells
38:08some have also committed serious crimes however
38:19former police officer victor saliev is here for double murder
38:24he was a member of a mafia clan and was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment
38:28what exactly did you do
38:39i didn't kill ordinary people
38:42they were members of a rival gang
38:46what did you do to them
38:48shot them
38:50i shot them
38:51all in all there are about 650 000 men incarcerated in russia's prison camps
39:04morning roll call
39:05this is done several times a day by the camp authorities to make sure all prisoners are still present
39:12in contrast to maximum security prisons like fire island attempts to escape are not uncommon here
39:21in the camp
39:26some dig tunnels others try to ram their way out using camp vehicles
39:32there are countless stories
39:39the daily routine is strictly regulated
39:42breakfast work lunch back to work evening meal free time bedtime
39:49the days in the camps are very similar to those in the maximum security prisons
39:56the food hut prisoners cook and bake for prisoners
40:05in most russian prison camps there's a kind of caste system
40:10the topmost caste is made up of the crime bosses
40:14in the second caste are the common criminals like saliev
40:21both groups avoid the lowest caste
40:24prison informers and homosexuals
40:26is there a caste system here too
40:37a hierarchy
40:45let me just finish eating before i answer
40:47no there's no there's no caste system here
40:59everyone's equal you can all sit where you want to
41:02sure wherever you want to
41:10whether this answer is true is difficult to say
41:14western camera crews don't have enough time in the prisons to find out what the inmates really think
41:22this is what we call the industrial area
41:27here there's a sewing shop and a pasta factory
41:30we also grow our own vegetables
41:32who do you sell to
41:38we keep the food here the textiles go to clients private companies
41:47pasta production in the yavas prison camp
41:51here too there are parallels to the maximum security prisons
41:56work is the reward for good behavior
41:58those behaving badly are condemned to just sitting around
42:08i like working
42:10it makes the time go by faster
42:14what else is the work good for
42:19working means good behavior
42:20good behavior can mean parole
42:22early release is definitely a realistic possibility in prison camps
42:31in maximum security prisons that's not yet the case due to the high risk for the population
42:38when the shifts over they return to their barracks
42:42the prisoners are not allowed to take any pointed objects out with them
42:46only those who submit unconditionally can have any hope of being released early from this hellish place
42:57back to fire island on lake novozorow in northern russia
43:03there are a few inmates who are not serving life sentences
43:07drug dealers thieves protection racketeers
43:10their job is to provide for the lifers
43:21we have our own bakery
43:23this is where we bake bread for the inmates and for sale as well
43:30the camera lens steams up due to the great difference in temperature
43:34outside minus 17 degrees in here it's around 20. rather less dangerous inmates do the baking
43:43and cooking for their extremely dangerous comrades
43:56this is our kitchen
44:14where the food for the lifers is prepared
44:16let me have a look
44:34soup tuna salad meat
44:38because a western camera crew is here today
44:40it's difficult to say whether the lifers are getting some kind of special feast
44:45from their fellow inmates
44:49in russian prisons inmates are used for all kinds of work
44:53in order to save personnel costs
45:09cooks bakers heating fitters electricians welders
45:15the list of the jobs the inmates do is long
45:17we have 53 prisoners here who keep this high security prison running on a day-to-day basis
45:30but the prisoners are of course not allowed to work in any security relevant areas
45:35to be able to work in any security
45:39those serving life sentences have their food brought to their cells three times a day
45:46bringing them all together in one dining hall is out of the question
45:50many of those imprisoned on fire island don't believe they will ever be out on parole
46:10after 25 years so they have nothing to lose
46:14they could attack guards or fellow inmates or try to take hostages to exchange for their freedom
46:35some of the men are not satisfied with the size of the portions
46:38give me some more meat what's wrong i want some more meat
46:48just take your plate do i have to tell you again
46:52i don't want any more pasta what no more pasta
47:13some lifers like to write letters to the state prosecution service
47:17complaining that they are being badly treated or not being given their toiletries
47:22it's all lies
47:25they're bored and they want a bit of attention
47:28but most of them don't want to get involved in all this nonsense with complaints
47:36human rights organizations from the west and in russia see this matter differently
47:42according to human rights watch and memorial
47:44the russian prison system is arbitrary and violent
47:49the camera crew have seen no evidence of such conditions
47:54however only hand-picked inmates like levinov are allowed to speak in the presence of western journalists
48:01not a single word of criticism comes out of his mouth
48:05the sex offender and killer knows all too well that his slim hopes of parole would otherwise be completely compromised
48:14i don't know
48:23what do you think about most
48:26about early release
48:31what's the earliest you could get out of here
48:36parole after 25 years
48:38what does that depend on most
48:45good behavior
48:50but this 25 year thing has never happened yet has it
48:58i don't know honestly
49:01so you've still got hope
49:03yes i still have hope
49:08i don't know
49:10back in the cell
49:20come here
49:21prisoner levanov
49:22i don't know
49:32total submission
49:34no answering back
49:35and don't do anything wrong
49:39from his own experience
49:40yuri levanov knows the rules of the game that can get him paroled
49:44in his first prison term for child abuse the good behavior strategy had worked
49:53but there is one decisive difference between then and now
49:58at that time levanov was in a normal prison camp
50:02now after having committed a particularly brutal murder
50:06he's serving a sentence of life imprisonment on the island of the damned
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