Vladimir Central Prison
Vladimir Central Prison, Maximum security prison in Vladimir, Russia
Vladimir Central Prison is a maximum security facility in the Russian city of Vladimir, whose massive brick walls enclose several cell blocks. The complex is designed to house more than twelve hundred inmates under the strictest security conditions.
Catherine II ordered the construction of this facility in 1781, which opened two years later under architect Nikolai von Berg. Since then, the complex has undergone several transformations from an imperial penal institution to a modern maximum security prison.
The facility appears in many Russian songs and stories that portray life behind these walls. Many visitors come because of the literary and musical references that have anchored the place in Russian popular culture.
The grounds are located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Moscow in the city of Vladimir and currently house individuals serving sentences between ten years and life imprisonment. Visitors can tour the attached museum, which documents the history and development of the facility.
A museum within the grounds opened in 1996 and displays exhibits from different eras of prison history. The collection includes objects from the tsarist period to the present day and provides insights into the changes in the penal system.
Location: Vladimir
Inception: 1783
Official opening: 1783
Address: Vladimir Central Prison, Vladimir, Vladimirskaya oblast', Russia, 600020
GPS coordinates: 56.14104,40.43428
Latest update: December 4, 2025 19:05
This collection brings together penal institutions that have marked the history of incarceration worldwide through their architecture, detention conditions, or roles in major historical events. From the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, established in 2002 for holding individuals suspected of terrorism, to high-security facilities like Red Onion in Wise County, Virginia, these sites document the evolution of penal systems across continents. Among the institutions transformed into memorial sites, Diyarbakır Prison in Turkey stands out for its conversion into a cultural center and museum since 2019. Its 24 dormitories spread over two floors, its cells, and corridors allow visitors to explore this chapter of Turkish penal history. In Argentina, Mendoza Prison, built in the early 20th century, reflects the prison practices of that era and the development of the regional judicial system. Other facilities remain operational and raise questions about prisoners' rights and incarceration conditions. Gldani Prison in Tbilisi caused national protests in 2012 after images exposing systemic abuses were released, leading to major reforms in the Georgian penal system. Ciudad Barrios Prison in El Salvador continues to function as a correctional center in the eastern region of the country. These sites, spread across multiple continents, provide documented insights into penal practices in various political and social contexts. From Rwanda to North Korea, passing through Colombia and the United States, they help understand the evolution of judicial and correctional systems while raising current issues related to detention and rehabilitation.
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Сторожка левая (Владимир)
453 mReviews
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