Trubetskoy bastion prison, Political prison museum in Peter and Paul Fortress, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The Trubetskoy Bastion Prison is a prison museum within the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg, containing 72 individual cells arranged in a circular pattern. The two-story stone structure with a pentagonal footprint displays the architectural design of a 19th-century detention facility.
The prison was completed in 1872 and housed activists considered threats to tsarist rule. It closed following the October Revolution and was later converted into a museum to document this period.
The name comes from the family who built the fortress, and the cells show how political prisoners lived in isolation. Visitors can see how confined the spaces were and what possessions the detainees could keep.
The museum is located on an island within the city and is accessible on foot when visiting the fortress. Plan time to explore the cells slowly, as the confined spaces can feel intense.
Each cell was precisely sized according to strict specifications designed to maximize isolation and control of detainees. This careful spatial planning reveals the thinking behind imperial-era prison architecture.
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