Support The Moscow Times!

Sentenced to Life on Fire Island

Igor Tabakov
In December of 2004, Igor Tabakov and staff writer Anatoly Medetsky traveled to the Vologda region for a story about a prison where 193 inmates were serving life sentences after former President Boris Yeltsin imposed on moratorium on capital punishment in 1996. On Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, the Constitutional Court ruled that capital punishment would not resume in January 2010, effectively extending the ban on the death penalty. In light of this ruling, we've revisited Tabakov's moving photos from his visit to Prison No. OE 256/5, also known as "Pyatak."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more