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Butyrka Prison
The Doorway to Hell
Moscow's Butyrka Prison was built in the late 1700s during the reign of Catherine the Great. During Stalin's purges of the 1930s-1950s, it became the most feared symbol of Communist excesses when spying was turned against the Soviet Union's own citizens.
When people were called in for questioning, they were naturally nervous to meet with the interrogator. But few suspected that they would never leave the office. Hidden behind this cabinet's wooden front, stairs led deep into the dark heart of Butryka Prison. Suspects were often held for years under the most inhumane conditions. Others, perhaps more fortunate, were quickly executed. |