Surviving Russian Prisons and Their 'Horrific' Food

Maria, when she was imprisoned at 35, thought she knew all the ins and outs of life. However, it was in a Moscow prison that she realized she had no idea about the food in Russian prisons. She was imprisoned for 17 months between 2021 and 2022 on charges deemed politically motivated by the human rights group Memorial, and she says she never imagined people could be fed such things. Every day, hundreds of thousands of prisoners in Russian prisons or temporary detention centers are forced to eat things like undercooked soup, raw bread, and spoiled meat. This is what former prisoners have told the 'Current Time' television network, a Russian branch of Radio Free Europe. According to them, the lack of fruits and vegetables and very limited options for healthy food is also considered normal. After her release, Maria, whose real name we do not use for her safety, tried to prepare something resembling the prison soup and porridge, which she likened to 'snot water,' but she couldn't. The issue is not just the 'taste' of the food distributed in the vast network of Russian prisons. The main question is whether this 'food' is even edible; more importantly, whether it complies with United Nations standards regarding minimum acceptable standards for the treatment of prisoners. Investigations by 'Current Time' show that this is generally not the case. Ivan Astashin, a former prisoner from one of the polar city prisons in Norilsk, which was previously a Stalin-era Gulag, says that when you looked at the prison menu, it seemed very good and delicious; especially since the meals were supposed to not be repeated more than two or three times a week. According to the menu, a variety of meals including stew, fried meat, and potato stew were supposed to be distributed. However, in practice, what was always seen on prisoners' plates was one thing: potatoes with local reindeer meat. Astashin, who now works as a prisoner rights activist, spent nearly 10 years imprisoned on terrorism-related charges, which he and his supporters say were politically motivated. He was released in 2020 and left Russia two years later with his wife. His memories of prison food, however, have not faded. Breakfast was always wheat, barley, or buckwheat porridge mixed with water or milk. Sometimes, there were so few grains that it was practically 'zippo water.' Lunch was often just a potato, but sometimes there was a bit of cabbage or buckwheat and something resembling meat alongside it. A type of jelly with sweet compote was served as dessert. Dinner again consisted of potatoes, cabbage, or buckwheat along with a piece of fish. The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia states that prisoners receive 100 grams of meat per day. However, Astashin says that the reindeer meat given to prisoners in Norilsk was black, frozen, smelly, and inedible, and had a very disgusting appearance. According to some prisoners and prison staff, this meat had been in the freezer for decades. Astashin says that the daily caloric intake he received, which was reported by prison officials to be between 2600 and 3000 calories, was more or less sufficient; as prison officials also gave prisoners very large pieces of bread, although he emphasizes that often the bread was not properly baked. He recalls that in the notorious 'Matroskaya Tishina' prison in Moscow, where he was imprisoned for years, when he pressed a piece of bread, it crumbled like play dough. He says they had to cut and dry the edges of the bread. Only then could it be eaten without causing stomach pain and bloating. However, Maria recalls that eating dried bread alone is not enough, and prisoners need fruits and vegetables. According to the guidelines of the Russian prison system, each prisoner should receive 500 grams of fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables daily. Maria, however, says she only saw the color of fruits and vegetables when she had visitors who brought them for her. She says she never imagined it would come to the point where, out of craving and need for vegetables, she would grab anything. She says if they were lucky, they would get a teaspoon of pickled cabbage once a week. 'If we got it, it was a real celebration.' In July of this year, the Federal Penitentiary Service claimed in an interview with the Moscow newspaper 'Moscow Komsomolets' that the nutrition of all prisoners 'meets the energy requirements, and the ratio of protein, fat, and carbohydrates corresponds to the needs of a moderate diet.' Maria, however, has a different opinion. 'If a female prisoner does not have anyone outside the prison, she definitely cannot survive on prison food because it is not edible at all.' Receiving food from outside the prison does not necessarily mean the problem is solved. According to former prisoners, prisons and detention centers are almost devoid of cooking facilities, effectively taking away the opportunity for prisoners to cook. Moreover, in many cases, prisoners are not even allowed to approach the stove. According to Astashin, if a prisoner wants to prepare a 'reasonable soup,' they must buy a plastic bucket from the prison, pour the soup into it, and boil it with the help of a folding kettle. No knife is provided to prisoners for preparing raw food; however, Astashin says there are always ways. For instance, prisoners can bribe guards to receive almost anything they want. 'If you find a corrupt guard, they can bring you a knife. Otherwise, you can sharpen the edge of an aluminum spoon or other things like a knife.' The Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia has also noticed the demand for diverse foods. In Moscow's detention centers and suburbs, a restaurant named 'Sydim, Yedim' has opened; a name that roughly means 'we eat in prison.' However, the high prices of food in these restaurants clearly reflect the lack of other options for customers. Maria says you can buy biscuits, baked bread, and if you are very lucky, a piece of sausage from the prison shop stalls. But the prices of the items are so exorbitant that it feels like prisoners are 'paying for their sins.' Online prison shops, like 'Zona Mag' and 'Predai ve Sizo,' offer ready-made meals, vegetables, fruits, canned meat, and various sweets; but again at prices higher than regular stores. Prisoners use their personal accounts to pay, and food items are not always available. A former prisoner who wished to remain anonymous says, 'Many prisoners have no way to receive food from outside and have to eat whatever they are given as food. As a result, the appearance and demeanor of these individuals are also inappropriate because what they eat is not properly digested.' Alexei Navalny, the late leader of the Russian opposition, who attended his court hearing via video link from prison, has also spoken about the torture in solitary confinement. According to political prisoners, including Alexei Navalny, access to edible food becomes much harder in solitary cells. A former prisoner who has experienced solitary confinement and now works for the group 'Russia Behind Bars' regarding prisoner rights says that guards would place the food of solitary prisoners in containers used by prisoners who had been victims of rape or other serious abuses. Eating from these containers would cause political prisoners to be viewed as those victims; a status that is considered the lowest possible level in prison culture. This former prisoner, who prefers to remain anonymous, says that in solitary confinement, he only ate bread and lost 24 kilograms of weight. Kevin Lake, a Russian-German student, was accused of treason and sentenced to four years in prison in January 2023. He, recognized as a political prisoner by the Memorial group, survived with instant noodle packs sent by his mother. In September 2024, when he was released during a prisoner exchange, this nearly two-meter tall 19-year-old weighed only 72 kilograms. He does not remember the first food he ate after his release, but he is sure of one thing: 'Regular food made me infinitely happy.'