The Lukyanivska detention center in Kyiv is Ukraine's oldest functioning prison and is infamous for its terrible conditions, with detainees enduring cold, crowding, and crumbling walls. RFE/RL Ukrainian Service photographer Serhii Nuzhenko joined other journalists invited by the Ministry of Justice on a tour of the oldest prison block, built almost 160 years ago.
Inside A Notorious Ukrainian Prison
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The oldest prison block, known as "Katenka," dates back to the early 1860s.
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Detainees awaiting trial live surrounded by moldy walls and windows without glass. "We sleep fully dressed with our hats on," one detainee said. "The average temperature in here is 10 degrees."
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The plumbing in the prison was installed in the 1960s, and has not been renovated since. There are frequent breakdowns in the water and sewage systems.
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Some inmates in pre-trial detention spend as long as several years here, awaiting the conclusion of lengthy investigations and trials.
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An old church on the prison grounds was repurposed as prison cells during the Soviet era. A new church was built here in 2013.
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The prisoners refer to their cells as "huts." Ten people share this 20-square-meter cell.
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The Lukyanivska detention center has held high-profile detainees, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and current Prosecutor-General Yuriy Lutsenko, although they were housed in better facilities at the complex.
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Prisoners who have filed lawsuits over the terrible conditions here have won their cases in European courts, but change is slow to come.
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Ministry of Justice officials say they are away of the situation, but lack funds to improve the facility. Private funding is now contributing to the reconstruction of a women's block.
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