Prisoners in Russian penal colonies and pretrial detention centers still try to celebrate New Year despite strict restrictions. Former prison staff and ex-inmates told Novaya Gazeta Europe that preparations often begin in November, when parcels start to include sweet compotes, jam, and juice that can later be turned into homemade alcohol with a strength of about 10 to 11 percent. According to former Federal Penitentiary Service employee Aleksandr S., guards often overlook this so as not to trigger extra tension, riots, or hunger strikes.
Sources interviewed by the newspaper said many facilities also encouraged New Year concerts and stage performances. Igor B., a former prisoner who spent more than 25 years in custody, recalled that after the collapse of the Soviet Union, artists and priests began visiting prisons. He retold a story about a production called “The Story of Christ” at a prison camp near Vorkuta around 1990, where inmates allegedly drank vodka disguised as wine during the Last Supper scene.
Another source, who introduced himself as Ivan Ivanov, linked prison New Year legends to the Soviet past. He mentioned stories about privileges enjoyed by criminal authorities and retold an account from a Kolyma camp where, in late December 1939, vodka, champagne, food, and several women were supposedly brought in for the holiday. Later, he said, one of the women confirmed to him that they spent a week in the camp, returned unharmed, and were rewarded afterward.
According to former inmates, present-day rules are now organized “in a capitalist way,” with special treatment more often determined by money. Konstantin G. said conditions in pretrial detention depend heavily on the cell and its informal status. Parcels reach favored cells more easily, and banned goods, including alcohol, are often delivered by guards themselves. He recalled a case from 2004 when an unopened box arrived in his cell containing caviar, sausage, tangerines, alcohol, and champagne; he later learned the inmate had taken the blame for the son of a senior official.
The newspaper’s sources said that most Russian colonies are now “red,” meaning controlled by the security services, while older mutual-aid systems such as the common fund have largely disappeared. Kirill S. said that even when alcohol is formally banned, prisoners still look for ways around the rules, although surveillance cameras, body cameras, and the risk of losing parole or visits make it harder with each passing year.