July 16, 2021

Not Cu-Cumbersome for Prisoners


Not Cu-Cumbersome for Prisoners
Cool as two cucumbers. Photo by Kelly Neil on Unsplash

On July 8, the Russian online news outlet “Orlegrad” reported that a penal colony in the Kromskoy district of the Oryol region has taken an approach to convict rehabilitation that requires its prisoners to develop a green thumb.

Since April, prisoners have been tasked with tending to different types of cucumber. The colony has a greenhouse with an area of 500 square meters where residents plant seedlings, engage in microclimate regulation, air, water, feed, process, shape, and harvest their vegetables.

The gardening not only helps diversify the diets of prisoners and create additional jobs and earnings, but the labor is also thought to help them “embark on the path of correction.” The first harvest came in mid-June, and prisoners have since gathered 575 kilograms (about 1270 pounds) of four cucumber varieties.

While it is yet to be seen how successful this activity will be in nudging inmates back to the high road, we can hope this cucumber solution will take no prisoners.

 

You Might Also Like

New GULAG?
  • July 01, 2021

New GULAG?

Russian authorities have found a new way to boost the country’s sluggish economic growth while also solving the shortage of construction workers: prison labor.
Cool as Cucumber Noodles
  • July 01, 2016

Cool as Cucumber Noodles

Cucumbers are practically their own food group in Russia. We offer a cooling recipe...
Prison, Alexis and Siberia
  • March 01, 2015

Prison, Alexis and Siberia

Reviews of a book by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, "My Fellow Prisoners," "Alexis in America, by Lee Farrow, "Midnight in Siberia," by by NPR host David Greene, "Trepanation of the Skull," by Sergei Gandlevsky, and "An American Diplomat in Bolshevik Russia," by DeWitt Clinton Poole.
Russian Political Prisoners Ignored by Everyone
  • September 03, 2013

Russian Political Prisoners Ignored by Everyone

Sergey Udaltsov, a leftist protest leader currently under house arrest pending investigation of his alleged planning of the May 6, 2012 Bolotnaya Square riots exemplifies the popular saying: “out of sight, out of mind.” Yet he is not alone in his plight...
Crime Doesn't Pay
  • August 09, 2018

Crime Doesn't Pay

This is the crime-filled Russia you’ve always heard about, including a cat smuggling drugs and railroad theft.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Jews in Service to the Tsar
October 09, 2011

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.

A Taste of Chekhov
December 24, 2022

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.

Woe From Wit (bilingual)
June 20, 2017

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.

At the Circus
January 01, 2013

At the Circus

This wonderful novella by Alexander Kuprin tells the story of the wrestler Arbuzov and his battle against a renowned American wrestler. Rich in detail and characterization, At the Circus brims with excitement and life. You can smell the sawdust in the big top, see the vivid and colorful characters, sense the tension build as Arbuzov readies to face off against the American.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955