April 03, 2024

A Magazine for Prisoners


A Magazine for Prisoners
February issue of Prison Bulletin. Pyotr Losev, Telegram.

Amidst Russia's surge of political imprisonments in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, IT specialist Pyotr Losev embarked on a mission to address keep political detainees better informed, by launching Tyuremny Vestnik (Prison Bulletin). This periodical provides support and insight to those incarcerated for political reasons.

It was witnessing an acquaintance's imprisonment on political grounds in 2022 prompted Losev to conceive a platform that could provide solace and connection to those behind bars.

In an interview with journalists from the independent outlet Vazhnye Istory, Losev emphasized the importance of bridging the information gap for detainees. He outlined the publication's focus on delivering contextual updates rather than reiterating global events readily available in media.

"I experimented with the concept while corresponding with the detained CEO of an IT firm, purportedly charged with treason. I condensed monthly events into summaries, from the ongoing war to trending topics like NFT market fluctuations, and Gosling-Ken memes. According to him, this was what he needed," Losev said.

Losev and his team of volunteers produce Tyuremny Vestnik once a month month. Each edition features cover art depicting significant events from the preceding month, accompanied by approximately 50 concise news items, highlights from the Russian Twitter-sphere, columns from political prisoners or journalists, and excerpts from reader letters.

Navigating strict prison censorship necessitates coded language. Avoiding sensitive terms that may trigger censorship, Losev employs juxtaposition and innuendo to convey meaningful messages. Despite these precautions, only one-third of the printed copies consistently reach their intended recipients, Losev said.

The publication primarily targets lesser-known political detainees who may lack substantial support networks. "There are many people who have never been interested in politics before. They came out with some kind of poster, wrote a comment in Odnoklassniki, and they were thrown into jail," Losev said.

Currently, Tyuremny Vestnik maintains a database of approximately 1000 political prisoners, yet financial constraints limit its distribution to 250 to 300 individuals. Financial limitations also pose a challenge to expanding print runs, but Losev is optimistic about securing sponsorships to broaden the project's reach and aid more political detainees.

You Might Also Like

Facing Up
  • March 26, 2024

Facing Up

"Faces of the Russian Resistance" is a traveling art project that humanizes dissent in Russia.
Words from Behind the Glass Box
  • March 04, 2024

Words from Behind the Glass Box

A playwright and a theater director were arrested for a play criticizing ISIS. After months in jail, they spoke from their defendants' glass box.
A Mathematician in Prison. Again
  • February 28, 2024

A Mathematician in Prison. Again

Political prisoner Azat Miftakhov was arrested on charges of "justifying terrorism" immediately after being freed.
Aiding Vegan Detainees
  • January 31, 2024

Aiding Vegan Detainees

A nonprofit is assisting vegan political detainees by offering animal-product-free provisions.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The Frogs Who Begged for a Tsar (bilingual)

The fables of Ivan Krylov are rich fonts of Russian cultural wisdom and experience – reading and understanding them is vital to grasping the Russian worldview. This new edition of 62 of Krylov’s tales presents them side-by-side in English and Russian. The wonderfully lyrical translations by Lydia Razran Stone are accompanied by original, whimsical color illustrations by Katya Korobkina.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Woe From Wit (bilingual)

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.
Marooned in Moscow

Marooned in Moscow

This gripping autobiography plays out against the backdrop of Russia's bloody Civil War, and was one of the first Western eyewitness accounts of life in post-revolutionary Russia. Marooned in Moscow provides a fascinating account of one woman's entry into war-torn Russia in early 1920, first-person impressions of many in the top Soviet leadership, and accounts of the author's increasingly dangerous work as a journalist and spy, to say nothing of her work on behalf of prisoners, her two arrests, and her eventual ten-month-long imprisonment, including in the infamous Lubyanka prison. It is a veritable encyclopedia of life in Russia in the early 1920s.
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
The Latchkey Murders

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Chekhov Bilingual

Chekhov Bilingual

Some of Chekhov's most beloved stories, with English and accented Russian on facing pages throughout. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.

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