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.
Query
Template: /muraWRM/core/mura/content/feed/feedGateway.cfc:250
Execution Time: 0.804 ms
Record Count: 0
Cached: No
Lazy: No
SQL:
SELECT
tcontent.siteid, tcontent.title, tcontent.menutitle, tcontent.restricted, tcontent.restrictgroups,
tcontent.type, tcontent.subType, tcontent.filename, tcontent.displaystart, tcontent.displaystop,
tcontent.remotesource, tcontent.remoteURL,tcontent.remotesourceURL, tcontent.keypoints,
tcontent.contentID, tcontent.parentID, tcontent.approved, tcontent.isLocked, tcontent.contentHistID,tcontent.target, tcontent.targetParams,
tcontent.releaseDate, tcontent.lastupdate,tcontent.summary,
tfiles.fileSize,tfiles.fileExt,tcontent.fileid,
tcontent.tags,tcontent.credits,tcontent.audience, tcontent.orderNo,
tcontentstats.rating,tcontentstats.totalVotes,tcontentstats.downVotes,tcontentstats.upVotes,
tcontentstats.comments, tparent.type parentType,
tcontent.path, tcontent.created, tcontent.nextn, tcontent.majorVersion, tcontent.minorVersion, tcontentstats.lockID, tcontentstats.lockType, tcontent.expires,
tfiles.filename as AssocFilename,tcontent.displayInterval,tcontent.display,tcontentfilemetadata.altText as fileAltText,tcontent.changesetid
FROM
tcontent
left Join tfiles on (tcontent.fileid=tfiles.fileid)
left Join tcontentstats on (tcontent.contentid=tcontentstats.contentid
and tcontent.siteid=tcontentstats.siteid)
Left Join tcontent tparent on (tcontent.parentid=tparent.contentid
and tcontent.siteid=tparent.siteid
and tparent.active=1)
Left Join tcontentfilemetadata on (tcontent.fileid=tcontentfilemetadata.fileid
and tcontent.contenthistid=tcontentfilemetadata.contenthistid
and tcontent.siteid=tcontentfilemetadata.siteid)
WHERE
tcontent.siteid in ('default')
and tcontent.active = 1
and tcontent.Approved = 1
AND tcontent.isNav = 1
AND tcontent.moduleid = '00000000000000000000000000000000000'
AND tcontent.searchExclude = 0
AND tcontent.contentid <> '00000000000000000000000000000000001'
AND tcontent.type <>'Module'
and (
tcontent.parentid
=
'5AC92416-FC60-479F-88A24EACEC94FF57'
and
tcontent.subtype
=
'footnote'
)
AND (
tcontent.Display = 1
OR
(
tcontent.Display = 2
AND
(
(
tparent.type!='Calendar'
and tcontent.DisplayStart <=
{ts '2026-04-01 02:25:00'}
and (tcontent.DisplayStop >=
{ts '2026-04-01 02:25:00'} or tcontent.DisplayStop is null)
) OR (
tparent.type='Calendar'
and tcontent.DisplayStart <=
{ts '2027-04-01 02:25:00'}
and (tcontent.DisplayStop >=
{ts '2026-04-01 02:25:00'} or tcontent.DisplayStop is null)
)
)
)
)
AND (
tcontent.mobileExclude is null
OR
tcontent.mobileExclude in (0,1)
)
order by
tcontent.lastUpdate desc
siteidtitlemenutitlerestrictedrestrictgroupstypesubTypefilenamedisplaystartdisplaystopremotesourceremoteURLremotesourceURLkeypointscontentIDparentIDapprovedisLockedcontentHistIDtargettargetParamsreleaseDatelastupdatesummaryfileSizefileExtfileidtagscreditsaudienceorderNoratingtotalVotesdownVotesupVotescommentsparentTypepathcreatednextnmajorVersionminorVersionlockIDlockTypeexpiresAssocFilenamedisplayIntervaldisplayfileAltTextchangesetid
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

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. 

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

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...

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.

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.

Life Stories
September 01, 2009

Life Stories

The Life Stories collection is a nice introduction to contemporary Russian fiction: many of the 19 authors featured here have won major Russian literary prizes and/or become bestsellers. These are life-affirming stories of love, family, hope, rebirth, mystery and imagination, masterfully translated by some of the best Russian-English translators working today. The selections reassert the power of Russian literature to affect readers of all cultures in profound and lasting ways. Best of all, 100% of the profits from the sale of this book are going to benefit Russian hospice—not-for-profit care for fellow human beings who are nearing the end of their own life stories.

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