Taganskaya prison, or "Taganka", is the namehas long become a household name and left a significant mark in contemporary art. Many townsfolk today do not even know where the correctional facility was located and how it was officially called. Especially for you, the full and true story of "Taganka", as well as unique facts and historical evidence of contemporaries in our article.
The beginning of the history of the Moscow provincial criminal prison
The deprivation of liberty as punishment for the committedThe criminal acts in Russia began to be used even under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. The peak of activity of construction and the organization of corrective opinions fell during the reign of Catherine II. In 1804, Emperor Alexander I issued a decree on the construction of the Moscow provincial criminal prison. As a place for the arrangement of such an institution, the outskirts of Moscow were chosen. Today it is the street of Small Masons. Not far away is the Novospassky Monastery and Taganskaya Square. It was by her name that she received her "Taganka" prison in the people. Initially, the institution was classified as a "prison workhouse", here permanently lived and worked prisoners.
Who was and was re-educated in the legendary prison?
Initially, "Taganka" was intended forcriminals. However, already in the XX century it received the status of "transit", and in the XXI century. there were also political prisoners. The explanation for such changes is the simplest. Other prisons in Moscow - Butyrka and Matrosskaya Tishina - did not always have enough seats for new prisoners. Since its inception, the Moscow provincial criminal prison has had a huge number of workshops. Without work, none of the prisoners remained, and if the convict did not have any profession, he was also trained while serving his sentence. Directly on its territory Taganskaya prison had forging-blacksmith-mechanical, tailoring, turning, printing and binding workshops. Already in 1921, the Pravda newspaper glorified the competent organization of the re-education of convicts by labor and appreciated the importance of the work of prisoners for society and the country. And meanwhile in 1920 in "Taganka" only about 1200 convicts were held, and a little less than 200 people were employed.
Conditions of detention
Even today, many Russian prisons can notboast of good conditions for the convicts and the humane organization of their labor. In the past centuries, things were no better. Overcrowded cells and common areas, meager and monotonous food, as well as hard labor in the literal sense of the word labor. If you believe the testimonies of contemporaries, and the prison itself made a depressing impression - dull yellow walls, bars on the windows. But at the same time, international standards were always respected here. In the 1920s Taganskaya prison even hosted foreign delegations, sometimes parcels from the Red Cross came here.
Legends and facts
Many broken fates and people convictedunjustly, Taganskaya prison has seen. The history of this correctional institution is full of various legends and facts, which it is not easy to believe in. At one time, the head of the prison was Menzhinsky's brother, and surprisingly, he liked convicts very much. It is said that when he was informed of the planned arrest of Patriarch Tikhon, he personally came to his Holiness and, asking for his blessing, announced his detention. However, maybe all this is just a beautiful myth. Still, someone in Taganskaya Prison was very well off. After the Revolution, V.F. Dzhunkovsky - former governor of the Moscow region and head of the police, found himself in the "Taganka" already as a prisoner. The attitude towards this prisoner was very lenient. The whole point is that Dzhunkovsky was a well-educated and intelligent man, as an exception, he was allowed to educate minors, and to breed rabbits, soon, however, he was completely released. An interesting story is the life of Maxim Zhizhilenko - the son of a prosecutor, who worked in the correctional facility as the chief doctor. Taganskaya prison for him really became a home native. After the death of his wife, he led the life of an ordinary prisoner - he lived in a simple cell and ate food prepared for the prisoners.
Taganka in the 20th century
After the revolution of 1917, all Russian prisonswere overwhelmed with a "new" type of criminals - political prisoners. The next wave of arrests touched religious figures. Interestingly, the "Taganka" was built church (1894), but in 1922 it was closed. Then the believing prisoners received for their meetings the premises of the communist school. Praying was relied on in front of the portraits of Trotsky and Lenin, the benefit was volunteers from the staff who were willing to guard the prisoners during this event. Another interesting fact: in 1940 the prison "Taganka" was the place of detention of 4,120 prisoners, the staff numbered less than 800 people. In 1946, an unusual execution took place right in the courtyard of the legendary correctional institution. General Vlasov and his followers took death by hanging, there is evidence that the condemned ones themselves asked to be traditionally shot by them, "like a soldier".
Prison jargon and "criminal romance"
Interesting fact: The first in Russia dictionary of prison jargons was compiled precisely in "Taganka". V. Trakhtenberg carried out a tremendous work, which resulted in a unique collection of "translation" of thieves' slang into the Russian literary language with explanations and comments. The popular version is also that the word "bald" also appeared in this prison. Legend has it that once in the local kitchen worked a cook with the name Balandin, who managed to cook almost inedible food for prisoners. As a result, his creations were nicknamed "balancing", and the cook himself was cooked in a saucepan with another inedible soup.
Famous prisoners
For a century and a half of thisthe correctional institution in it was visited by a huge number of famous and simply outstanding people. At different times here were: N. Bauman (Bolshevik-revolutionary), VF Trakhtenberg, Savva Mamontov, Porfiry Ivanov (the famous healer), Osip Shor (the prototype of Ostap Bender), Kravets TP (academician) and many others . In fact, this list can be continued indefinitely. It should be noted that life in prison was often the same for all. Intellectuals, politicians and religious figures lived in conditions created for criminals, often involved in hard work.
End of the story: the demolition of Taganskaya prison
In 1938, the NKVD is reforming, as a resultwhich prison No. 1 OMZ UNKVD Moscow region becomes the Taganskaya prison of the GUGB. Accordingly, the correctional institution moves from the department of the NKVD Administration to the Main Department of State Security of the NKVD. In 1939 Taganka officially changes its status and becomes a transit prison. In 1946 the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR was formed. Accordingly, after several reforms in the merger and distribution of powers between this ministry and the KGB, the correctional institution becomes subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The last official name of "Taganka" is the Central Taganskaya transit prison of the Eighth Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR. The history of this correctional facility ends in 1958. The legendary prison was demolished by order of Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev.
What is today on the spot of "Taganka"?
Most of the prison buildings are fast enoughdemolished. Very soon, in the place where the Taganskaya prison was located, a kindergarten was set up, intended for the children of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and several residential five-story houses - typical "Khrushchevs". From the correctional institution to this day only one administrative building and a laundry room have been preserved. In the first structure today there are various offices, and where the active washing was once conducted, housing department is located. The base of the prison wall is also preserved - it is a parapet about 1.5 meters high, stretching along the modern Novospassky lane. However, maybe this is another legend. But everyone can look at the administrative building, which once had Tagansky prison. Address of the house: Malye Kamenshchiki street, possession 16.
Legends from the vicinity of "Taganka"
If you find yourself in the former territorycorrective institution, not knowing about the history of this place, it is impossible even to assume that there was once. Few prisons in Moscow are as famous as Taganskaya, but despite this fact, today this area resembles a typical sleeping area. Riot of greenery, ordinary houses, and yet people still live here who personally remember the state buildings behind high fences. Among the inhabitants of the districts there are legends about prison dungeons and tunnels dug by zeks. Some argue that they personally saw how during excavation work, human bones were extracted from the trenches to the surface of the earth. Particularly impressionable citizens talk about strange visions and not the most pleasant dreams in which they see life in prison or its prisoners.
Mentions in art and mass culture
This prison is not for nothing called the legendary, eventoday, when more than half a century has passed since the demolition, a truly popular song "Taganka" can be heard on the radio or found in collections of popular hits. What is remarkable, the poet and composer of this work is not established. However, the composition has already been performed and recorded by many popular performers of various years, and, interestingly, they continue to re-sing it today. He sang about Tagansky prison and V. Vysotsky, just listen carefully to the lines of the song: "Hey, chauffeur, take me to Butyrsky farm". In addition, the prison is mentioned in the memoirs of its prisoners and various encyclopaedic-historical collections. It was shot about "Taganka" several documentaries and information television programs. Let the prison itself be demolished in 1958, it entered the history of Russia forever. What is interesting is that many inhabitants regret that the historical correctional institution was demolished, it would be much more interesting to visit a museum open within its walls.
