To build or not to build Locals push back against new ‘super prison’ plans in Russia’s Far East

In the spring of 2023, Buryatia Governor Alexey Tsydenov proposed building a “super prison” near Ulan-Ude, a city in Russia’s Far East. Locals, however, weren’t thrilled by the idea and began staging protests against its construction. Several months later, authorities unexpectedly moved the project to a completely different location: the nearby village of Energetik. Residents there were caught off guard by the news. They say no one told them about the plans or that the project would entail cutting down 80 hectares of forest. Now, they’re protesting too, but so far, their efforts seem to be having little effect.

Buryatia Governor Alexey Tsydenov first brought up the idea of building a new prison near Ulan-Ude in a meeting with Putin this past March. Tsydenov said there was an old, rundown pre-trial detention facility in the city center and suggested relocating it to the outskirts and building a “combination-type” institution for 3,000 people.

According to Tsydenov’s plan, this institution, which has been dubbed a “super prison” or “multi-prison” on social media, would include the actual pre-trial detention center as well as two minimum-security prisons. Officials designated a site near Steklozavod, a suburb to the northwest of Ulan-Ude, for the new project. But when locals heard about the plans, they began to protest.

Residents expressed fear at the idea of living close to prisoners and complained that the area already had a “huge number of depressing facilities”: tuberculosis and neuropsychiatric centers, a hospital for the homeless, a livestock burial ground, and sewage treatment plants.

Officials then took the site selection to a public hearing on December 6, where another location was proposed — an area near the village of Energetik, southeast of the city, surrounded by pine forests. Ultimately, 94 people voted for the new option, 13 for Steklozavod, and 50 against both locations.

Energetik residents told Meduza that this option wasn’t in any previous plans and was a complete surprise to them. The day of the hearing, they launched an online petition, calling for the project’s cancelation. (At the time of this article’s publication, more than 8,000 people had signed.) The next day, they recorded an appeal, shown on local TV, to Putin, State Duma deputies, members of Buryatia’s People’s Khural (Buryatia’s regional parliament), and members of the city government.

Residents demanded there be another hearing as they weren’t informed about the “super prison” or the even hearing itself. They also opposed the authorities’ plan to clear 80 hectares of a pine forest for the project, arguing that Ulan-Ude was already one of the most polluted cities in Russia. Residents also raised safety concerns. In a social media post, a local said that prisoners would have nowhere to go once released and would stay in the area, leading to an increase in crime.

On December 8, Tsydenov held a live stream where he said Steklozavod would “regret missing out” on the opportunity and reassured Energetik residents that the new prison complex wouldn’t create any problems. He made no mention of their appeal or the possibility of any new hearings.