A blogger jailed for spreading state secrets tells how they were raised in Russian colonies

“Of course the food there is disgusting. I affectionately call this dish a meal, because it's like a walking, dead chicken that's been picked up and something made out of it. Everything is run by prisoners, there are very few staff. And of course, the prisoners are guarding the boiler and dining room. There is supervision from above in the form of a specially trained staff member, but generally the prisoners prepare the food. It is clear that there everyone steals, and somewhere someone takes more for himself. Well, what's left is what we eat. So, I made myself a specific list of programs. I also brought that type of meat because there was a serious meat shortage there. It's animal protein,” the blogger said.

“There is a store there, you visit it once a month, but there usually isn't everything there. The milk there is extremely pasteurized. But regular milk, like yogurt and everything else, is not allowed. If it gets worse, you will be poisoned. Or maybe for some reason – it's so delicious, you shouldn't eat it. On Tuesdays and Saturdays we are given a boiled egg for breakfast, but sometimes these eggs are not available because there seems to be an egg problem in the country. Many types of porridge are overcooked,” he noted.

“The mission is to fill your stomach and replenish calories with bread. So when you eat completely what they give you, you will lose a significant amount of weight. Especially if you have a physically demanding job. For example, with early withdrawal, we can have breakfast at half past seven and lunch at two pm. It's just a stomach ache. Obviously you'll bring some crackers or something else with you, but bringing food into the industrial park is prohibited. I have to go around a few times, carrying these cookies somewhere in my socks, just to give myself a few calories during the endless hours between meals,” he concluded.