Polar Owl Prison: Life and Secrets of Russia’s Harshest Arctic Colony

 From Gulag Project to Supermax Prison

On the site where Penal Colony No.18 (IK-18), known as “Polar Owl”, now stands, construction of the Transpolar Railway began in 1947. The project was intended to link Vorkuta and Norilsk — and perhaps serve as a defensive line in case of war. Stretching over 1,300 kilometers through permafrost, it became one of Stalin’s most ambitious and deadly projects.

The railway was built by Gulag inmates under extreme Arctic conditions, where winter lasts ten months and temperatures drop below −40°C. Initially, there was no infrastructure: prisoners dug earth shelters and makeshift huts. Escape was pointless — the tundra offered only certain death from cold and starvation. Food was scarce; prisoners boiled gruel from spoiled pea bricks. Later, rations improved, and locals helped with food and cigarettes.

Losses were catastrophic. The grim phrase “one sleeper — one life” became reality. After Stalin’s death in 1953, the project was abandoned, leaving behind machinery, mass graves, and shattered lives.

 The Birth of IK-18

In 1961, the settlement of Harp was established near the Sob River. A labor colony followed, where prisoners produced reinforced concrete. By 1973, plans emerged to centralize the most dangerous criminals here; the first group of 150 hardcore repeat offenders arrived in 1981. In 2004 (some sources say early 2005), IK-18 officially became a prison for life-sentenced inmates.

 Why “Polar Owl”?

The name comes from a sculpture of a white owl in the prison yard. The bird is a symbol of the Far North and, in local mythology, a guide to the afterlife — fitting for a place where inmates rarely leave alive.

 Life Inside

IK-18 is designed for 1,014 inmates. Around 300–400 serve life terms. They are housed in four two-story blocks, usually in 1–2-man cells. Communication is allowed only in whispers; talking during the 90-minute daily walk is forbidden and punished by solitary confinement (SHIZO). Pairing inmates requires psychological screening, but mistakes happen. In 2016, neo-Nazi leader Alexey Voyevodin killed his cellmate. The prison tightened security after the incident.

The prison is a self-contained settlement: it has its own power plant, bakery, farms, sawmills, and workshops for carpentry, sewing, and shoemaking. There’s even a church and a cultural hall (lifers are banned from attending). IK-18 is considered one of Russia’s most secure facilities — there has never been a successful escape.

 Corruption Scandal

In 2010, a major scandal broke out. A prison officer used an inmate to extort false confessions from cellmates in exchange for ending beatings and pressure. Some “confessions” were linked to high-profile murders, including those of journalist Anna Politkovskaya and Forbes editor Paul Khlebnikov. Investigators uncovered the scheme after inconsistencies in testimonies and complaints from inmates. The officer received 3.5 years for abuse of power.

 Facts and Details

IK-18 is considered one of the most heavily guarded prisons in Russia. Escaping from here is virtually impossible: there has never been a successful breakout. Only one inmate once managed to get beyond the exercise yard, but he was immediately caught. Security is strict, though surveillance cameras are not installed everywhere — a fact that led to a murder in 2016, when Alexey Voyevodin, the leader of a neo-Nazi group, killed his cellmate. This incident prompted the tightening of rules regarding shared cells.

Despite the harsh regime, life-term inmates are allowed to work: sewing, wood carving, and making souvenirs. However, not all choose to work. According to the administration, the prison records one or two inmate deaths per year, mostly from heart attacks. Suicides occasionally occur: in 2016, Evgeny Kolesnikov, known as “Sirota Solikamskaya,” took his own life. Many relatives refuse to claim the bodies, leaving the administration to arrange burials.

 Notorious Inmates

• Alexander Pichushkin (“Chessboard Killer”) – 49 murders; aimed for 64 (chessboard squares).

• Nurpashi Kulayev – The only surviving Beslan school siege terrorist.

• Denis Evsyukov – Former police major, opened fire in a Moscow supermarket.

• Dmitry Voronenko – Serial killer, targeted young women in St. Petersburg.

• Ivan Panchenko (“Earth Devil”) – Killed five, buried an 8-year-old girl alive.

• Abdufatto Zamanov (“Krasnoyarsk Chikatilo”) – 14 murders, including mass killing with a skewer.

• Sergey Pomazun (“Belgorod Shooter”) – Shot six people in a city rampage.

• Ilya Goryachev – Nationalist leader, linked to political assassinations.