Former Prison Warden on Riots, Escapes, and the Criminal Elite

Vladimir Frolov spent 30 years working in a maximum-security prison, fifteen of them as its warden. In his village of Prudy, nearly every adult works in one of the three nearby correctional facilities — a place where prison life defines the rhythm of the community. The filmmakers visit Frolov to hear his stories of riots, escapes, prisoner hierarchies, and moral dilemmas. Through his eyes, the film explores what power, control, and survival mean inside Russia’s penal system — and what remains once the gates finally close behind you.