The Barents Observer follows the Code of Ethics of the Norwegian Press and the document Right and Duties of the Editor. We report under full editorial independence and have no external interference. We also had a woman-officer who took girls to her cabinet. My girlfriend refused and was moved to punishment cell immediately after the fight. I still remember this officer, she was as ugly as a hunting dog. She took girls to her place, and although everybody kept silent, everything was clear.

Natalia got her freedom in September 2010, she has a total prison experience of more than 15 years. She has herself lost the count of the number of years in detention. As I explained, the « kobels» are of the older generation, they are already like a male in their life. The motto of the « kobel» is «the one who has sex, gets meat». That means, you have tea, sugar, cigarettes and all girls. The « kobel» is like a male — he smells of men’s cologne, he speaks like a man, expressions, appearance, he wears male pants, there is often no breasts. Here they are real, but they are not numerous. They do not say the word «lesbian», they say «pair». Lets say your name is Vasya, and I consider you my husband, they do not determine themselves as lesbians. They say «I’m married.» Olga: There were some inmates who had female partners on the outside, I and a couple of people. All the rest lived with men, they have children. I realized my orientation already in childhood, and know exactly what I want.Last month they pleaded guilty to attempting lesbian sex and were fined and sentenced to six lashings of the cane.

I had different relationships. Many of my girlfriends loved to make plans for the future: «we will come out and live together.» But I was not interested. I did not understand how to live with one person for a long time. Later, when I was 30 (I was free already), I went to Volkhov. There I met a woman, she worked at the factory, and we ended up together for 23 years. And you know, the least of all problems in my life was the fact that I was a lesbian. This story is originally made in connection with the project “Woman. Prison. Society”, a study on LGBT conditions in Russian jails. In the project team are: Leonid Agafonov (author of the project “Woman. Society. Prison”), Alexey Sergeev (designer), Natalia Donskova (journalist), Olga Holodnaya (photographer), Natalia Sivohina (corrector).Volunteers: Marianna Gelman, Lidia Simakova (journalist). The original Russian version is available at 7x7-journal.ru Katya: We took down the curtains, and then we go going. We did not have cameras, only guards in the corridors. And if sometimes they shouted that “Police is in the house!” we cleaned up.I believe, such love is only among the older generation, the old “soldiers”, the women who had many terms, and they had a motive for this love. And all the rest of the inmates usually play «roles», in the first terms there is usually no such love. The first-time prisoners stayed six months, then went to the second term with the multi-times inmates, they have cigarettes, coffee, tea, sugar. Women agree to have sex for cigarettes. Were there «kobels» (active lesbian) and «kovyrialka» (passive lesbian) in jails where you served terms? You are not punished for sex itself, but for the fact that you “are on someone else’s bed”, are you? The girl gets freedom and after that beat somebody or steal something and then return to the prison. And while she is in pre-trial detention, the « kobel» is already with another girl. They don’t understand it. The « kobel» does not need his girlfriend, because the jail is filled with these girls.